Folding Forum

Interest article on DeepMind and protein folding.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/11 ... -software/

According to the following news, Deepmind came up with the AlphaFold algorithm to predict how proteins curl up from a linear chain of amino acids into 3D shapes. It is finally accurate enough to assist/replace the traditional experimental method and only takes hours instead of months with the computational method.

I can not copy the URLs to this post so I will add the topics of related news and hope google will bring you there.
‘The game has changed.’ AI triumphs at solving protein structures
‘It will change everything’: DeepMind’s AI makes gigantic leap in solving protein structures

I understand that it is not the same thing between working on how the proteins folded and how they work. But I still want to know how will the AlphaFold algorithm helps with F@H projects, and how will it helps in drug/vaccine research and development for COVID-19. Thanks.

one of the existing threads
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=31183

HenryBristol2060 wrote:I understand that it is not the same thing between working on how the proteins folded and how they work. But I still want to know how will the AlphaFold algorithm helps with F@H projects, and how will it helps in drug/vaccine research and development for COVID-19. Thanks.

I think that Folding helps to find the vulnerabilities in the virus, since it can find the "hidden pockets", etc, on timescales that nothing else can do. It is also used to find molecules (usually ligands I think) that can attack it.

Rosetta has the ability to construct protein "caps" that can disrupt the virus. Probably AlphaFold can help do that faster. Maybe Bruce can come in and explain it.