Redesigning The Molecules of Life

Explore the revolutionary field of protein design in this World Science Festival talk featuring Nobel laureate David Baker in conversation with Brian Greene. Discover how scientists are leveraging the fundamental chemistry of life to engineer entirely new molecules with transformative applications across medicine, environmental science, and technology. Learn about the basics of protein structure and function, including why protein folding is crucial to biological processes and how researchers predict and manipulate these complex molecular machines. Examine the groundbreaking impact of DeepMind's AlphaFold system on protein structure prediction and understand the transition from predicting existing proteins to designing custom ones from scratch. Delve into the laboratory processes used to create synthetic proteins and explore real-world applications including influenza blockers, snake venom antidotes, and catalysts designed to break down environmental pollutants like plastics and methane. Investigate how generative AI is accelerating protein design and discover cutting-edge applications in pharmaceutical development, disease treatment, and creating climate-resilient plants. Consider the future possibilities of protein-based molecular machines, advances in neurodegenerative disease research, and the development of brain-computer interfaces and biological sensors. Gain insights into how scientists adapt to rapidly evolving deep learning technologies and understand where artificial intelligence methods intersect with traditional physics approaches in modern biological research.