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Google shuts down its Nobel-prize winning AlphaFold project as it focuses on Gemini
(www.engadget.com)
this post was submitted on 29 Jul 2026
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Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t AlphaFold basically solve protein folding, as in their master database of folds is now complete? Doesn’t it make sense to move on at this point?
If only genetic sequences were so finite. And what happens when researchers are developing a new protein that never existed before? Protein folding is NP-hard—even if P=NP is solved, protein folding may still be a challenge. It is likely that there will always be a need for software like this, and that the software will need periodic updates as new sequence behaviors come to light.
That said, as another comment points out, Google is merely stepping back from the AlphaFold project, which will continue without their funding or oversight.