News Oct 15, 2026
Scientists create designer enzymes that cut specific proteins like molecular scissors
Researchers at the University of Washington have computationally designed synthetic proteases - enzymes that precisely cut other proteins at chosen sequences. Two studies published in Nature describe zinc-based metalloproteases and cysteine proteases created entirely from scratch using deep learning. These designer enzymes show rate enhancements millions to hundreds of millions of times faster than uncatalyzed reactions, and they work inside living cells. The work opens paths to destroying disease proteins, clearing misfolded proteins from neurodegenerative diseases, and activating drugs only in targeted tissues.
Giulio Prisco
