Protein design takes big leap forward as model produces enzymes almost as effective as nature’s
New iteration of RoseTTAFold Diffusion optimises side chain placing to break bonds
A new iteration of the protein design model RoseTTAFold Diffusion, developed in the lab of 2024 Nobel prize-winner David Baker, has created blueprints for functional enzymes from scratch.1
‘Enzymes are the workhorses of life,’ says Carlos Acevedo-Rocha, a senior researcher at the Technical University of Denmark, who was not involved with developing the new model. ‘They catalyse complex chemical reactions to supply cells with energy, nutrients and materials,’ he explains, and this make them extremely valuable in biotechnology.