Australian researchers have designed a form of organic artificial intelligence, a system capable of accelerating molecular evolution directly in living cells. This advance, called Proteus, opens up unprecedented perspectives for medicine personalized and genic therapies.
Unlike traditional methods limited to bacteria, Proteus operates in mammal cells, reproducing in a few weeks a process that would take much longer durations in nature. This targeted “evolution engine” makes it possible to design tailor -made molecules, adapted to organic issues.
Proteus: a cellular evolution accelerator
The system is based on the evolution directed, a technique awarded by a Nobel in 2018. Proteus takes up the principle while bypassing the limits of bacterial models. Mammal cells offer an environment closer to humans, which is essential for medical applications. To avoid biases, scientists have used chimeric viral particles. This mixture of two separate viruses guarantees the stability of the system. The cells thus test millions of molecular variants, selecting the most effective.
The results, published in Nature Communicationsshow that Proteus can perfect already known biological mechanisms. For example, he generated an improved version of the protein RTTA, increasing its sensitivity to a medicine of a factor 6. These optimizations illustrate its potential to refine therapeutic tools.
Applications: from genetic publishing to cancer detection
Proteus has already produced nanocorps capable of identifying DNA damage, a key cancer marker. A specific mutation (S26P) has increased their accuracy in the cell nucleus, as tests reveal with chemotherapeutic agents.
The system could also perfect Crispr or mRNA vaccines. By adjusting therapeutic molecules directly in human cells, it avoids pitfalls of simplified models. Its open source character encourages wide adoption by the scientific community.
Researchers now explore its adaptation to other cell types. Ultimately, Proteus could make it possible to target specific tissues or diseases, combining physiological speed and relevance.
To go further: what is directed evolution?
The directed evolution reproduces in the laboratory the key mechanisms of natural selection – random mutations and selective pressure – but in an accelerated and targeted manner. Unlike the natural evolution that operates on scales of temps Geological, this technique makes it possible to obtain biomolecules optimized in just a few weeks. Researchers can “develop” enzymes, antibodies or other proteins to give them specific properties. This approach was transformed by the work of Frances Arnold, rewarded by the Nobel of Chemistry in 2018. His team had demonstrated that we could guide the evolution of proteins to obtain more stable or more active industrial enzymes. Today, directed evolution is used to develop biofuels, ecological detergents or more effective drugs.
Proteus’ great innovation lies in its application to mammal cells, a much more complex environment than traditionally used bacteria. The system can thus produce molecules perfectly suited to the functioning of the human body. This advance opens the way to more precise therapies and more reliable diagnostic tools.