From: mk_thisisit
Professor David Baker, a Nobel laureate, is recognized as the creator of the world’s first synthetic protein, an achievement that has opened up new possibilities in science [01:41:00], [01:47:00]. His pioneering work in protein design marks a significant shift, moving biological engineering from a “Stone Age” approach to advanced engineering [08:47:00].
The Breakthrough: Designing Proteins from Scratch
Historically, all known proteins originated from billions of years of natural evolution [00:09:00], [01:21:00], [01:26:00]. The conventional approach in biology involved searching for natural solutions or making minor modifications to existing biological elements [10:07:00]. Professor Baker’s team, particularly Brian Kuhlman and Gautama Dantas, achieved a “breakthrough moment” with the creation of a completely new protein in the laboratory, designed using a computer [00:05:00], [01:12:00], [01:35:00], [05:13:00].
This groundbreaking creation, named Top 7, was the seventh topology Brian Kuhlman attempted [01:42:00], [01:53:00], [01:57:00]. Although Top 7 initially had no specific function [01:50:00], its significance lay in demonstrating that humans could now create entirely new proteins with precise structures [01:43:00], [01:50:00]. The success was confirmed when its experimentally determined structure perfectly matched the computer model, validated through X-ray crystallography [05:32:00], [06:00:00]. This ability to design completely new structures precisely opened the door for creating proteins with novel functions [06:12:00].
The Scale of Protein Design
The “space of possible proteins” is enormous, with a protein of 100 amino acid residues having 20^100 possible combinations [04:08:00]. The primary challenge in protein design is identifying the optimal solutions within this vast space [04:23:00].
Bringing Biology out of the Stone Age
Professor Baker likens traditional biological engineering to the Stone Age, where problems were solved by finding and slightly modifying existing natural objects [08:47:00], [09:56:00]. Just as humans learned to fly by understanding aerodynamics rather than modifying birds, the ability to design proteins from scratch, understanding their folding principles, allows for the creation of completely new structures to solve specific problems [10:39:00], [10:42:00].
Applications in Medicine
The possibilities enabled by synthetic proteins are vast, especially in medicine [06:16:00].
- Precise Drugs: Scientists can create targeted drugs that effectively treat diseases while minimizing the side effects often seen in conventional therapies, such as anti-cancer treatments [06:16:00].
- Enhanced Immunity: It is possible to design universal “Pionki” (likely referring to components or agents) that strengthen resistance to various health threats [06:27:00].
- Future Medical Progress: Significant progress is anticipated in treating diseases and developing more effective drugs in the coming years [01:32:00], [01:35:00]. Genetic drugs are becoming increasingly advanced, with many exciting technologies under development [01:38:00], [01:43:00].
Applications in Technology and Beyond
Beyond medicine, synthetic proteins offer numerous technological applications:
- Environmental Solutions: They can help break down plastics, neutralize pollution, and remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, contributing to the fight against climate change [06:35:00].
- Innovative Materials: Protein engineering paves the way for the creation of novel materials with unique properties [06:51:00].
- Advanced Measurement: The technology can lead to advanced measurement systems [06:56:00].
- Synthetic Olfactory Receptors: A particularly interesting development is the creation of synthetic olfactory receptors, which can detect many different types of molecules [01:54:00], [01:13:00]. This research is moving towards integrating these sensors directly into silicon chips and cell phones [01:50:00], potentially allowing for the digitization of smell [01:48:00]. An “electronic nose” could detect far more compounds than a human [00:53:00], [01:43:00].
- Biological Machines: New biological machines, especially at the protein level, are being developed, with many innovative solutions currently in progress [00:41:00], [01:56:00], [01:57:00].
- Hybrid Materials and Catalysts: Current research includes creating new kinds of hybrid materials similar to teeth and bones, which involve proteins interacting with inorganic compounds, and developing catalysts for various chemical reactions [02:08:00], [02:02:00].
The Role of Artificial Intelligence
The field of protein design is deeply intertwined with artificial intelligence. While some foundational research predates the AI era [03:31:00], modern design methods heavily rely on its use [03:37:00], [03:40:00].
The ability to predict protein structures and design new ones has become significantly easier thanks to AI [01:42:00]. The extensive database of 200,000 protein structures, compiled since the 1960s, serves as ideal material for deep learning methods [01:32:00]. These methods analyze data, identify patterns between amino acid sequences and structures, and predict the structure of new sequences with high accuracy [01:41:00].
Professor Baker views his work and that of companies like DeepMind as complementary rather than competitive, as DeepMind focuses on predicting protein structures while his team focuses on their design [01:11:00], [01:17:00], [01:33:00]. His team even utilizes tools developed by DeepMind [01:26:00].
The Future of Science and AI
Predicting the exact future of science and technology is inherently difficult, as breakthroughs often emerge unexpectedly [01:43:00], [01:46:00].
The development of AI, such as GPT chats and large language models, has been an unexpected and powerful development [01:31:00], [01:38:00]. Regarding the creation of “superhuman artificial intelligence” or AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), Professor Baker suggests that its definition depends on the context [01:46:00]. While AI like GPT chats can already recall facts beyond human capability [01:57:00], the concept of AGI might evolve as humans and AI develop together [02:11:00].
The goal of AGI is to create a computer agent that can perform any task as well as or better than a human [02:33:00], [02:36:00]. While computers will likely excel at performing most human tasks [02:59:00], the question of whether they will possess consciousness remains a mystery, as humanity doesn’t yet fully understand the nature of consciousness itself [02:36:00], [02:38:00].