AlphaFold 'goes viral': database adds protein complexes of common viruses
The AlphaFold database has been updated to include protein structures for thousands of viral complexes, aiming to aid pandemic preparedness. This expansion focuses on disease-causing viruses that were previously underrepresented in structural biology research.
Why it matters
Improving the structural understanding of viral proteins is critical for accelerating drug discovery and vaccine development for future pandemics.
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Bluesky Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Whatsapp X Save article View saved research Thousands of protein pairs from disease-causing viruses, such as monkeypox virus, have been added to the protein-structure database AlphaFold. Credit: Kateryna Kon/SPL
A database of predicted structures for nearly every known protein on Earth is being upgraded to better represent some of the least known and deadliest species: viruses.
Researchers added more than 8,000 virus protein dimers — pairs of interacting molecules — to the AlphaFold Protein Structure Database today. The resource contains predictions of the 3D structure of proteins, which are generated using the AlphaFold2 artificial-intelligence tool and made publicly available. The added proteins come from 23 virus families, all with human-infecting members, and are part of the launch of a ‘pandemic preparedness portal’ within the widely used and freely available AlphaFold database.
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