How three tech giants are dabbling in drug discovery

The same technology that can target advertisements, predict consumer behavior, or recognize faces in a photo might one day discover new drugs. And Google, Amazon, and Facebook are investing money to get it there.

As STAT’s Casey Ross reports, all three companies are wading into the world of protein folding, the process by which DNA instructions turn into bodily function. Many diseases trace their roots to errors in protein translation, and there’s mounting research suggesting that artificial intelligence might help understand why — and illuminate drug targets that could restore health.

Just what the tech giants hope to get from their investments is unclear, but scientists in the space say all three companies are hiring up experts.

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