Nearly all known protein structures predicted by AlphaFold

The AI-powered protein-folding model AlphaFold has predicted more than 200 million proteins, nearly all such structures known to science, DeepMind said on Thursday. Proteins are complex biological molecules produced in living organisms from instructions stored in DNA. Made from as many as 20 types of amino acids, these nano-scale chains perform vital cellular tasks to carry out all sorts of bodily functions. Knowing the three-dimensional form of proteins is important since its physical structure provides hints at how it behaves, and what purpose it serves, which helps us do things like develop drugs, and create copycat proteins for those lacking them. Some proteins are helpful, such as those involved in digesting food while others can be harmful, such as those involved in the growth of tumors. Figuring out their complicated wriggly shapes, however, is difficult.