Chemist and blogger Derek Lowe has expressed his opinion [1] that, while significant and worth celebrating, AlphaFold addresses just one part of the long complex process of drug discovery. In one example [2] he cites a biotech startup that saved ~1 month in time and lab work and then discusses the many steps that remain before that drug candidate could become an actual drug.
OP describes what could potentially be AlphaFold with small molecules instead of with just proteins, and specifically calls it “chemical discovery” and not “drug discovery” more broadly. I think it’s fair to cheer for such a big advance while recognizing it wouldn’t solve everything.
OP describes what could potentially be AlphaFold with small molecules instead of with just proteins, and specifically calls it “chemical discovery” and not “drug discovery” more broadly. I think it’s fair to cheer for such a big advance while recognizing it wouldn’t solve everything.
[1]: https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/more-protein-foldi... "More Protein Folding Progress - What's It Mean?"
[2]: https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/alphafold-exciteme... "AlphaFold Excitement"