From StarTalk.
Can AI help us model biology down to the molecular level? Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly learn about Nobel-prize-winning Alphafold, the protein folding problem, and how solving it could end disease with AI researcher and Chief AI Officer of Isomorphic Labs, Max Jaderberg.
We break down the protein folding problem and why it was so hard to crack. How do we learn to decode how strings of amino acids fold into complex, dynamic shapes that power our biology? How did AlphaFold crack this decades-old puzzle? We explore how Alphafold 3 uses the shapes of proteins to predict protein-drug interactions. How close are we to using AI and deep learning to design new medicines instead of discovering them by chance? Could generative AI invent molecules that precisely target the cause of a disease?
We take these ideas into the future: Could AI help us fix misfolded proteins that cause illness? Can we use these tools to create personalized drugs tailored to your unique genome? Will it make it economically feasible to treat rare diseases? Could this even help us slow aging or regenerate limbs, like salamanders do? Could this technology combat cancer, fix rare genetic disorders, or even digest plastic? And with quantum computing on the horizon, what happens when we combine it with AI? Will chemistry ever be done the same way again?
Thanks to our Patrons Riley r, pesketti, Lindsay Vanlerberg, Andreas, Silvia Valentine, Brazen Rigsby, Marc, Lyda Swanston, Kevin Henry, Roberto Reyes, Cadexn, Cassandra Shanklin, Stan Adamson, Will Slade, Zach VanderGraaff, Tom Spalango, Laticia Edmonds, jason scott, Jigar Gada, Robert Jensen, Matt D., TOL, Thomas McDaniel, Sr., Ryan Ramsey, truthmind, Aaron TInker, George Assaf, Dante Ruzinok, Jonathan Ford, Just Ernst, David Eli Janes, Tamil, Sarah, Earnest Lee, Craig Hanson, Rob, Be Love, Brandon Wilson, TJ Kellysawyer, Bodhi Animations, Dave P., Christina Williams, Ivaylo Vartigorov, Roy Mitsuoka (@surflightroy), John Brendel, Moises Zorrilla, deborah shaw, Jim Muoio, Tahj Ward, Phil, Alex, Brian D. Smith, Nate Barmore, John J Lopez, Raphael Velazquez Cruz, Catboi Air, Jelly Mint, Audie Cruz for supporting us this week.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction: Max Jaderberg
3:22 – Deeplearning & Neural Networks
8:36 – The Protein Folding Problem
11:45 – Alphafold & Modelling Protein Structure
16:42 – Using AI for Drug Discovery
23:04 -The Root of All Disease
27:00 – Upending the Pharmaceutical Industry
29:35 – Bespoke Medicine
33:45 – Upending Chemistry
35:21 – Can We Model an Entire Human?
39:05 – Upgrading for Space
43:38 – Less Side Effects
44:36 – Modelling with Quantum Computing & More
46:50 – Guardrails & Regulation
Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus
Get the NEW StarTalk book, ‘To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery’ on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PL0NFn
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio
FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk
About StarTalk:
Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!
#StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson
