The OpenFold Consortium, a leading open-science initiative focused on developing AI foundation models for biomolecular structure prediction, has announced the appointment of Dr. Jan Domanski as its new Senior Science Lead. In this role, Dr. Domanski will drive scientific innovation, engineering excellence, and ecosystem development as OpenFold advances its mission to make high-performance AI tools accessible to researchers in structural biology and drug discovery. Dr. Domanski will work closely with Dr. Jennifer Wei, the consortium’s Senior Technical Lead, and a global network of academic and industry collaborators to build a modular, open-source software stack that integrates state-of-the-art AI models with experimental and simulation data. This integration aims to improve model accuracy, generalization, and robustness for applications in drug discovery and beyond. “Dr. Domanski embodies the spirit of OpenFold: a deep scientific understanding of proteins combined with strong engineering skills and a builder’s mindset,” said Dr. Woody Sherman, Chair of the OpenFold Executive Committee. “His experience in designing AI-driven platforms that translate from concept to clinical application will be critical as we expand OpenFold’s capabilities beyond structure prediction to include biomolecular interactions, dynamics, and generative design.” OpenFold is part of the Open Molecular Software Foundation (OMSF), a broader effort to promote open, reproducible science in molecular modeling. Following the preview release of OpenFold3—an open-source model capable of predicting protein, nucleic acid, and small-molecule interactions with near-AlphaFold 3 accuracy—the consortium is now focused on developing the next generation of AI models that combine machine learning with physics-based simulations for deeper biological insight. “OpenFold has already shown that open collaboration can match or surpass proprietary AI systems,” said Dr. Domanski. “The next step is to make these models not just powerful, but also practical and adaptable—so every scientist, from academic labs to biotech startups, can use, modify, and extend them to explore new frontiers in biology and medicine.” Dr. Domanski brings over a decade of experience at the intersection of machine learning, molecular simulation, and scientific software. He earned his Ph.D. through the NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program, studying membrane protein folding under the supervision of Professors Mark Sansom and Philip Stansfeld at the University of Oxford and Dr. Robert Best at the NIH. His research has focused on bridging computational methods with experimental data to accelerate drug discovery. Prior to joining OpenFold, Dr. Domanski was Founder and CTO of Labstep, a digital lab automation platform acquired by STARLIMS. He also co-founded Charm Therapeutics in 2022, where he helped build the company’s machine learning and software engineering teams. At Charm, he led the development of DragonFold, a co-folding model that played a key role in identifying CHM-029, a next-generation menin inhibitor expected to enter clinical trials in 2026. The OpenFold Consortium is supported by member organizations and philanthropic partners. Those interested in supporting open, community-driven AI for science can contact Dr. Mallory Tollefson at [email protected]. Contributions help sustain critical tools and empower the next generation of researchers in the life sciences.