How Technology is Reshaping Protein Studies?

What’s in today’s article?

• Background
• Importance of Proteins in Life
• The Protein-Folding Pattern
• AlphaFold - Revolutionizing Protein Structure Prediction
• Real World Applications of Protein Design
• Conclusion

Background

• The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was jointly awarded to David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper for their ground-breaking contributions to protein studies.
• Their work has significantly advanced our understanding of protein structure prediction and protein design.

Importance of Proteins in Life

• Proteins are fundamental to all known forms of life. They are made up of amino acids, with only 20 amino acids forming all the proteins found in the human body and most life forms.
• Proteins have several critical functions, such as:
  • Structural support in tissues
  • Acting as catalysts in biochemical reactions
  • Transporting molecules across biological membranes
  • Controlling muscle contraction, which helps in movement and heartbeat
  • Cell communication, enabling cells to perform tasks in harmony

The Protein-Folding Pattern

• Proteins take on different roles based on their 3D structure, which is determined by the arrangement of their amino acids.
• The protein-folding problem refers to the mystery of how proteins know exactly how to fold into their required shape quickly. This problem has puzzled scientists for decades.
  • In 1962, researchers John Kendrew and Max Perutz won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for elucidating the first 3D structures of proteins like hemoglobin using X-ray crystallography.
  • In 1969, scientists discovered that proteins somehow "know" their correct shape and fold rapidly into that shape, highlighting the complexity of the protein-folding process.
• By the late 2010s, scientists had identified the structures of about 170,000 proteins out of an estimated 200 million found in nature.

AlphaFold - Revolutionizing Protein Structure Prediction

• One of the most remarkable breakthroughs came from Demis Hassabis, co-founder of DeepMind, and his colleague John Jumper.
• Their innovation, AlphaFold, is a deep-learning model that predicts the 3D structure of proteins with impressive accuracy. Key milestones include:
  • AlphaFold 1 (2018): Capable of predicting protein structures, a significant improvement in protein research.
  • AlphaFold 2 (2020): Achieved accuracy comparable to X-ray crystallography, a method traditionally used to determine protein structures.
  • AlphaFold 3: Led by Jumper, this iteration can predict not only protein structures but also how proteins interact with other proteins or molecules.
• These tools allow scientists to predict the structure of most proteins in hours, drastically accelerating the pace of research.
• However, while AlphaFold can predict how a protein will fold, it doesn’t yet explain why a protein prefers a particular structure, leaving interpretation of the data to human scientists.

Real World Applications of Protein Design

• The ability to design proteins has broad implications for various fields, including medicine and chemistry:
  • Antiviral Nasal Spray for COVID-19 (2022): Baker’s team developed proteins using computational methods to target the spike protein of the virus, leading to the creation of an antiviral nasal spray for treating COVID-19.
  • Enzyme Design for Organic Chemistry: Teams involving Baker have designed new enzymes for important chemical reactions, such as those used to produce atorvastatin (a cholesterol-lowering drug) and vitamin B6.
  • Biosensors: Recently, scientists have explored protein designs for use as biosensors to monitor health metrics, such as blood glucose levels in people with diabetes.

Conclusion

• The work of David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper has brought transformative changes to the study of proteins.
• AlphaFold and other computational tools have revolutionized how scientists predict and design protein structures, opening up new possibilities for developing innovative treatments, drugs, and diagnostic tools.
• Their contributions to protein science offer a glimpse into the future, where artificial intelligence and computational methods continue to reshape biology and medicine.

Q1. What is Folic Acid used for?

Folate helps the body make healthy red blood cells and is found in certain foods. Folic acid is used to: treat or prevent folate deficiency anaemia. Helps the baby's brain, skull and spinal cord develop properly in pregnancy, to avoid development problems (called neural tube defects) such as spina bifida.

Q2. What is the difference between a protein and a vitamin?

Vitamins are organic compounds that the body needs in small quantities to maintain normal metabolism and growth, while proteins are complex molecules made up of amino acids that are essential for the growth and repair of tissues in the body. Vitamins fall into two categories, water-soluble and fat-soluble.

Source: Explained | How Technology is Reshaping Protein Studies 

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