Changjiang Cup Launches 2026 AI Protein Design Challenge
The global contest sets seven protein design targets and opens worldwide registration through the end of November 2026.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
The Changjiang Cup 2026 Global AI Protein Design Challenge announced its competition topics and complete rules on Sunday. Worldwide registration is open until the end of November, and more than 1,900 teams have already signed up.
Why it matters
The contest is aimed at drawing the world's AI-for-science talent into an open competition on protein design. Its wet lab validation phase could turn computational designs into physically tested molecules.
The competition focuses on de novo design of VHH nanobodies or minibinders across seven protein design targets. The organizing committee will conduct wet lab validation on no fewer than 7,000 selected candidate proteins.
The players
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
A major public research university in Shanghai, China, and one of the country's leading institutions in engineering and the sciences.
Lin Gang Laboratory
A Shanghai-based national-level research institution focused on advanced scientific and technological innovation.
The details
The challenge is initiated and hosted by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Changping Laboratory, and Lin Gang Laboratory, and guided by the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization and the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission. It is open to universities, research institutions, companies, and interdisciplinary teams worldwide, and registrants include nearly all of the global top 50 universities and more than 50 innovative pharmaceutical companies.
Timeline
Competition topics and complete rules announced on Sunday, November 1, 2026.
Worldwide registration closes at the end of November 2026.
Roadmap
The contest follows the open benchmark-competition model that CASP established for protein structure prediction. It moves that model toward generative de novo design and physical validation in the lab.
Researchers and companies worldwide can register to compete on seven protein design targets before registration closes at the end of November 2026. Teams that qualify may see their candidate proteins tested in wet lab validation.
The takeaway
Open AI competitions that require physical validation could speed the path from computational protein designs to tested molecules. Researchers interested in entering should review the complete rules before the November registration deadline.
What happens next
Worldwide registration for the challenge closes at the end of November 2026.
Further reading
Explore more stories in our Artificial Intelligence section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by China Daily.
