Anthropic Backs Global AI Protein Design Contest

Biotechnology company Adaptyv Bio has partnered with Anthropic to launch what it describes as the world’s largest protein design competition, challenging people around the world to use artificial intelligence to develop potential drug candidates for diseases affecting millions of people.

The competition will feature five challenges focused on specific diseases or biological mechanisms. Adaptyv Bio and Anthropic are providing more than $1m for experimental validation, allowing more than 5,000 protein designs to be tested free of charge at Adaptyv Bio’s automated laboratory.

Anthropic will also provide participants with an additional $1m in credits to use its Claude AI model.

Results from all experiments, including unsuccessful designs, will be published openly on the Proteinbase platform so that anyone can access the data and build on the findings.

Participation is free and divided into three categories. The first is aimed at expert protein designers, while the second targets life science academics and industry researchers. A third category is open to anyone interested in taking part, from technology enthusiasts to high school students.

The project aims to make AI-assisted protein development accessible to anyone with a laptop and an internet connection.

(luc)