DeepMind Watermarks Proteins with Digital Signatures

Google DeepMind has developed a new tool called SynthID Bio that allows researchers to watermark synthetic proteins. This means they can embed a digital signature in the amino acid sequence or predicted 3D structure of a protein, making it possible to track its origin and authenticity. The team behind SynthID Bio tested the tool on various proteins, including binders designed to latch onto other proteins, and found that it did not affect their function.

The watermark is created using a key, similar to a cryptographic key, which suggests each next amino acid in the sequence. Software can then scan the sequence with the key to detect the mark. The team tested SynthID Bio on AlphaFold 3's diffusion network and found that it kept its accuracy while detection was near-perfect.

Google DeepMind says that the watermark could help label AI-made entries in public databases, such as the Protein Data Bank, UniProt, and GenBank. The team has also flagged several limits to the system, including the fact that it is only as secure as the process that shares and stores its keys.