AlphaFold is an AI system developed by DeepMind that first gained attention in 2018 when it won the CASP13 competition (Critical Assessment of Techniques for Protein Structure Prediction). Since then, it has made contributions to the field of biology by accurately predicting protein structures. Understanding protein folding-the process by which a protein assumes its functional three-dimensional shape- can accelerate research in various areas, including drug discovery, diseases, and synthetic biology.

AlphaFold uses a deep learning approach, combining neural networks with algorithms that incorporate knowledge of the physical and geometric constraints of protein structures. In November 2020, AlphaFold 2 made a significant breakthrough by predicting protein structures with accuracy comparable to experimental methods, which can accelerate research in various areas, including drug discovery, where understanding a protein's structure is key to designing effective drugs.