{"schemaVersion":"1.0","generatedFrom":"https://brightaifuture.com/discoveries/alphafold","record":{"id":"alphafold","headline":"Seeing the shape of life.","canonicalUrl":"https://brightaifuture.com/discoveries/alphafold","datePublished":"2026-09-05","dateModified":"2026-09-25","sourcePublicationDate":"2021-07-15","author":null,"publisher":{"name":"Bright AI Future","url":"https://brightaifuture.com/"},"topics":["biology"],"summary":"Researchers used AlphaFold to predict protein structures with accuracy competitive with experimental structures on many CASP14 targets. Bright's interactive p53 view uses a separate, later AlphaFold DB prediction: human p53 AF-P04637-F1 model v6, created on 2025-08-01.","evidenceState":"Demonstrated","keyFacts":[{"label":"AI’s role","value":"A neural network integrated sequence and structural information to predict three-dimensional structure."},{"label":"Documented result","value":"The 2021 AlphaFold2 paper reported strong performance in the blind CASP14 assessment. On September 24, 2026, AlphaFold Database separately added high-confidence predictions covering 2,812 viral proteomes: 5,279 heterodimers and 2,749 homodimers, plus 4,681 high-confidence homodimers from the separate Viral Assembly Database collection."},{"label":"Important limitation","value":"Predictions carry uncertainty. A predicted structure does not establish function, interaction in a living system, vaccine efficacy or treatment benefit."}],"limitations":["Predictions carry uncertainty. A predicted structure does not establish function, interaction in a living system, vaccine efficacy or treatment benefit.","The viral release is a research resource of predicted dimers, not experimentally validated structures; it does not model glycans, larger assemblies, the effects of genetic variation or host–pathogen interactions.","The p53 view remains a static single-chain prediction, not an experimental structure or a simulation of protein folding.","The p53 model's pLDDT values describe local confidence and do not establish the arrangement of distant regions."],"evidenceLinks":[{"title":"Highly accurate protein structure prediction with AlphaFold · Nature","url":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03819-2","type":"paper"},{"title":"AlphaFold DB human p53 AF-P04637-F1 model v6","url":"https://alphafold.ebi.ac.uk/files/AF-P04637-F1-model_v6.pdb","type":"dataset"},{"title":"AlphaFold Database adds viral protein complexes · EMBL","url":"https://www.embl.org/news/science-technology/alphafold-database-adds-viral-protein-complexes-to-support-pandemic-preparedness/","type":"institution"},{"title":"AlphaFold Database frequently asked questions","url":"https://www.alphafold.ebi.ac.uk/faq","type":"dataset"},{"title":"AlphaFold Database viral protein complex collection","url":"https://alphafold.ebi.ac.uk/","type":"dataset"}],"evidencePackUrl":"https://brightaifuture.com/evidence-pack/alphafold","embedUrl":"https://brightaifuture.com/embed/story/alphafold","attribution":{"credit":"Bright AI Future","requirements":["Link to the canonical Bright record.","Keep material limitations with the claim they qualify.","Link to the original evidence when repeating a substantive claim.","Do not describe a source check or organization-reported result as independent verification."],"sourceRights":"Linked source material, quotations, trademarks and media remain subject to their owners’ terms. No reuse right is granted for third-party media."}},"claim":{"humanProblem":"A protein’s shape helps explain its function, but determining that shape can be difficult.","priorConstraint":"Experimental structure determination required specialized instruments and substantial work.","aiRole":"A neural network integrated sequence and structural information to predict three-dimensional structure.","documentedResult":"The 2021 AlphaFold2 paper reported strong performance in the blind CASP14 assessment. On September 24, 2026, AlphaFold Database separately added high-confidence predictions covering 2,812 viral proteomes: 5,279 heterodimers and 2,749 homodimers, plus 4,681 high-confidence homodimers from the separate Viral Assembly Database collection.","whyItMayMatter":"Researchers gained another way to investigate biological mechanisms. The later viral-pair resource gives pandemic-preparedness teams research hypotheses to inspect, prioritize and test experimentally.","unresolvedQuestions":["Combine predictions with experiments and investigate harder biological systems."]