Jianlin Cheng

May 23, 2023

Cheng developing software to predict protein function using generative AI

A Mizzou Engineer has received funding from the National Science Foundation to develop a tool that will predict how a protein functions based on its order of amino acids. Jianlin “Jack” Cheng envisions developing open source software that would allow a user to enter the sequence, then the system would predict not only how that string of amino acids will form into a structure but also the role it will carry out within a cell. Additionally, the system would pinpoint the specific site of the protein that carries out the function.

March 6, 2023

Mizzou Engineer lends protein prediction expertise to climate change studies at Danforth Plant Science Center

An inter-institutional research team is using the power of computational analysis to pinpoint which plant genes confer resilience against rising temperatures that threaten global food supplies in the coming decades. Mizzou Engineering Professor Jianlin “Jack” Cheng — one of the first scientists in the world to use deep learning, a powerful artificial intelligence technique, to predict protein structures — adds a unique perspective to the work. Since 2018, he’s been collaborating with Dr. Ru Zhang, a plant scientist at the Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, to leverage computational tools in the study of plant genes.

Jan. 11, 2023

Mizzou team ranks first in category at CASP15 protein prediction competition

A Mizzou Engineering team ranked within the top 10 in four different categories at an international protein prediction competition last month.