Artificial intelligence (AI) has solved one of biology's grand challenges: predicting how proteins curl up from a linear chain of amino acids into 3D shapes that allow them to carry out life's tasks. This week, leading structural biologists and organizers of a biennial protein-folding competition announced the achievement by researchers at DeepMind, a U.K.-based AI company. They say the DeepMind method will have far-reaching effects, among them helping researchers identify protein-based targets for novel medications. Because contest rules require competitors to reveal enough of their methods for others to make use of them, organizers say it's only a matter of months before other groups match DeepMind's success.

人工智能（AI）解决了生物学的一项重大挑战：预测蛋白质如何从氨基酸的线性链卷曲成3D形状，从而使它们能够执行生活任务。本周，领先的结构生物学家和两年一次蛋白质折叠竞赛的组织者宣布了英国AI公司DeepMind的研究人员所取得的成就。他们说，DeepMind方法将产生深远的影响，其中包括帮助研究人员确定基于蛋白质的新型药物靶标。由于竞赛规则要求竞争者向其他人透露足够的方法以供他人使用，因此组织者表示，其他团队要达到DeepMind的成功才需要几个月的时间。