AI-Designed Proteases Can Directionally Cleave Specific Proteins
Understand the story
On October 15, 2026, Ars Technica reported that research led by David Baker's lab at the University of Washington used AI to design proteases capable of selectively cleaving specific proteins. The workflow had two steps: first, RFdiffusion2 was used to generate the enzymes' backbone structures, then ProteinMPNN was used to fill in the amino acid sequences. The team designed enzymes based on the catalytic cores of cysteine proteases and zinc proteases respectively, ultimately producing enzymes that can cleave specific protein sequences in a targeted manner. This is an advance in AI protein design; Baker's lab had previously used similar methods to design entirely new proteins multiple times, and this work extended the design scope to catalytically active proteases while achieving selectivity for cleavage targets. The reports only cover the study's publication, with no further news on applications or validation.
AI overview of reporting · Updated 4 days ago
Reporting timeline
Explore different aspects of the story through its reporting.
- Ars Technica · AIResearchers use AI to design proteins that cut up other proteins
Research led by David Baker's lab used RFdiffusion2 to design enzyme backbones and ProteinMPNN to fill in amino acids, creating enzymes capable of cutting specific protein sequences based on cysteine and zinc protease catalytic cores.
Story heat trend
Current heat3·Comparable peak10（10/15 02:00）·Comparable change over 24 hours -50%
The trend compares the same continuously observed sources, which may cover fewer sources than the current heat score. Hover or select the chart to inspect each hour; use the left and right arrow keys to navigate.