AI-designed proteins cut bonds stable for centuries

Researchers used AI design tools to create proteins that cleave other proteins, breaking bonds that are stable for hundreds of years. The work comes from AI-driven protein design.

Why it matters: Designing enzymes for chemically difficult reactions, rather than just binders, points to practical uses like breaking down resistant materials or targeted therapeutics. It fits the broader shift of AI from predicting structures to building new functional molecules, alongside AI's recent progress on open math problems.