AI-led robotic lab develops enzyme to withstand higher temperatures without human intervention. How it works

Subject: Science and Tech

Section: Awareness in IT

Context:

Scientists from the University of Wisconsin–Madison have developed a metabolic protein that can withstand higher temperatures using an autonomous robotics lab driven by artificial intelligence (AI).

About SAMPLE (self-driving autonomous machines for protein landscape exploration):

The platform, named SAMPLE, operates as a fully autonomous system, learning protein sequence-function relationships through AI.
It designs new proteins on paper, instructs robotic instruments to create them, and tests their functionality.
In an experiment focused on glycoside hydrolase proteins, SAMPLE produced versions that could function at temperatures 12 degrees Celsius higher than the starting proteins, a task that would take a human about a year.
While SAMPLE enhances efficiency in protein engineering, human expertise remains crucial in designing hypotheses and interpreting findings.

Protein engineering:

Protein engineering is a field with vast potential, touching diverse areas such as medicine, energy and chemistry
However, traditional methods of creating proteins with new or improved functions are notoriously slow, demanding and inefficient.
The process typically involves generating hypotheses, designing and conducting experiments, and interpreting results — a cycle that is both labour-intensive and time-consuming.

Source: DTE