Google DeepMinds new AI is revolutionizing the field of protein design by creating proteins that can potentialy cure disease like cancer, COVID-19 in a fraction of the time takes traditional methods,this AI model called Alpha proteo
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00:00What if AI could not only predict how proteins interact, but actually create new ones to
00:07fight diseases like C-19 or cancer?
00:09In this video, we're exploring two groundbreaking AI models, Alpha, Proteo, and Orb, that are
00:14reshaping everything from drug discovery to material science.
00:18And before we get started, take a second to subscribe and stay ahead of the curve on all
00:22the latest AI trends and updates.
00:24Alright, you know how proteins are like the workhorses of our bodies, right?
00:28They do everything from helping our cells grow to keeping our immune systems running
00:32smoothly.
00:33And of course, they're at the core of pretty much every biological process.
00:37But here's the catch.
00:39These proteins don't just do their jobs in isolation, they interact with other proteins.
00:45Think of it like a key fitting into a lock.
00:47One protein binds to another, and that's how all these critical functions happen inside
00:52our cells.
00:53Now, thanks to things like AlphaFold, we already have a pretty solid understanding of how proteins
00:58interact.
00:59AlphaFold helps us predict what these interactions look like, which has been huge for science.
01:03But here's the kicker.
01:04While AlphaFold is awesome at figuring out how proteins connect, it doesn't create
01:09new proteins that could manipulate or influence these interactions.
01:13And that's where the real magic comes in, guys.
01:16Enter AlphaProteo by Google DeepMind.
01:18This is the new AI system we're talking about today.
01:21It doesn't just predict interactions, it designs entirely new proteins that can bind
01:26to specific target molecules.
01:28And why is that important?
01:30Well, these designed proteins, also called binders, can speed up all sorts of research,
01:36from drug discovery to figuring out how diseases work, to making crops more resistant to pests.
01:41Now let's break this down.
01:42When you want to create a protein that binds tightly to a target, like, say, a virus protein
01:47that causes C19, it's not easy.
01:51Traditional methods are super slow.
01:52You have to create binders in the lab, test them, optimize them, then test them again.
01:58It's like an endless cycle of trial and error, which, as you can guess, takes forever.
02:03But with AlphaProteo, we're talking about a major shortcut.
02:06This AI system has been trained on a ton of protein data.
02:10We're talking about data from the Protein Data Bank and more than 100 million predicted
02:15structures from AlphaFold.
02:16So yeah, it's learned a thing or two about how proteins interact.
02:20Now, if you give AlphaProteo the structure of a target protein and tell it where you
02:24want the protein to bind, it can design a binder protein that fits that target almost
02:29perfectly.
02:30That's like handing it the blueprint for a lock and having it design the perfect key.
02:36And it works on all kinds of proteins, cancer-related proteins, proteins from viruses like SARS-CoV-2,
02:42yes, the one involved in the lockdown era, the C19, and even proteins tied to autoimmune
02:49diseases.
02:50So far, the results are pretty mind-blowing.
02:51In fact, AlphaProteo generated binders for seven different target proteins.
02:57And here's the kicker.
02:58They tested these proteins in the lab, and the AI-designed binders worked like a charm.
03:02I'm talking about 300 times better binding strengths than the best existing methods.
03:08Insane, right?
03:09For example, let's take VGFA, which is a protein linked to cancer and diabetes complications.
03:16For the first time ever, an AI system, AlphaProteo, designed a protein binder that successfully
03:22binds to VGFA.
03:24That alone is a huge milestone, and it's not just one-off successes.
03:28Let's take another protein, BHRF1, which is a viral protein.
03:32In the lab, 88% of AlphaProteo's candidate binders actually bound to BHRF1 successfully.
03:38And get this, AlphaProteo's binders, on average, are binding 10 times stronger than
03:43any of the current best designs.
03:46Now, one of the most hyped targets was the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
03:51The very same spike that helps the virus get into our cells.
03:54And yeah, AlphaProteo nailed it.
03:57Not only did it design binders for this spike protein, but those binders were tested by
04:01some top research groups, like the Francis Crick Institute, and they confirmed the binders
04:06were legit.
04:07These binders even managed to block the virus, and some of its variants, from infecting cells.
04:13So we're looking at something that could potentially help in virus prevention.
04:17Now, obviously, this tech isn't perfect yet.
04:19For example, AlphaProteo couldn't design a successful binder for TNFA, which is a protein
04:26associated with autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.
04:30But to be fair, TNFA is known to be a beast in terms of difficulty.
04:34The team picked it on purpose to test the limits of the system.
04:37So it's not all bad news.
04:39In fact, it's a sign that they're pushing the system to improve.
04:42And while strong binding is critical, it's just the first step in using these proteins
04:46for real-world applications, like drug design.
04:49There's still a ton of bioengineering work to do, but AlphaProteo has already knocked
04:53out one of the toughest parts.