},"evidenceAssessment":{"state":"Demonstrated","claimConfidence":"unassessed","reviewState":"source-checked","reviewMethod":null,"reviewNote":"Legacy source check; no named human reviewer is recorded in this projection.","lastSourceReview":"2026-09-25","independentVerification":"not-established-by-this-source-review"},"sources":[{"id":"source:alphafold","title":"Highly accurate protein structure prediction with AlphaFold · Nature","url":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03819-2","type":"paper"},{"id":"source:alphafold-p53-v6","title":"AlphaFold DB human p53 AF-P04637-F1 model v6","url":"https://alphafold.ebi.ac.uk/files/AF-P04637-F1-model_v6.pdb","type":"dataset"},{"id":"source:alphafold-viral-complexes","title":"AlphaFold Database adds viral protein complexes · EMBL","url":"https://www.embl.org/news/science-technology/alphafold-database-adds-viral-protein-complexes-to-support-pandemic-preparedness/","type":"institution"},{"id":"source:alphafold-db-faq","title":"AlphaFold Database frequently asked questions","url":"https://www.alphafold.ebi.ac.uk/faq","type":"dataset"},{"id":"source:alphafold-db-viral-collection","title":"AlphaFold Database viral protein complex collection","url":"https://alphafold.ebi.ac.uk/","type":"dataset"}],"revisions":[{"id":"revision:before:correction:93390fe58fc2e79c464f","recordedAt":"2026-09-08","summary":"Assessment before correction: Clarified that Bright's p53 view uses the 2025 AlphaFold DB AF-P04637-F1 model v6 asset, while the discovery's scientific claim and publication date remain those of the 2021 AlphaFold paper. Added the model source and the limits of the predicted single-chain view.","sourceIds":[],"snapshot":{"plainLanguage":"Researchers used AlphaFold to predict protein structures with accuracy competitive with experimental structures on many CASP14 targets.","limitations":["Predictions carry uncertainty. A predicted structure does not establish function or prove a treatment works."],"sources":[{"id":"source:alphafold","title":"Highly accurate protein structure prediction with AlphaFold · Nature","url":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03819-2","type":"paper"}]}},{"id":"revision:before:correction:348d0fbc35a7a36a07d5","recordedAt":"2026-09-25","summary":"Assessment before correction: Added the September 24, 2026 AlphaFold Database viral-complex release as a dated continuation while preserving the original 2021 CASP14 result and the separate p53 model-v6 representation.","sourceIds":[],"snapshot":{"documentedResult":"Strong performance in the blind CASP14 assessment.","whyItMayMatter":"Researchers gained another way to investigate biological mechanisms.","limitations":["Predictions carry uncertainty. A predicted structure does not establish function or prove a treatment works.","The p53 view is a static single-chain prediction, not an experimental structure or a simulation of protein folding.","The model's pLDDT values describe local confidence and do not establish the arrangement of distant regions."],"sources":[{"id":"source:alphafold","title":"Highly accurate protein structure prediction with AlphaFold · Nature","url":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03819-2","type":"paper"},{"id":"source:alphafold-p53-v6","title":"AlphaFold DB human p53 AF-P04637-F1 model v6","url":"https://alphafold.ebi.ac.uk/files/AF-P04637-F1-model_v6.pdb","type":"dataset"}],"dates":{"eventDate":null,"publicationDate":"2021-07-15","captureDate":null,"lastReviewedDate":"2026-09-05"}}}],"corrections":[{"id":"correction:93390fe58fc2e79c464f","issuedAt":"2026-09-08","summary":"Clarified that Bright's p53 view uses the 2025 AlphaFold DB AF-P04637-F1 model v6 asset, while the discovery's scientific claim and publication date remain those of the 2021 AlphaFold paper. Added the model source and the limits of the predicted single-chain view.","sourceIds":[],"supersedesRevisionId":"revision:before:correction:93390fe58fc2e79c464f","reviewerId":"codex-ai-assisted","sourceUrl":"https://alphafold.ebi.ac.uk/files/AF-P04637-F1-model_v6.pdb"},{"id":"correction:348d0fbc35a7a36a07d5","issuedAt":"2026-09-25","summary":"Added the September 24, 2026 AlphaFold Database viral-complex release as a dated continuation while preserving the original 2021 CASP14 result and the separate p53 model-v6 representation.","sourceIds":[],"supersedesRevisionId":"revision:before:correction:348d0fbc35a7a36a07d5","reviewerId":"codex-ai-assisted","sourceUrl":"https://www.embl.org/news/science-technology/alphafold-database-adds-viral-protein-complexes-to-support-pandemic-preparedness/"}]}