Job titles of the future: Nature’s drug designer
Chemist Tim Cernak is pioneering "conservation chemistry," applying his Big Pharma expertise to develop specialized drugs for animals and ecosystems. He utilizes AI tools like Google DeepMind's AlphaFold to visualize protein structures and rapidly design potential treatments for various species, from frogs with fungal infections to Gila monsters with parasites. Cernak aims to create cutting-edge chemical solutions for conservation, addressing what he sees as a critical gap in current environmental efforts. AI
IMPACT AI tools like AlphaFold are enabling novel applications in conservation, accelerating the design of specialized treatments for endangered species and ecosystems.