

Last December when 2020 neared its end, we had finally received some hopeful news: the first COVID vaccine was accepted by the EU. It felt like the development of a proper vaccine took ages, which resulted in us finally having a bright spot on the horizon after hearing this news. A month earlier, a scientific breakthrough was announced referring to a technology which can lead to a much more efficient development of thousands of vaccines and treatments for diseases in the future. This breakthrough was not only relevant for life sciences and biology, but also for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data science.
We’re talking about DeepMind’s major breakthrough in their latest version of ‘AlphaFold’. AlphaFold is an AI-based system that has been acknowledged as a valid solution to one of the most challenging problems in the field of biology: the problem of “protein folding”. What is the “protein folding” problem and how was it solved using AI?
What is the problem?
Proteins are highly complex substances that are present in all living organisms. They are essentially the building blocks of life. Almost every function in our body relies on proteins and how they change and move. The function of a certain protein depends on its unique shape and structure. For example: the antibody proteins in our immune system have the shape of a catapult, which serves as a hook to latch onto bacteria and viruses to detect and indirectly eliminate them.
How these proteins are built is encoded in our DNA. A fault in the genetic building recipe can result in a misshapen protein, which can lead to diseases. However, just knowing the genetic structure of a protein isn’t enough to give away its shape (which is so important!). Proteins consist of a sequence of amino acids, and the DNA only holds information of this sequence, not how it folds into a unique shape. The larger a protein, the more complicated it is to model its shape. In fact, it would take longer than the age of our universe to randomly try to find the true shape of a protein. Predicting how these chains of amino acids fold to form the 3D structure of a protein is what we call the “protein folding problem”.


This 50-year old problem has proven itself to be very difficult to solve, which is why the Critical Assessment of Protein Structure Prediction (CASP) competition was created in 1994. Every year top research teams from around the globe attend this competition to present their prediction models in an attempt to solve the protein folding problem. The level of accuracy that is required to solve the problem had not yet been reached. However, in recent years of the competition, Artificial Intelligence has marked its presence and has proven itself to produce groundbreaking results.
Why is it important?
Up until now, the best way to find the 3D structure of a protein was through expensive and time consuming methods. A single protein’s structure takes about a year to find and costs about $120.000 using X-ray crystallography. Besides this method of X-ray crystallography, there isn’t a straightforward analytical way to find the 3D structure of a protein based on its amino-acid sequence. All methods perform way below the bar that DeepMind’s AlphaFold has set in the most recent CASP editions.
AI-methods can be the solution to this time-consuming and expensive process. To be able to predict a protein’s shape from its sequence, can immensely accelerate research. Once the shape of a protein is found, its function can be determined and scientists can develop vaccines and drugs that work with the protein’s unique shape and cure or prevent diseases faster.
DeepMind’s Solution
There is a lot of data available in the field of genomics (the study of all of a person’s genes). This enables approaches using Artificial Intelligence to use this genomic data to solve this problem. The core of any AI-algorithm is essentially data!
DeepMind’s first solution to the protein problem (back in 2018) focussed specifically on modeling the target shapes of the proteins from scratch, where they did not use previously solved proteins. See it as teaching a child to spell a word, without showing them any references of how similar words are spelled.


The first AlphaFold system solves the problem in two steps. The first step is predictive modelling using A Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) A CNN is suited particularly well for this, because it can comprehend a highly dimensional input (such as an extremely long protein sequence). CNN’s are also used a lot for analysing images, where you have the same problem of high dimensionality in the amount of colours that could be in an image (your computer can display 16.8 million colours!).
The model inputs the protein sequence and the aim is to output a correct fold. The network predicts two properties: 1) the distance between pairs of amino acids and 2) the angles between chemical bonds that connect those amino acids[1].
The second step optimises the output using a technique called gradient descent. This is a mathematical technique which is used to make small, increasing improvements to the model.
