NTU researchers have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered platform and a comprehensive benchmark database to predict and study proteins that undergo phase separation - a process through which proteins in cells separate like oil droplets in water.
The AI tools could advance the understanding of ageing-related conditions such as Alzheimer's disease - associated with changes in phase separation that lead to abnormal protein aggregates. In addition, the platforms could facilitate investigations into how plants respond to stress, opening new opportunities for applications in sustainable agriculture.
By analysing phase-separating proteins from across 1,106 species, the scientists also uncovered fundamental insights about the phase separation process.
