During this unique study, scientists sought to understand if artificial intelligence could be used to predict how the interior of antibodies are assembled in the body. Antibodies, which are comprised of “heavy” and “light” protein chains, are produced by B cells within the immune system and protect against viruses and bacteria.

Franca Fraternali, Professor of Integrative Computational Biology at University College London, said, “Until now, it was widely assumed that the pairing of heavy and light chains within antibodies occurred at random. Using ImmunoMatch, we show for the first time that this assembly is, in fact, highly specific. Understanding these pairing rules is crucial for predicting antibody stability and performance and opens the door to the rational design of more effective therapeutics.”