Fold, Forge, Future

Dear reader,

In the folds of proteins and the folds of our imagination lie the stories we haven’t yet dared to design.

This week, we invite you to a high-voltage hour where AI meets molecule-level possibility; where fold-switchers, value-sensitive workflows, and speculative futures take shape in real time. From a deep dive into proteins that change like moods, to a call for your rawest, boldest ideas, everything here is tuned to the edge of what’s possible.

Whether you’re building scaffolds that soften with heat or dreaming up redox logic gates, the invitation is simple: come sketch the molecular world not as it is, but as it could be.

🎥 Free Webinar: AI-Driven Molecular Design Thinking

Date & Time: Friday 1 August 2025 — 16:00 CEST (15:00 BST · 10:00 EDT · 07:00 PDT)
Where: Zoom (link after RSVP)
Cost: Free · Limited seats

I’m running a one-hour, high-intensity session for students and educators who want to turn AI output into credible, molecule-level design work.

What you’ll learn

• Actionable design frameworks & workflows – practical, repeatable methods for spotting potential proteins and AI tools and translating them into value-sensitive biodesign concepts.

• Live teardown of two attendee ideas – we’ll inspect the models, stress-test feasibility, and flag ethics or sustainability gaps in real time.

• First look at the five-slide project deck you’ll craft in the upcoming AI-Driven Molecular Design Thinking Sprint (starts late Aug).

Want your concept in the hot-seat?

Submit a one-pager when you RSVP (hit reply to this email): deadline 28 July.

If the frameworks resonate, you’ll get first access to one of 12 seats in the four-week Sprint, where we take a single protein-level idea from AI draft to portfolio-ready case study.

See you on 1 August: bring an idea worth stress-testing.

🧩 New Article → “Designing with Shape-Shifting Proteins”

Did you know roughly 5 % of proteins can switch between two completely different folds, like carrying a hidden multitool inside every twentieth sequence?
In our latest deep-dive I unpack how these fold-switchers upend the “one sequence = one structure” dogma, why AlphaFold 3 often misses them, and how you can turn that ambiguity into responsive, value-sensitive designs.

Inside you’ll learn:

• The science behind fold-switchers, distilled from the new arXiv paper by Devlina Chakravarty & Lauren L. Porter

• A rapid M-A-P-V loop to spot dual folds with AlphaFold + CF-random

• Three design vignettes—temperature-softening scaffolds, pH-triggered antimicrobials, and redox logic gates

• Workflow tips for testing both states before you hit the wet-lab

Read the full article here → [Link]

🚀 Last-Call Alert: a few seats left!

If you’ve been meaning to dive into molecular-level design but were waiting for the right moment, this is it. Our AlphaFold Futures Workshop still has a handful of spots open. Across three fast-paced, hands-on sessions you’ll learn how to treat proteins as a programmable material, preview structures in AlphaFold, and translate those insights into tangible design experiments, no coding or bio degree required.

Secure your seat, level-up your practice, and join a community of designers, material innovators, and speculative builders who are shaping what’s next.

👉 Register now (link): once these seats are gone, that’s it.

✨ We Need Your Vibe Check!

A few weeks ago I rolled out our very own Custom-GPT for Biodesigners called Biodesign Protein Vibe Coder: an AI co-pilot that translates protein science into creative possibilities for textiles, architecture, packaging, performance art and more.

Now that you’ve had a chance to poke, prod, and (hopefully) prototype with it, I’d love to hear how it’s really feeling on your side of the screen.

Tell me everything:

• What sparks joy?

• Where does it stumble or get too nerdy?

• Which new features or plug-ins would turbo-charge your practice?

👉 Drop your thoughts. If you prefer a voice note or sketch, reply directly to this email: vibes come in many formats!)

A Little Thank-You for Foundational Tier Members

At the end of this week, I’ll share an exclusive step-by-step “Vibe Coding” workflow that shows exactly how I guide the GPT from fuzzy aesthetic intuition to a lab-ready protein shortlist. Think of it as a backstage pass: prompts, decision checkpoints, shortcut macros; the whole flow.

Not on the Foundational Tier yet? You can upgrade any time to join the session and get the reusable template.

Thank you for shaping this tool with me. Your feedback isn’t just data,it’s the heartbeat that keeps our bio-creative playground alive. Can’t wait to read what you send!

The tools we wield are becoming smarter, stranger, more sensitive to the nuances of form and function: and your hands shape where they’ll go next.

Thank you for building this unfolding future with curiosity, critique, and care.

Until next week,
Raphael