The New Approach
The groundbreaking solution that was announced just a few months ago, was the second version of the already-groundbreaking first AlphaFold system. Not a lot has been published about this new approach besides a single blog post. It seems like the DeepMind team has made two major updates to the system. The first one sparks our interest particularly, because the CNN that they used in the first version has been replaced by a so-called ‘Transformer’: a new deep learning model that was introduced in 2017. A Transformer is an ‘attention-based’ neural network model which can be seen as the successor of the LSTM and CNN. DeepMind took advantage of this recently developed deep learning approach, which enabled them to achieve this major breakthrough.


The role of AI
An AI-based solution like DeepMind’s AlphaFold can help scientists acquire more knowledge and eventually contribute to more efficient drug and vaccine discovery. This means that AI can be really useful in research for curing and preventing diseases, and eventually improve the quality of life for many people all around the world.
We have seen the success of the solution of protein folding, and believe this indicates how AI can use various sources of information which help people to find innovative and creative solutions to problems that may seem unsolvable at first. AI-based solutions can enrich our human capabilities for solving complex issues in a way that we have never seen before. We have seen that AI has mastered many games such as AlphaZero and Libratus, and in the same way we believe that AI can help humans in advancing even more by contributing to solving fundamental problems.
We’ve seen how AI can cultivate the world of scientific discovery and its promising potential to improve our quality of life. Many people can benefit from AI-based solutions and these technologies have never been this accessible before. In fact, you are on the right page to become part of the promising and exciting future or AI. Its capabilities are endless and it has so much to offer!
93 comments
I was excited to find this website. I want to to thank you for your time just for this wonderful read!! I definitely really liked every part of it and I have you saved to fav to look at new things in your blog.
Good afternoon thanks for the information
Очень полезная информация спасибо
When I originally commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a comment is added
I get several e-mails with the same comment. Is
there any way you can remove me from that service?
Many thanks!
I’m gone to say to my little brother, that he should also
pay a quick visit this web site on regular basis to obtain updated from hottest gossip.
Exploring the unknown can be a little scary, but it can also be a great way to
learn and discover new things. You never know what you may find, like Mobile Massage in NJMobile Massage NJ services
that can help you manage stress and tension. https://njmassage.info/
I value your rendering these details for folks trying to
know more about matters such as this. Your weblog
was well-written and well investigated, and that is greatly liked.
I am definitely searching for new sites to follow and browse regularly. http://health-topic.com/2019/09/25/is-it-really-a-good-idea-to-focus-on-climate-change-when-there-are-real-and-pressing-local-issues-facing-the-world/
The marquee program to show our online future one where not less than one month.
Anyway just a few years building FTX into one of many acquainted
phrase among web to study.
Good day! This is kind of off topic but I need some advice from an established blog.
Is it very hard to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but
I can figure things out pretty quick. I’m thinking about creating my own but I’m not sure where to begin. Do you have any ideas or suggestions?
Many thanks
Wow, this piece of writing is fastidious, my sister is analyzing these
things, so I am going to convey her.
Interesting blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere?
A design like yours with a few simple adjustements would really make
my blog shine. Please let me know where you got your design. Thanks
Hello to every one, because I am in fact keen of reading this
blog’s post to be updated on a regular basis. It contains nice stuff.
I am sure this post has touched all the internet visitors, its really
really fastidious piece of writing on building up new webpage.
Hi i am kavin, its my first occasion to commenting anywhere, when i read this
piece of writing i thought i could also make comment due to this sensible paragraph.
I’ve been surfing online more than three hours today,
yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It’s pretty worth enough for me.
In my opinion, if all site owners and bloggers made
good content as you did, the web will be much more useful
than ever before.
I visited many websites however the audio feature for
audio songs existing at this web site is really excellent.
Hi, Neat post. There’s a problem together with your website in internet explorer, would test this?
IE still is the marketplace chief and a large portion of other people will
leave out your wonderful writing because of
this problem.
You can certainly see your skills within the article you write.
The world hopes for more passionate writers such as you who
are not afraid to mention how they believe. All the time follow your heart.
This information is invaluable. How can I find out more?
