Global team maps 3D structures of proteins from 2,800 viruses
Technology
A global team is using AI to map the 3D shapes of proteins from more than 2,800 viruses: think of it as building a cheat sheet for future pandemics.
By predicting these protein structures with tools like AlphaFold2 and NVIDIA's BioNeMo, researchers are adding the predictions to the existing open-access AlphaFold Database.
Project gives scientists outbreak head start
This project is all about giving scientists a head start if a new virus shows up.
During COVID-19, having information on coronaviruses helped speed up research, but we might not be so lucky next time.
By filling in gaps and making this data public now, the team hopes to help researchers respond faster when the next outbreak hits.