Putting Proteins Under a Computational Microscope
Summary:
AI Prize Grand Prize winner Zhuoran Qiao uses generative AI to model dynamic protein structures and their interactions with small molecules—dramatically accelerating drug discovery. Inspired by diffusion models, his approach predicts not only protein folding but also binding behaviors, enabling the design of new treatments, including for “undruggable” diseases. His work replaces years of experimental effort with seconds of computation, creating a “computational microscope” to visualize molecular systems. Now leading Chai Discovery, Qiao is building tools that automate drug design and explore novel therapeutic pathways—transforming how scientists understand, simulate, and create molecules in a post-AlphaFold era of digital biology.