In this episode, Anca tells the fascinating story of AlphaFold, the AI system that cracked one of biology’s greatest mysteries: how proteins fold. What started as an ambitious challenge at DeepMind has become a transformative breakthrough with far-reaching implications for medicine, drug discovery, and beyond.

Topics Covered:

• Why protein folding matters and why it was such a hard problem

• How DeepMind shifted from game-playing AIs like AlphaGo to solving core problems in biology

• The evolution from AlphaFold 1 to AlphaFold 2 and what made the second version revolutionary

• How AlphaFold uses deep learning and transformer models to predict 3D protein structures

• The impact of AlphaFold across global research, healthcare, and biotech

• What’s next in AI-powered biology—from protein complexes to drug discovery

Credits:
Production: MedShake Studio
Host: Anca Petre

✔ Stay connected and learn more:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ancapetre

• Website: www.ancapetre.com & www.medshake-studio.com

• Email: anca@medshakestudio.com

More about the podcast:
Every week, I dive into the most transformative trends at the intersection of technology and healthcare. From AI-driven breakthroughs in diagnostics to the role of blockchain in securing health data, from decentralized science (DeSci) to NFT-powered health innovation, and from gamified fitness to the potential of digital twins, I’m here to make complex topics simple, accessible, and exciting.

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