Google on Wednesday unveiled an artificial intelligence tool capable of predicting the structure and interaction of a vast universe of biomolecules, a fundamental advance that may help scientists unravel poorly understood aspects of biology and disease.

The new AI, dubbed AlphaFold 3, improves upon earlier versions of the model by predicting not just the structure of proteins, but all the molecules that interact with them in cells, including RNA, DNA, ions, and other small molecules.

Most new drugs consist of small molecules designed to bind to a protein involved in disease. AlphaFold 3 opens broader avenues of exploration, allowing scientists to rapidly examine complex interactions with other molecules that may highlight new disease targets — and different ways of attacking them.