Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42239184›Full record

ArticlebioRxiv : the preprint server for biology2026

De novo design of RNA pseudoknots with deep learning.

Jill Townley, Wipapat Kladwang, David Baker, Hamish M Blair, Christian A Choe, Gina El Nesr, Andrew Favor, Eli Fisker, Daniel B Haack, Shujun He and 17 more

Abstract readPreprint
In one paragraph

Article in bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

27 authors.

Jill TownleyEterna Massive Open Laboratory, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8528-2227
Wipapat KladwangDepartment of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA.ORCID 0009-0001-0490-9495
David BakerDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Washington; Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7896-6217
Hamish M BlairDepartment of Mathematics, Stanford University; Stanford, CA, USA.ORCID 0009-0000-0091-2032
Christian A ChoeDepartment of Bioengineering, Stanford University; Stanford, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8871-9682
Gina El NesrBiophysics Program, Stanford University; Stanford, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4857-9464
Andrew FavorDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Washington; Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9977-2785
Eli FiskerEterna Massive Open Laboratory, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4703-717X
Daniel B HaackDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry; University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4926-7772
Shujun HeTexas A&M University; College Station, TX, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-1010-536X
Jason HingeyA-Form Solutions, Inc.; San Diego, CA, USA.ORCID 0009-0004-1086-3421
Po-Ssu HuangDepartment of Bioengineering, Stanford University; Stanford, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7948-2895
Rui HuangDepartment of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA.ORCID 0009-0009-6136-8013
Chaitanya K JoshiDepartment of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge; UK.ORCID 0000-0003-4722-1815
Thomas KaragianesEterna Massive Open Laboratory, USA.
Andrew KubaneyDepartment of Biochemistry, University of Washington; Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID 0009-0009-4982-6050
Pietro LiòDepartment of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge; UK.ORCID 0000-0002-0540-5053
Adamo MancinoJanelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Ashburn, VA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-4756-8782
Jonathan RomanoEterna Massive Open Laboratory, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-4031-0102
Boris RudolfsDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry; University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-8791-9487
Nicholas SpellmonJanelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Ashburn, VA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2045-1373
Navtej ToorDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry; University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-6134-163X
Jigyasa VermaDepartment of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9286-0299
Vivian WuDepartment of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA.ORCID 0009-0000-6122-2457
Zhiheng YuJanelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Ashburn, VA, USA.
Eterna Participants
Rhiju DasDepartment of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine; Stanford, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7497-0972

Funding

Project 5: mRNA and mRNA-launched nanoparticle vaccinesU19AI181881 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI KING, NEIL · 2024 to 2024
$41.1M
Next-generation computational/chemical methods for complex RNA structuresR35GM122579 · NIGMS · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI Rhiju Das · 2017 to 2026
$7.2M
Structural Biology of Retrotransposition and pre-mRNA SplicingR35GM141706 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI Navtej Singh Toor · 2021 to 2026
$2.6M
Generative neural networks for structure-based antibody designR01GM147893 · NIGMS · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI Possu Huang · 2022 to 2026
$1.9M
A deep learning and experiment integrated platform for stable mRNA vaccines developmentR01AI165433 · NIAID · TEXAS ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION · PI qing sun · 2022 to 2026
$1.8M
NIAID NIH HHS R01 AI165433NIAID NIH HHS U19 AI181881NIGMS NIH HHS R01 GM147893NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM122579NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM141706
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

RNA design has been hindered by the limited accuracy of 3D structure prediction. Here, we show that intricate RNA structures can be generated with current deep learning tools through accurate de novo design of pseudoknot secondary structures. In an Eterna competition involving 57 pseudoknots, generative AI methods matched experienced human designers in solving most blind challenges, evaluated by single-nucleotide-resolution chemical mapping, compensatory mutagenesis, and cryogenic electron microscopy. AI-generated molecules with accurate secondary structures formed well-ordered 3D folds stabilized by noncanonical tertiary interactions not modeled during design. Success was guided by an RNet foundation model trained on prior chemical mapping data, suggesting that some difficult RNA design tasks may be tractable without first solving RNA 3D structure prediction.

Identifiers

PMID42239184
PMCPMC13228335

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.