Peking University, November 5, 2024: Professor Wang Chu, Dean of the Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies and Professor of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, delivered a lecture titled "AI-Empowered Chemical Biology" on 1st November, marked the tenth lecture of the "Boya AI Lecture Series," Over 500 faculty members and students attended the event hosted by Yu Fei, Deputy Director of The Provost's Office.

Professor Wang giving the lecture

Professor Wang introduced the concept of chemical biology, emphasizing its foundational links to chemistry, life sciences, and AI-driven data sciences. He highlighted the recent Nobel Prize-winning advancements in protein structure prediction by Professor David Baker's research team and the DeepMind team, showcasing their pioneering contributions. He also elaborated on how tools such as Rosetta and AlphaFold have revolutionized chemical biology, as well as his team’s development of MetalNet for predicting metal-binding proteins, illustrating AI’s transformative role in this field.

Classroom scene of the lecture

During the interaction session, Professor Wang engaged with attendees on topics such as data application in chemical biology, the benefits and challenges of the "black-box" nature of AI, and discussed strategies for interdisciplinary studies in this emerging field.

Professor Wang’s interaction with students

Students rasing questions

The Boya AI Lecture Series, launched in Spring 2024, aims to foster digital competencies in education and research, equipping students and faculty with skills for the digital era. The lecture series is co-hostd by the Provost's Office, Office of Educational Administration, the School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science, and School of Marxism.

Written by: Hui Qin
Edited by: Aden Tan
Source: PKU News (Chinese)