Profluent

Profluent is a biotechnology company that leverages artificial intelligence to design novel proteins for applications in medicine, agriculture, and beyond. At its core, the company operates a platform that treats proteins as programmable molecular machines—the fundamental units that drive biological functions. Unlike traditional protein engineering, which relies heavily on trial-and-error or modifications of natural sequences, Profluent’s AI models can generate entirely new protein sequences from scratch or refine existing natural scaffolds, enabling the creation of molecules with precisely targeted properties. The platform’s most prominent demonstration is OpenCRISPR, described by the company as the world’s first AI-designed gene editor. OpenCRISPR represents a significant shift in genome editing: instead of adapting naturally occurring CRISPR systems (such as Cas9 from bacteria), Profluent’s AI generated a novel protein structure that performs the same cutting function but with potentially improved specificity, reduced off-target effects, and a smaller molecular footprint. This tool is intended for research and therapeutic gene editing, offering a synthetic alternative to wild-type editors. Profluent partners with pharmaceutical and agricultural organizations to translate these AI-written proteins into real-world products. A notable collaboration is with Eli Lilly, announced on the company’s website, to co-develop protein-based therapeutics. The partnership aims to use Profluent’s generative design capabilities to create new drug candidates that address previously undruggable targets or enhance the performance of existing biologics. In agriculture, the company’s proteins could be engineered to improve crop resistance, increase yield, or replace chemical inputs with bi