First Artificial Protein Able to Change Shape Built

The first protein capable of changing shape , exactly like those existing in nature, has been built in the laboratory : it was created by a group from the University of California in San Francisco led by Tanja Kortemme and the result, published in the journal Science, opens the doors to incredible potential for the development of new molecules in every field of application, from health to the environment and agriculture . Since the 1980s, it has been possible to create increasingly complex proteins in the laboratory, but they are always rigid molecules , that is, with a shape that does not change over time . They have found applications in many fields, for example to obtain products such as detergents or drugs , from artificial insulin to chemotherapy drugs . Despite their great impact, static molecules cannot even begin to compete with the potential of proteins capable of changing shape, of rotating certain elements, twisting or transforming, and then returning to their initial shape. Proteins like these, called shapeshifters , are of great importance in every biological process and most drugs target proteins of this type. Until now, designing dynamic molecules was impossible , in particular because simulating them on a computer requires enormous computing power. Using the powerful computers available today and Artificial Intelligence , in particular models like AphaFold , whose authors were awarded the Nobel Prize in 2024, researchers have managed to create the first shape-shifting protein. It is a rather simple structure , capable of switching from a configuration capable of binding to a calcium ion to one that cannot. The authors of the research consider it a fundamental first step: "this study - observes Kortemme - is the first step on a path that will lead well beyond current biomedicine , with applications in many fields, from agriculture to the environment".