AI is helping to design proteins from scratch
They could treat diseases, test drugs and boost crop yields
Making biofuels is messy, inefficient and expensive. Vast quantities of crops such as maize and soyabeans must be grown, harvested and processed before their energy, accumulated slowly through natural photosynthesis, can be put to use. Nate Ennist of the Institute for Protein Design (IPD) at the University of Washington, in Seattle, thinks that synthetic proteins can boost the rate of return.
Explore more
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Plenty more room at the bottom”
RFK junior wants to ban an ingredient in vaccines. Is he right?
Studies show that thimerosal does more good than harm
A new project aims to synthesise a human chromosome
The tools developed along the way could revolutionise medicine
How sea slugs give themselves superpowers
Their slimy shenanigans might have applications for humans, too
Is being bilingual good for your brain?
Perhaps. Learning languages offers other, more concrete benefits
Distrust in public-health institutions is not just an American problem
Across the rich world politics is driving scepticism
Scientists have created healthy, fertile mice with two fathers
Bipaternal human children, though, are still far away