An AI startup from the University of Oxford has developed a new deep-learning model that can predict the 3D structure of proteins with 'near-perfect' accuracy in a fraction of the time required by existing systems.

The model, 'FoldFast,' is designed to be lightweight enough to run on standard laboratory workstations, potentially accelerating drug discovery and materials science research in smaller labs that lack massive supercomputing resources.

"We wanted to bring the power of AI to the individual bench scientist," said the founder. "This isn't about competing with the giants; it's about empowering the rest of the scientific community."

Initial tests have shown the model can predict complex multi-protein interactions that were previously thought to be computationally intractable.