04:55Now the team behind AlphaProteo is working with scientists across the world to make this
05:00system even better.
05:02And they're thinking responsibly about biosecurity.
05:06That means making sure this powerful tech is used for good, like developing treatments
05:10and cleaning the environment rather than, you know, any shady stuff.
05:13And if you're wondering where this is going, well, they've already teamed up with groups
05:17like the Nuclear Threat Initiative to set up best practices.
05:20So the tech is evolving, but with caution, which is honestly a relief.
05:26Looking ahead, they're also exploring drug design applications with a company called
05:29Isomorphic Labs, and they're actively working on improving the algorithms to make the system
05:35even stronger and more versatile.
05:37And they're not just doing this in a vacuum.
05:39They're collaborating with experts in machine learning, biochemistry, and structural biology.
05:43So the future of protein design, yeah, it's looking pretty exciting.
05:47All right, now there is another thing I'm seriously hyped about, and it's actually a
05:50massive breakthrough in AI and material science.
05:53We're talking about Orb, the latest and greatest AI model for simulating advanced materials.
05:59It's open source, it's blazing fast, and it's leaving big names like Google and Microsoft
06:03in the dust.
06:05If you're into AI, energy, or just cutting edge tech, you're going to love this.
06:09So let me break it down for you.
06:11Imagine you're a scientist working on materials for, say, better batteries or solar panels,
06:15things that are crucial for the energy transition, right?
06:18Well, here's the thing.
06:20To design these super efficient materials, you need to know exactly what's happening
06:24at the atomic level.
06:26We're talking about how atoms and molecules are interacting, what makes certain materials
06:30conduct energy better, or how you can tweak them to be more efficient.
06:35And this is the tricky part.
06:37Actually seeing or simulating what's happening inside these materials is insanely hard.
06:41Traditional methods for simulating this stuff, they're slow, costly, and often involve simplifying
06:48things so much that you're not even getting an accurate picture.
06:51It's like trying to watch a 4K movie on dial-up internet.
06:55It's just not happening.
06:56And that's where AI comes in, giving us a new way to look at these materials with way
07:01more detail without waiting forever.
07:04This brings us to Orb, the model we're talking about today.
07:07Built by a company called Orbital, Orb is designed to simulate materials at the atomic
07:12level faster and more accurately than anything else out there right now.
07:17And get this, it's based on a bigger AI model they've been working on internally called
07:21Linus.
07:22So basically they've been fine-tuning this thing for a while now, and it's paying off
07:25in a huge way.
07:27Now Orb isn't just faster than the competition, it's five times faster than the best alternatives
07:32for large-scale simulations.
07:34That's a huge leap forward.
07:35And we're not just talking about beating random models either.
07:38Orb is outperforming Google's and Microsoft's models when it comes to accuracy and speed.
07:43And here's where things get even more exciting, they've open-sourced it.
07:47Yup, it's free for non-commercial uses and startups, so anyone looking to develop new
07:51materials can jump in and use this tech.
07:54You can even go to their GitHub right now and check out the full technical breakdown.
07:59Now let me pause here for a second to explain why this is so important.
08:03We're in the middle of a massive shift toward renewable energy, and materials are at the
08:07heart of that.
08:08Whether it's batteries for electric cars, solar panels for homes, or semiconductors
08:12for basically all of our tech, the materials we use need to get better, more efficient,
08:18longer-lasting, you name it.
08:20And the faster we can simulate and design these materials, the faster we can make them
08:24a reality.
08:26Orb is a tool that's going to accelerate that process in a big way.
08:30Now if you're wondering how Orb came to be, it all ties back to this foundation model
08:34I mentioned earlier, Linus.
08:37The team at Orbital has been training and refining Linus from the ground up.
08:41Orb is like Linus on steroids, specifically fine-tuned for advanced material simulations.
08:47They've got a whole blog explaining the key elements if you want to dive into the technical
08:51side, and they've got even more info coming soon.
08:54So yeah, this isn't some random new AI model, it's been a long time coming, and can we just
08:59take a second to appreciate the team behind this?
09:02This isn't some massive tech giant with endless resources, we're talking about a small, tight-knit
09:06group that's competing with the biggest names in AI, Google, Microsoft, and so on.
09:11It's proof that even in an era where it seems like only the giants can make big moves, a
09:16scrappy, motivated startup can still come out on top.
09:19So there you have it.
09:21Orb, the fastest and most accurate AI model for advanced material simulations is out there,
09:25and it's free to use for non-commercial purposes.
09:28I can't wait to see where this goes.
09:30As always, drop your thoughts in the comments.
09:32Are you as excited about this as I am?
09:35Smash that like button, and don't forget to subscribe for more deep dives into AI and
09:40tech.
09:41Thanks for watching, and I'll see you in the next one.