Researchers used AlphaFold 3 to map antibody‑viral protein interactions and identified OPG153 as a previously unrecognized neutralizing surface antigen on monkeypox virus (mpox). The Science Translational Medicine report describes isolating neutralizing antibodies from vaccinated or infected human blood, using AlphaFold 3 to predict binding targets, and confirming OPG153 immunogenicity in mice. Mice immunized with OPG153 produced antibodies that neutralized mpox, suggesting a single‑protein antigen could serve as a simpler, cheaper alternative to whole‑virus vaccines. Jason McLellan (UT Austin) emphasized that an easily manufactured protein antigen may accelerate vaccine or therapeutic antibody deployment compared with traditional whole‑virus approaches. The study highlights how protein‑structure AI can rapidly nominate unconventional antigen targets for vaccine or therapeutic development and compress target discovery timelines that historically took years.