NSF Announces $40M Funding Opportunity to Advance Protein Design Applications

The National Science Foundation is seeking proposals from academia and industry experts to advance protein design using artificial intelligence.

Under the agency’s Use-Inspired Acceleration of Protein Design program, the NSF will award funding worth $40 million over three years to accelerate new protein design applications in various fields, including medicine and environmental protection, Nextgov/FCW reported.

David Tennenhouse, a senior adviser in the NSF’s Technology, Innovation and Partnerships Directorate, said the effort builds on research advances in protein design enabled by advanced computing power and existing software types that provide accurate protein structure predictions using machine learning.

According to Tennenhouse, one of the main areas the USPRD will focus on is enzymes, a type of protein that enables chemical reactions essential to different applications.

The NSF will accept proposals until April 26. Selected participants will undergo the Ideas Lab process, under which they will collaborate to develop potential solutions and approaches.

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