The Puzzle of Protein Folding- Solved

Protein folding: A grand, complex challenge in biology has finally been solved, with the aid of Artificial Intelligence. Using DeepMind's AlphaFold, the problem has finally been solved after around 50 years. Under the biennial CASP (Critical assessment of protein Structure Prediction) challenge, the team solved the mystery.

DeepMind is a British AI company (acquired by Google) that has previously revolutionized the scope of modern science. In 2016, one of the programs, AlphaGo, successfully beat a world champion of the game 'Go'.

Proteins fold due to the interactions between chemical interactions. The prediction of the protein folding mechanism has always posed a challenge to scientists- one reason being due to the time that is consumed in the process. Using the program 'AlphaFold', scientists utilised the power of computational biology to reach an incredibly accurate prediction as to how proteins fold. One of the proteins that were predicted to a high accuracy was the ORF8 protein, a protein of SARS- CoV- 2- the novel coronavirus.

Two proteins predicted by the AlphaFold program. (DeepMind)

The implications for solving the puzzle of protein folding are immense, with the capability to change the field of proteomics, particularly in the field of structural biology and medicine. On one hand, it could change the way that we view diseases (particularly those that are protein-based). Contrarily, it could also help us discover protein-based medicines.

Therefore, with the assistance of AI in our science community, we can revolutionize the scope of science in all aspects; the protein folding problem solution is simply the beginning.