Researchers Use AI-Designed Proteins to Control Crystal Formation and Create Functional Materials
Researchers used computationally designed proteins, including a fine-tuned AI model, to direct the growth of calcium and cobalt carbonate crystals with precise control over shape, polymorph, and location. Native biomineralization proteins are notoriously difficult to work with due to disorder and insolubility, making engineered alternatives a long-sought goal. The work demonstrates that deep learning-based protein design can unlock functional protein-mineral hybrid materials, including electrocatalysts for green hydrogen production.
A team of researchers has demonstrated that proteins designed entirely from scratch can template the formation of inorganic crystals with a level of control previously difficult to achieve with natural biomineralization proteins. Using two-dimensional protein arrays, they directed the growth of calcite nanocrystals, while a fine-tuned version of the AI tool RFdiffusion2 enabled design of protein architectures that selectively nucleate aragonite — a metastable calcium carbonate polymorph — even under conditions that normally produce a mixed phase. Going beyond minerals found in biology, the researchers also templated cobalt carbonate formation: a flat helical repeat protein promoted unconfined crystal growth, while soluble cage assemblies (D3 symmetry) confined cobalt carbonate nanocrystals to the cage interior, yielding more homogeneous particles. These protein-cage cobalt carbonate composites were then shown to function as electrocatalysts for alkaline water splitting, a key reaction in green hydrogen production. The study highlights how deep learning methods for protein design can be adapted to engineer hybrid organic-inorganic materials with tailored structural and functional properties.
What's missing
The study does not report long-term stability or scalability of the protein-mineral electrocatalysts under sustained operating conditions, nor does it benchmark their catalytic performance against established non-biological cobalt carbonate or other state-of-the-art alkaline water-splitting catalysts. As a preprint, the findings have not yet undergone formal peer review.
What different sources said
- bioRxivCenter
Controlling metal-carbonate phase, form, and function through de novo protein design
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