A study by this year's Nobel Laureate in Chemistry reveals a possible game-changer in snakebite treatment. Researchers have created new proteins that neutralize lethal toxins found in snake venom, potentially offering a safer and more effective alternative to traditional antivenoms.

It has been a few years since AI began successfully tackling the challenge of predicting the three-dimensional structure of proteins, complex molecules that are essential for all life. Next-generation tools are now available,

The AI-designed proteins could form the basis of a new generation of therapies for snakebites — which kill an estimated 100,000 people each year and are still treated much as they were a century ago.

New proteins not found in nature have now been designed to counteract certain highly poisonous components of snake venom. The deep learning, computational methods for developing these toxin-neutralizing proteins offer hope for creating safer,

Researchers have successfully designed two proteins to neutralize some of the most lethal venom toxins, using a suite of artificial intelligence tools, per a study published January 15 in the journal Nature.