Advances in the investigation of the protein structure will lead to a new way of doing medicine: computational biologist

Prof. Janet Thornton. | Photo credit: Murali Kumar K

We have traveled a long way to understand the structure of proteins, but by translating that to new medications that we are just beginning, said the renowned computational biologist Janet Thornton in an interaction with The Hindu.

COVID-19 lesson

“We saw with the COVID-19 virus the speed with which the structures of the spike protein, which was the basis of the vaccine, could be characterized. I think we have traveled a long way in that understanding. Translating that to new medications is probably just starting, ”he said.

“Today, when there are general patients, they are very often treated by symptoms and not for the cause. But I think there will be a new way of doing medicine. Health services worldwide are now fighting with demand. I think that will change because once we have enough data, we can improve the given services, ”he added.

Pioneer in Structural Bioinformatics and Emeritus Director of the European Institute of Bioinformatics, Prof. Thornton was in Bangalore to deliver a conference organized by the familial family philanthropic initiatives (SFPI), in collaboration with TIFR.

“A doctor usually operates at his own experience, which is something limited. If we could gather this data together, then I think there is the potential of a more precise prognosis and diagnosis, ”he said.

While more data are critical to improve research efficiency, Professor Thornton, who is at the United Kingdom Health Data Research Board (an organization financed by the United Kingdom Government to coordinate health data and put it available to research), he acknowledged that there are challenges to make open and accessible data.

Nature of the data

“Health data is quite different. It is very personal and there are ethical concerns. In my opinion, it will have many years to coordinate the health data and make it accessible, ”he said. On the other hand, there are conflicts in terms of commercial interests, he added.

However, by qualifying the data “a critical health infrastructure”, Professor Thornton said that it is important to make the clean data of hospitals available to train AI programs. He also added that the impact of research will be extended to the fields beyond physiology, including agriculture and green chemistry and could even help address climate change.