Anthropic uses Claude to solve first 3D structure of prokaryotic vault particles
anshulkundaje · x · 2026-11-05
Anthropic's biology team, working with Claude, has resolved the first 3D structure of a vault particle found in prokaryotic cells.
Key findings
- Vaults are large hollow barrel-shaped protein shells found across the tree of life; discovered in 1986, their biological function remains unknown after 40 years.
- The team found prokaryotic vault proteins that assemble into complexes larger than human vaults, and showed their shapes can be engineered to produce even larger nanocapsules.
- Claude assisted at each step: searching sequence literature, optimizing particle isolation methods, and mapping the structure.
- A preprint has been submitted to bioRxiv, alongside a blog post and technical report.
More from AGI Musings
- User fires back at Altman: you unilaterally conjured 'alien minds' before making them safe — patpat_mit · 2026-11-05
- AI safety researcher slams community for ignoring where CoT monitoring trajectory leads — JacquesThibs · 2026-11-05
- AI Twitter Debate: 'Interiority' Beats 'Consciousness' as the Default Term — repligate · 2026-11-05
- Paper: "bottleneck pressure" shows work AI can't do gets more valuable as AI spreads — soumitrashukla9 · 2026-11-05
- Bratton: "Against Data Centers" Is the "No Nukes" of the 2020s — and Will Backfire — bratton · 2026-11-05
- "Singularity Anxiety": A New Phenomenon Shared by All of Humanity — jaivin · 2026-11-05