Protein folding AI: "Will Change Everything"

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SUMMARY

Google's AlphaFold, a deep-learning program, is revolutionizing the field of biology by accurately predicting the 3D shapes of proteins. This AI tool utilizes a combination of physical principles and inductive reasoning to analyze vast amounts of experimental data, allowing it to identify patterns beyond human capability. Researchers emphasize that while AlphaFold employs physical calculations to discard implausible structures, its strength lies in its ability to derive insights from extensive datasets. The integration of these methodologies is set to significantly advance protein folding research and bioinformatics.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of protein structure and folding mechanisms
  • Familiarity with deep learning concepts and algorithms
  • Knowledge of bioinformatics tools and techniques
  • Basic principles of physical chemistry related to molecular structures
NEXT STEPS
  • Explore the capabilities of AlphaFold 2 in protein structure prediction
  • Learn about the implications of AI in bioinformatics research
  • Investigate the role of physical principles in computational biology
  • Study the methodologies used in large-scale data analysis for biological research
USEFUL FOR

Biologists, bioinformaticians, researchers in computational biology, and anyone interested in the intersection of artificial intelligence and life sciences.

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Biology looks to be where AI can really shine, as it is simply too complex for human brains to grasp. Is the promise that AI can 'derive' biochemistry like a good human physicist can deduce a good hypothesis for physical phenomena from basic principles?
 
As far as I understand it is definitely not deducing from basic principles, it is more like deducing any principles from experimental results. A very large number of them, and more than unassisted human minds manage to see the underlying patterns in. Er, I think that's induction rather than deduction.

Physical principles are used, seemingly to a limited extent by the programme, according to this related article https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01357-6 - the programme runs through structures to eliminate physically impossible ones. I would guess the combination of approaches, using physical calculations to refine the inductively predicted structures will in future be very powerful.
 
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