Instruct-ERIC offers support for structural biologists utilising AI prediction software and validation tools.
The impact of Artificial Intelligence and machine learning on structural biology has grown exponentially in recent years. Particularly with the success of AlphaFold from Google DeepMind and EMBL-EBI, the power of these tools in predicting protein structures is as mesmerising as it is impactful.
To help structural biologists get the best out of these tools, Instruct is providing support in accessing, utilising, and validating the results borne out of AlphaFold and similar resources.
The sorts of questions that can be answered by our experts include:
In terms of accessing and using the latest version, AlphaFold 3, EMBL-EBI provides an in-depth course on how to use the system, and to get the most out of it.
As we know, AI is merely another string to the structural biology bow. It can speed up processes, and can whittle down drug targets (see Chenthamarakshan et al, 2023), but can only be effectively used in conjunction with experimentation.
This is where Instruct is invaluable: after receiving your predicted structure from AlphaFold, ask our team which technique or methodology is best placed to confirm that the structure is correct, and begin to uncover its function. From there, submit an application to access the necessary equipment through Instruct, available to structural biologists worldwide, and free at the point of access for researchers in member countries.