这才是 AI 近年来最有价值的成就，却被很多人忽视

Core Insights - The article discusses the significance of AlphaFold2, an AI tool developed by DeepMind, in predicting protein structures, particularly the giant protein titin, which has eluded complete structural analysis for over 70 years [1][3][4] Group 1: AlphaFold2 and Protein Structure Prediction - AlphaFold2 has revolutionized the field of protein structure prediction, achieving over 90% accuracy in predicting protein structures from amino acid sequences during the global protein structure prediction competition (CASP) in 2020 [6][4] - The database created by AlphaFold now contains over 200 million predicted protein structures, covering 98.5% of the human proteome, enabling researchers worldwide to explore protein functions more efficiently [6][4] - AlphaFold2 was utilized during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic to predict the structures of viral proteins, aiding in understanding the virus's mechanisms and potential treatments [8][10] Group 2: Applications in Disease Research - Researchers are using AlphaFold to study the impact of genetic mutations on diseases, such as osteoporosis, by comparing the structures of normal and mutated proteins [11][13] - The introduction of AlphaMissense allows scientists to assess the pathogenic potential of missense mutations, successfully categorizing 89% of human missense mutations and creating a directory for further research [13][11] Group 3: Environmental and Pharmaceutical Innovations - AlphaFold2 is also being applied to address environmental issues, such as plastic pollution, by helping scientists design enzymes that can efficiently degrade single-use plastics [14][17] - The integration of AlphaFold2 into drug discovery platforms, like Insilico Medicine's Pharma.AI, has led to the identification of a candidate drug for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, Rentosertib, which is currently in Phase II clinical trials [18][20] Group 4: Future Developments - The article highlights ongoing advancements in protein research, including the discovery of a new protein larger than titin and the release of AlphaFold3 and AlphaProteo, which enhance predictions of protein interactions and custom protein design [23][21] - Other AI models, such as RoseTTAFold and I-TASSER, are also contributing to solving long-standing challenges in protein folding, indicating a collaborative effort in the field [23]