'An AlphaFold 4' – scientists marvel at DeepMind drug spin-offs exclusive new AI (www.nature.com)

Isomorphic Labs, a biopharmaceutical spin-off from Google DeepMind, has unveiled a new AI model named IsoDDE, designed for drug discovery, that boasts superior performance in predicting protein interactions and binding affinities compared to existing methods. This announcement, made in a technical report published on February 10, follows the earlier release of AlphaFold3, which focused on drug discovery. However, IsoDDE remains proprietary, sparking concerns among researchers about the lack of transparency and access to its underlying methodologies. The significance of IsoDDE lies in its capability to perform at a level described as comparable to a hypothetical "AlphaFold4," with impressive accuracy in predicting drug-protein interactions. Notably, its ability to make reliable predictions for molecules that differ significantly from its training data suggests that IsoDDE employs groundbreaking techniques. This development has the potential to transform the landscape of therapeutic research, particularly in an industry where understanding protein interactions is crucial for developing effective drugs. Researchers like Mohammed AlQuraishi emphasize the need for more open-source alternatives to maintain progress in the field.