What’s Going down i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I’ve discovered It positively useful and it has helped me out loads.
I’m hoping to give a contribution & help different customers like
its helped me. Good job.
This is very attention-grabbing, You are an excessively skilled blogger.
I’ve joined your feed and look forward to in quest of extra of your great post.
Additionally, I have shared your site in my social networks
I’d like to find out more? I’d want to find out some additional information.
I loved as much as you will receive carried out right here.
The sketch is attractive, your authored material stylish.
nonetheless, you command get got an shakiness over
that you wish be delivering the following. unwell
unquestionably come more formerly again as exactly the same nearly
very often inside case you shield this increase.
Hi my family member! I wish to say that this post is awesome, nice written and come
with almost all significant infos. I would like to see more
posts like this .
Salve Salve ! Existe outros artigos relacionados a este em
seu site ? tenho muito interesse em me informar mais
e gostei muito com a forma que foi explicado o conteúdo .
Caso possa me orientar ficarei muito grato
I every time used to study paragraph in news papers but now as I am a user of net therefore from now I
am using net for articles, thanks to web.
I don’t even know how I finished up here, however
I assumed this submit was once great. I don’t realize who you might
be however certainly you’re going to a famous blogger for those who are not already.
Cheers!
Thank you, I have recently been searching for
info approximately this subject for ages and yours
is the best I have came upon till now. But, what concerning the conclusion? Are you
certain concerning the source?
WOW just what I was searchhing for. Came here by searching for
2159
Magnificent web site. Lots of helpful information here.
I’m sending it to some friends ans also sharing in delicious.
And obviously, thanks in your sweat!
You need to take part in a contest for one of the finest blogs
on the web. I will recommend this website!
It’s actually a nice aand usewful piede oof info.
I am satisfied that you simply shared this useful information with us.
Please sttay us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
WOW just what I was searching for. Came here by searching for
Top World News Today
I could not resist commenting. Well written!
Link exchange is nothing else however it is oonly placcing tthe other person’s web site link on youyr
page at sujitable place annd other person wilol aalso do szme for you.
It’s perfect time to mqke some planbs forr thhe future and iit is tiome to bee happy.
I have read this post and iff I could I want to suggest youu few interresting things or advice.
Perhaps yyou cojld write nexct articles referring tto this
article. I want to read evn more things about it!
It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d most
certainly donate to this brilliant blog!
I guess for now i’ll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS feed to my
Google account. I look forward to new updates and will share this site with my Facebook group.
Chat soon!
What’s up everyone, it’s my first pay a visit at this web
site, and article is actually fruitful in support of me, keep up posting
these content.
Nice post. I learn something totally new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon everyday.
It’s always exciting to read content from other
authors and practice a little something from their
sites.
I don’t know if it’s just me or if everyone else experiencing problems with your site.
It appears as though some of the text on your content are running off
the screen. Can someone else please comment and let me know if this is happening to them too?
This could be a problem with my web browser because I’ve had this
happen before. Kudos
I truly love your site.. Very nice colors & theme. Did you make this web site yourself?
Please reply back as I’m wanting to create my own website and
would love to know where you got this from or exactly what the theme is called.
Thanks!
It is appropriate time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to be happy.
I have read this post and if I could I desire to suggest
you few interesting things or suggestions. Perhaps you could write next articles referring to this article.
I want to read more things about it!
Sweet blog! I found it while surfing around on Yahoo
News. Do you have any suggestions on how to
get listed in Yahoo News? I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there!
Appreciate it
Can you tell us more about this? I’d like to find out
more details.
I am in fact pleased to read this web site posts which carries lots of
useful facts, thanks for providing these statistics.
I’m really loving the theme/design of your blog.
Do you ever run into any web browser compatibility
issues? A few of my blog readers have complained about my blog not operating correctly
in Explorer but looks great in Firefox. Do you have any ideas
to help fix this problem?
Excellent post. I was checking constantly this blog and I’m impressed!
