Reviving Ancient Antibiotics: AI Unearths Neanderthal Proteins

Bioengineers have used artificial intelligence (AI) to identify protein snippets from Neanderthals and Denisovans that have bacteria-fighting properties. By applying computational methods to data about proteins from both modern humans and our extinct relatives, researchers have identified molecules that can kill disease-causing bacteria, potentially inspiring new drugs to treat human infections. This approach, known as molecular 'de-extinction', offers a new avenue for drug discovery and could help address the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. However, further research is needed to improve the algorithm's ability to predict clinically relevant peptides.