Uniting sequence and structure to map the protein universe across billions of years of evolution

edited by Swati Mestri , reviewed by Robert Egan

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Add as preferred source This 2-dimensional map of the protein universe organizes proteins so that neighboring points are closely related. The coloring indicates different protein structure types. Credit: Guy Yanai An international team of researchers, including those at the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) at the Institute of Science Tokyo, has developed a protein language model that brings together two fundamental sources of information about proteins: their amino acid sequences and three-dimensional structures.

The model provides researchers with a new way to map relationships across the protein universe and investigate how proteins have evolved over billions of years.