AI SCIENCE
Real scientists are using open-source AI to kill superbugs
Australian scientists have built an AI tool that designs custom proteins in seconds, which used to take years in a lab.
These synthetic proteins could help treat everything from cancer to snakebites, and in this case, they were used to kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria like E. coli.
The study, published in Nature Communications, marks a first for Australia and puts it alongside the US and China in using AI to speed up drug development.
Led by Dr Rhys Grinter and Associate Professor Gavin Knott, the program combines biology and machine learning to build proteins from scratch rather than tweaking ones found in nature.
The platform runs on open-source AI tools, making it accessible to scientists around the world.
In brief:
AI-designed proteins can now be created in seconds
Australia joins the global push for AI-powered drug design
The tools are open-source, making protein design more accessible worldwide
Lab coats meet laptops
According to the team, it can generate proteins tailored to target disease sites, boost enzyme function, or block harmful pathways faster and more affordably than ever before.
With tools like Bindcraft and Chai now integrated, the system is already helping researchers create new therapies and diagnostics at pace.
It's also part of a growing AI–biology hub at Monash University and the University of Melbourne.
Science class did NOT prepare me for this