Core Insights - The academic report by Yan Ning at Shanghai Jiao Tong University discusses the relationship between AI and scientific research, emphasizing a new paradigm in biological discovery led by structural insights [1][19]. Research Focus - Yan Ning's initial goal in establishing her lab in 2007 was to produce results that could be included in textbooks, focusing on glucose transport proteins and sodium ion channels as primary research areas [2][5]. - The research on glucose transport proteins (GLUTs) has successfully reached publication in textbooks, with the next target being sodium ion channels, particularly the Nav1.7 subtype, which is linked to pain perception [5][10]. Technological Advancements - The advent of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has revolutionized the ability to analyze protein structures, achieving resolutions as high as 1 Å, which allows for detailed structural analysis previously only possible with X-ray crystallography [6][8]. - The development of AI tools, such as Alphafold, is being integrated into research, although current predictions from these tools are not yet sufficiently accurate for the desired conformations of proteins [8][20]. New Research Paradigms - The research approach is shifting from a problem-oriented methodology to an observation-driven paradigm, allowing for the discovery of new molecular structures, including unique sugar fibers that may have applications in carbon neutrality and material science [11][14]. - The introduction of a new algorithm named Ahaha aims to enhance the efficiency of determining the absolute chirality of sugar fibers in cryo-EM images, showcasing the integration of AI in structural biology [16][18]. AI Integration - AI is seen as a tool for empowerment in scientific research, facilitating the analysis of large datasets generated by cryo-EM and enabling the development of models for sugar structures [19][21]. - The collaboration between biology and AI is expected to lead to significant advancements in both fields, with potential implications for the future design of AI hardware inspired by biological structures [21].

Core Insights - The article discusses the revolutionary advancements in structural biology through the use of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and AI tools like AlphaFold, enabling high-resolution observation and prediction of protein structures [3][6] - A paradigm shift is occurring in structural biology, moving from targeted structure determination to structure-guided discovery of previously uncharacterized biological entities [3][6] - The CryoSeek strategy, proposed by Yan Ning's team, combines cryo-EM with AI-assisted modeling and bioinformatics analysis to discover entirely new biological entities in nature [3][6] Summary by Sections CryoSeek Strategy - In October 2024, Yan Ning's team introduced CryoSeek, utilizing cryo-EM as an observational tool combined with AI for automatic modeling and bioinformatics analysis [3][6] - The strategy aims to identify unknown biological entities from any accessible source, showcasing its potential in discovering novel nanostructures [6] Discoveries in Glycobiology - In October 2025, the team published two papers detailing the discovery of new glycofibril structures using the CryoSeek strategy, highlighting the importance of sugars in biological assembly [4][11] - The research emphasizes that sugars can act as information molecules and structural scaffolds, opening new avenues in glycobiology [4][11] New Algorithms and Techniques - The team developed a new algorithm named Ahaha for determining the absolute handedness of glycofibrils, addressing a significant challenge in sugar science [12][14] - Ahaha has been deployed as an online service, facilitating global access for researchers to measure the absolute handedness of sugar fibers [16] Structural Insights - The research identified five new glycofibrils with varying compositions and structural assemblies, revealing a continuum from protein-dominant to sugar-dominant structures [8][9] - The findings indicate that glycan-mediated interactions are crucial for the assembly of these diverse fibers, challenging the traditional view that proteins are the primary builders of biological structures [11][12]