Researchers use artificial intelligence to design new enzymes capable of cleaving specific target proteins.

Researchers have used artificial intelligence tools to design entirely new enzymes capable of cutting other proteins in half. Proteases are protein-digesting enzymes that naturally break down peptide bonds, which are the chemical links holding amino acid chains together. To create these new cutters, the team took the catalytic core from two existing protease types and replaced the rest of the protein structure using AI-based design tools.

The resulting engineered enzymes can be tuned to target and cleave specific proteins. The researchers demonstrated the effectiveness of this technology by successfully using the custom enzymes to cut proteins associated with neurological diseases. While natural peptide bonds are extremely stable with a half-life of hundreds of years, living organisms have evolved various ways to catalyze their breakdown.

By short-circuiting the slow process of natural evolution, this AI-driven approach allows scientists to construct specialized enzymes on demand. The source text does not specify future commercial plans or remaining technical uncertainties regarding the design method.