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The UW’s Institute for Protein Design Keeps Boosting Startups, Fueling AI-Powered Science

By May 3, 2024No Comments

The University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design is on a hot streak. New studies, companies and spinouts are emerging at a rapid clip from the research hub, propelled by advances in artificial intelligence.

On Tuesday the latest venture based on IPD technology emerged: Xaira Therapeutics, a San-Francisco area startup co-founded by IPD head David Baker, backed with more than $1 billion from investors including Arch Venture Partners and Foresite Capital.

Only four days earlier, the IPD’s next-generation protein structure prediction and design tool — RoseTTAFold All-Atom — was featured on the cover of the journal Science.