Very helpful info specifically the last part 🙂
I care for such information a lot. I was looking for this particular
info for a long time. Thank you and best of luck.
I loved as much as you will receive carried out right here.
The sketch is attractive, your authored material stylish.
nonetheless, you command get bought an impatience over
that you wish be delivering the following. unwell
unquestionably come further formerly again as exactly the same nearly very often inside case you shield this hike.
What you said was very logical. However, what about this?
suppose you were to write a awesome headline?
I ain’t saying your information is not solid., but what if
you added a title that grabbed people’s attention? I mean AlphaFold: How Artificial Intelligence
Helps Curing Future Diseases – AI Heroes is kinda plain. You should peek at Yahoo’s home page and watch how they create post headlines to grab viewers to open the links.
You might add a related video or a picture or two to get people interested about everything’ve written. Just
my opinion, it would make your website a little bit more interesting.
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I
in finding this matter to be really something that I believe I might never understand.
It seems too complicated and extremely extensive for me. I am taking a look forward to your
subsequent publish, I will try to get the dangle of it!
Thanks for your marvelous posting! I quite enjoyed reading it, you could be a great author.I will ensure that I bookmark your blog and will often come back later in life.
I want to encourage continue your great posts, have a
nice morning!
I do consider all of the ideas you’ve offered
for your post. They’re really convincing and
can certainly work. Nonetheless, the posts are too quick for beginners.
May just you please lengthen them a little from subsequent time?
Thanks for the post.
You are so interesting! I do not believe I have read
anything like this before. So good to find someone with
some unique thoughts on this issue. Really.. thanks for starting this up.
This site is one thing that is needed on the internet, someone with a
bit of originality!
Hello there, You have done a fantastic job. I will definitely
digg it and personally recommend to my friends.
I am confident they’ll be benefited from this web site.
Hi there just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you know a few of the pictures aren’t loading properly.
I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue.
I’ve tried it in two different browsers and both show the same outcome.
I believe what you typed made a ton of sense. But, what about this?
what if you added a little content? I mean, I
don’t want to tell you how to run your blog,
however suppose you added a post title that grabbed a person’s attention?
I mean AlphaFold: How Artificial Intelligence Helps Curing Future Diseases – AI Heroes is kinda vanilla.
You ought to glance at Yahoo’s home page and
note how they create post headlines to get viewers to click.
You might add a related video or a pic or two to grab readers excited about everything’ve
got to say. Just my opinion, it would make
your blog a little livelier.
When someone writes an piece of writing he/she keeps the idea
of a user in his/her mind that how a user can be aware
of it. Therefore that’s why this article is amazing.
Thanks!
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dogecoin, Bitcoin Money and several other individuals
exist for you to utilise in this respect.
Feel free to visit my webpage :: https://visbn.mn.co/posts/35438622
Every weekend i used to visit this web page, as
i wish for enjoyment, since this this website conations actually fastidious funny stuff too.
Hey there! Do you know if they make any plugins to assist with Search Engine Optimization? I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing very good results.
If you know of any please share. Cheers!
Hello i am kavin, its my first occasion to commenting anywhere, when i read
this article i thought i could also create comment due to this
good paragraph.
I’m truly enjoying the design and layout of your blog.
It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes it much more enjoyable for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a designer to create your theme?
Excellent work!
Great article. AlphaFold: How Artificial Intelligence
Helps Curing Future Diseases – AI Heroes http://funkhouse.de/url?q=http://54.179.203.29
I visited several web pages except the audio feature for audio songs existing at
this web site is actually excellent.
Hi there just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The words in your post seem
to be running off the screen in Ie. I’m not sure if this is a
formatting issue or something to do with internet browser compatibility but I
thought I’d post to let you know. The design look great though!
Hope you get the issue solved soon. Thanks
A motivating discussion is worth comment. I think that you ought to publish more on this subject, it might
not be a taboo subject but typically people do not talk about such issues.
To the next! Best wishes!!
If s᧐me one wants to Ьe updated with
newest technologies tһerefore һе must bbe go to ѕee thіs
web site and bbe up tto Ԁate daily.
