Hey Amy, I just read something about a company using AI to design proteins. What's that all about?

Oh, you're talking about Arzeda! They're doing some really cool stuff with AI and protein design.

Protein design? I thought proteins were just something in our food.

Proteins are much more than that! They're like tiny machines that do all sorts of jobs in living things. Arzeda is using AI to design new proteins for different uses.

That sounds complicated. What kind of uses are we talking about?

Well, they're working on things like natural sweeteners, laundry detergents, and even new materials. The idea is to make these products more sustainable.

Sustainable? How does designing proteins help with that?

By creating new proteins, they can replace chemicals in products with more natural alternatives. This could reduce harmful effects on the environment.

That's pretty impressive. How does the AI part work?

Arzeda uses different AI models, including something called generative AI. These models help design proteins with specific characteristics they're looking for.

Is this just an idea, or are they actually making products?

They're already making products! They've created a natural stevia-based sweetener and are working with big companies like Unilever on other projects.

Wow, that's further along than I thought. Are other companies doing this too?

There are other companies working on protein design, but Arzeda seems to be focusing on everyday products rather than medical applications.

That's interesting. How are they doing as a business?

They're doing well! They just raised $38 million in funding, which shows that investors believe in what they're doing.

That's a lot of money. What are they planning to do with it?

They're going to use it to scale up production of their sweetener and work on commercializing other enzymes they've developed.

It sounds like this could be a big deal for making everyday stuff more eco-friendly.

Exactly! The CEO of Arzeda believes their designed proteins will touch every aspect of our lives in the future.

That's pretty exciting. Thanks for explaining all this, Amy. I'll be keeping an eye out for Arzeda products!

You're welcome, Sam! It's definitely an area to watch. Who knows, maybe the next time you use laundry detergent, it'll be powered by Arzeda's proteins!