Google
DeepMind
is
introducing
an
improved
version
of
its
AI
model
that
predicts
not
just
the
structure
of
proteins,
but
also
the
structure
of
“all
life’s
molecules.”
The
work
from
the
new
model,
AlphaFold
3,
will
help
researchers
in
medicine,
agriculture,
materials
science,
and
drug
development
test
potential
discoveries.
Previous
versions
of
AlphaFold
only
predicted
the
structures
of
proteins.
AlphaFold
3
goes
beyond
that
and
can
model
DNA,
RNA,
and
smaller
molecules
called
ligands,
expanding
the
model’s
capability
for
scientific
use.
DeepMind
says
the
new
model
shows
a
50
percent
improvement
in
prediction
accuracy
compared
to
its
previous
models.
“With
AlphaFold
2,
it
was
a
big
milestone
moment
in
structural
biology
and
has
unlocked
all
kinds
of
amazing
research,”
DeepMind
CEO
Demis
Hassabis
told
reporters
in
a
briefing. “AlphaFold
3
is
a
step
along
the
path
in
terms
of
using
AI
to
understand
and
model
biology.”
AlphaFold
3
has
a
library
of
molecular
structures.
Researchers
input
a
list
of
molecules
they
want
to
combine,
then
AlphaFold
3
uses
a
diffusion
method
to
generate
a
3D
model
of
the
new
structure.
Diffusion
is
the
same
type
of
AI
system
that
AI
image
generators
like
Stable
Diffusion
use
to
assemble
photos.
DeepMind
says
Isomorphic
Labs,
a
drug
discovery
company
founded
by
Hassabis,
has
been
using
AlphaFold
3
for
internal
projects.
So
far,
the
model
helped
Isomorphic
Labs
improve
its
understanding
of
new
disease
targets.
Along
with
the
model,
DeepMind
is
also
making
the
research
platform
AlphaFold
Server
available
to
some
researchers
for
free.
The
server,
powered
by
AlphaFold
3,
lets
scientists
generate
biomolecular
structure
predictions
regardless
of
their
access
to
compute
power.
Hassabis
says
the
server
is
available
for
academic,
non-commercial
uses,
but
Isomorphic
Labs
is
working
with
pharmaceutical
partners
to
use
AlphaFold
models
for
drug
discovery
programs.
Google
says
it
is
working
with
the
scientific
community
and
policy
leaders
to
deploy
the
model
responsibly.
Google
says
in
a
paper
that
some
biosecurity
experts
believe
AI
models
could
“may
lower
the
barrier
for
threat
actors
and
enable
them,
in
concert
with
other
technologies,
to
design
and
engineer
pathogens
and
toxins
that
are
more
transmissible
or
harmful.”
The
company
says
it
worked
with
domain
experts
and
biosecurity,
research
and
industry
specialists
to
figure
out
risks
around
AlphaFold
3
even
before
its
launch.
(Originally posted by Emilia David)
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