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Solving one of biology’s greatest puzzles

AlphaFold: Impact stories

Scientists are using AlphaFold to accelerate research in nearly every field of biology.

Over 2 million researchers in over 190 countries are using the AlphaFold Protein Structure Database to inform their research.

Explore some of their stories

From building more effective malaria vaccines to breaking down single-use plastics, AlphaFold is helping scientists accelerate research in nearly every field of biology.

It normally takes four years to identify and characterise one of these small proteins. With the help of AlphaFold we managed 23 in a few months.

Professor Renier van der Hoorn
University of Oxford

AlphaFold has allowed us to take our project to the next level, from a fundamental science stage to the preclinical and clinical development stage.

Professor Matthew Higgins
Biochemist

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Solving one of biology’s greatest puzzles
28 July 2022

Solving one of biology’s greatest puzzles

The nuclear pore complex is one of the largest molecular machines in human cells. It’s made up of more than 30 different protein subunits, and contains over 1,000 in total – intricately weaved together.

The complex is thought to hold answers to a growing number of serious human diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative illnesses.

AlphaFold has helped researchers generate a near-complete model of the entire complex. Knowing how it’s assembled could open the door to other groundbreaking, even life-saving, discoveries.

Research credits

  • Pietro Fontana, Wu Lab, Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital
  • Alexander Tong of University of California, Berkeley