How Biotech Startups Are Using AI to Design Proteins

In this episode of Biotech Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing protein design for drug development. They focus on the case of David Baker's lab at the University of Washington and the startup Protein Evolution, which used AI to create a novel enzyme that breaks down PET plastic. The hosts discuss how generative models like RFdiffusion and ProteinMPNN are enabling biotechs to design custom proteins from scratch, reducing the timeline from years to months. They also touch on the recent $200 million Series B raised by Profluent, a startup using large language models for protein engineering. Lucas explains the technical leap from Rosetta to deep learning methods, while Luna questions the regulatory path for AI-designed therapeutics. The episode avoids hype and provides a concrete understanding of how this technology is reshaping drug discovery and beyond. #AIProteinDesign #DavidBaker #ProteinEvolution #RFdiffusion #ProteinMPNN #Profluent #De NovoProtein #DeepLearning #DrugDiscovery #BiotechStartups #EnzymeEngineering #PETPlastic #Rosetta #GenerativeBiology #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo