5. Finding new life in Japan’s hot springs
While studying microbes in the hot springs of Japan, Dr. Syun-ichi Urayama’s team discovered unusual viruses. Using AlphaFold to predict their protein structures, the team confirmed they belonged to a widespread, previously unknown family of life, revealing a new branch of molecular evolution.
These five stories from the Asia-Pacific region — where we have over 13,000 research papers citing AlphaFold — represent just a fraction of what scientists have discovered since we introduced the technology. From tackling neglected diseases to revealing evolutionary history, AlphaFold has fundamentally changed biological research, empowering a global community of scientists to accelerate their work and tackle humanity’s greatest challenges.
Learn more about AlphaFold — including the co-award of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Demis Hassabis and John Jumper for its development — on the Google Deepmind blog.