Αlso visit mmy web site :: 슬롯사이트
I just could not go away your website prior to suggesting
that I extremely enjoyed the usual info an individual provide on your visitors?
Is gonna be back incessantly in order to inspect new posts
Hi there Dear, are you truly visiting this web site on a regular basis, if so after that you will without
doubt get nice know-how.
Hello! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any problems
with hackers? My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up
losing several weeks of hard work due to no backup. Do you have any methods to stop
hackers?
Good information. Lucky me I discovered your website
by chance (stumbleupon). I’ve bookmarked it for later!
I’m amazed, I have to admit. Seldom do I encounter a blog that’s both equally
educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head.
The issue is an issue that not enough men and women are speaking
intelligently about. I am very happy that I came across this
during my hunt for something relating to this.
Hello, Neat post. There is an issue with your web site in web explorer,
would test this? IE nonetheless is the marketplace chief and a big section of
people will omit your great writing due to this problem.
It is the best time to make a few plans for the longer term and it’s time to be
happy. I have read this put up and if I may just I want to counsel you few attention-grabbing issues or advice.
Perhaps you could write subsequent articles relating to this
article. I wish to read even more issues approximately it!
You actually make it appear so easy with your presentation however I to find this
matter to be really something that I feel I would by no means
understand. It kind of feels too complex and extremely broad
for me. I’m looking ahead for your subsequent publish, I’ll try to get the grasp of it!
Hi friends, how is everything, and what you desire to say
about this post, in my view its actually awesome in support of
me.
It’s the best time to make some plans for the future and
it is time to be happy. I have read this
post and if I could I desire to suggest you some interesting things or
suggestions. Maybe you could write next articles referring to this article.
I wish to read even more things about it!
I always emailed this blog post page to all my associates,
since if like to read it next my friends will too.
Heya i’m for the first time here. I found this board and I find It truly useful & it helped me
out much. I hope to give something back and help others like you helped me.
Hi there, just wanted to tell you, I enjoyed this post.
It was helpful. Keep on posting!
Good day! Would you mind if I share your blog with my zynga group?
There’s a lot of people that I think would really enjoy your content.
Please let me know. Thanks
Hey There. I found your blog using msn. That is an extremely smartly written article.
I will be sure to bookmark it and come back
to read extra of your useful information. Thanks for the post.
I will definitely comeback.
Hey! I’m at work browsing your blog from my new iphone 4!
Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog and look forward to all your posts!
Keep up the excellent work!
Hello would you mind sharing which blog platform
you’re using? I’m going to start my own blog in the near future but I’m having a difficult time making a decision between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal.
The reason I ask is because your design seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something completely unique.
P.S Sorry for being off-topic but I had to ask!
Hello, I desire to subscribe for this weblog to take latest updates,
so where can i do it please assist.
Attractive portion of content. I just stumbled upon your weblog and in accession capital to assert that I acquire in fact enjoyed account your
blog posts. Any way I will be subscribing on your feeds and even I fulfillment you get entry to persistently fast.
May I just say what a comfort to uncover somebody that genuinely understands what they’re discussing online.
You certainly realize how to bring a problem to light and make it important.
More people should read this and understand this side of
your story. I was surprised that you aren’t more popular given that
you most certainly have the gift.
It’s not my first time to pay a visit this website, i am browsing this website dailly and get pleasant information from here every day.
Thanks designed for sharing such a nice idea, paragraph is good, thats why i
have read it fully
I must thank you for the efforts you’ve put in penning
this blog. I’m hoping to see the same high-grade content by you in the future as well.
In fact, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my very own website now 😉
Thank you for any other informative blog. The place else may
I get that kind of info written in such an ideal way? I have
a venture that I’m simply now running on, and I’ve been at the glance out for such info.
Hi to every one, since I am in fact keen of reading this web site’s post to be
updated daily. It includes fastidious material.
Hi, I wish for to subscribe for this weblog to take latest updates, thus where can i do it please assist.