Accelerating the race against antibiotic resistance — Google DeepMind Skip to main content Explore our next generation AI systems Explore models Gemini Gemini Build intelligent agents Gemini Omni Create anything from anything Nano Banana Create and edit detailed images Gemini Audio Talk, create and control audio Specialized models Veo Generate cinematic video with audio Imagen Generate high-quality images from text Lyria Generate high fidelity music and audio World models & embodied AI Genie 3 Generate and explore interactive worlds Gemini Robotics Perceive, reason, use tools and interact Open models Gemma Build responsible AI applications at scale Our latest AI breakthroughs and updates from the lab Explore research Breakthroughs SIMA 2 An agent that plays, reasons, and learns with you Genie 3 Generate and explore interactive worlds AlphaGo Mastering the game of Go Gemini Robotics Perceive, reason, use tools and interact Learn more Evals Publications Responsibility Unlocking a new era of discovery with AI Explore science Breakthroughs AlphaFold Predict protein structures with high accuracy WeatherNext Fast and accurate AI weather forecasting AlphaEarth Map our planet in unprecedented detail AlphaEvolve Design advanced algorithms for math and applications in computing Learn more Gemini for Science Experimental Tools Science Skills Our mission is to build AI responsibly to benefit humanity About Google DeepMind Responsibility Ensuring AI safety through proactive security, even against evolving threats News Discover our latest AI breakthroughs, projects, and updates Careers We’re looking for people who want to make a real, positive impact on the world Learn more Education Our National Partnerships for AI Accelerator programs The Podcast Models Explore our next generation AI systems Explore models Gemini Gemini Build intelligent agents Gemini Omni Create anything from anything Nano Banana Create and edit detailed images Gemini Audio Talk, create and control audio Specialized models Veo Generate cinematic video with audio Imagen Generate high-quality images from text Lyria Generate high fidelity music and audio World models & embodied AI Genie 3 Generate and explore interactive worlds Gemini Robotics Perceive, reason, use tools and interact Open models Gemma Build responsible AI applications at scale Research Our latest AI breakthroughs and updates from the lab Explore research Breakthroughs SIMA 2 An agent that plays, reasons, and learns with you Genie 3 Generate and explore interactive worlds AlphaGo Mastering the game of Go Gemini Robotics Perceive, reason, use tools and interact Learn more Evals Publications Responsibility Science Unlocking a new era of discovery with AI Explore science Breakthroughs AlphaFold Predict protein structures with high accuracy WeatherNext Fast and accurate AI weather forecasting AlphaEarth Map our planet in unprecedented detail AlphaEvolve Design advanced algorithms for math and applications in computing Learn more Gemini for Science Experimental Tools Science Skills About Our mission is to build AI responsibly to benefit humanity About Google DeepMind Learn more Education Our National Partnerships for AI Accelerator programs The Podcast Responsibility Ensuring AI safety through proactive security, even against evolving threats News Discover our latest AI breakthroughs, projects, and updates Careers We’re looking for people who want to make a real, positive impact on the world Build with Gemini Try Gemini Google DeepMind Google AI Learn about all our AI Google DeepMind Explore the frontier of AI Google Labs Try our AI experiments Google Research Explore our research Products and apps Gemini app Chat with Gemini Google AI Studio Build with our next-gen AI models Google Antigravity Our agentic development platform Models Research Science About Build with Gemini Try Gemini July 28, 2022 ScienceAccelerating the race against antibiotic resistance Share Copied AlphaFold unlocks a decade of data within minutes that can help beat antibiotic resistance Most people who have access to a modern healthcare system would not consider a disease like bubonic plague to be a threat. Such bacterial infections are usually dealt with easily through modern antibiotics. Yet antibiotic resistance, where bacteria evolve the ability to defeat these drugs, is quickly becoming a global problem. With new antibiotics thin on the ground, scientists like Marcelo Sousa and Megan Mitchell at the University of Colorado Boulder are looking at a different approach: targeting the resistance mechanism itself. With modern medicine and modern antibiotics, we kind of take it for granted that we’re not going to die of a bacterial infection. But there’s 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections in the United States alone – it’s pretty scary. Megan Mitchell Biochemist Blocking the resistance mechanism, which is controlled by enzymes, should allow existing antibiotics to continue to function. But understanding the structure of these enzymes has proven incredibly challenging with purely experimental methods – until the team came across AlphaFold. In the video above, Marcelo and Megan explain how it felt to suddenly unlock the potential of those data, and what this could mean for antibiotic resistance. Links and further reading: Find out more about the Sousa Research Group at the University of Colorado Boulder Find these complex enzymes here on the AlphaFold Protein Structure Database Related posts AlphaFold Learn more Understanding the faulty proteins linked to cancer and autism September 2022Science Learn more Solving the mystery of how an ancient bird went extinct September 2022Science Learn more AlphaFold unlocks one of the greatest puzzles in biology July 2022Science Learn more Stopping malaria in its tracks October 2022Science Learn more Advancing discovery of better drugs and medicine July 2022Science Learn more Fighting osteoporosis before it starts September 2022Science Learn more The race to cure a billion people from a deadly parasitic disease July 2022Science Learn more Tracing the evolution of proteins back to the origin of life July 2022Science Learn more Breeding healthier and stronger honeybees November 2025Science Learn more AlphaFold transforms biology for millions around the world July 2022Science Learn more Creating plastic-eating enzymes that could save us from pollution July 2022Science Learn more Targeting early-onset Parkinson’s with AI September 2022Science Learn more Follow us Sign up for updates on our latest innovations I accept Google's Terms and Conditions and acknowledge that my information will be used in accordance with Google's Privacy Policy. 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