Archives of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

ABSTRACT

Proteins, the building blocks of life, play vital roles across all domains of life. These versatile biomolecules translate the information encoded in genes to conceive a vast array of discrete structures and functions that regulate life. Proteins translated from the information encoded in an organism’s DNA typically emerge as a single thread of amino acids from the manufacturing entities, ribosomes. The amino acid sequence interlinked by peptide bonds determines the protein’s native structure, which further dictates its function. Altering the protein’s structure via its sequence can produce unprecedented implications, from rendering it toxic to completely incapacitating its functional activity. Comprehending the 3-dimensional structure enables a mechanistic understanding of its function and how it can be modified as required. For example, proteins can be engineered to catalyze specific reactions or selected as drug targets to address an epidemic.

KEYWORDS

1. AlphaFold
2. Protein folding
3. Deep learning
4. Artificial intelligence
5. Computational biology