AI Designs New Viruses Not Found in Nature
The study produced 16 viable bacteriophages and raised new questions about biosafety and oversight as AI systems move into genome design.
- Stanford University researchers used artificial intelligence to design 16 fully functional, replicable bacteriophages, marking the first time generative AI has designed a complete, viable viral genome.
- The team trained AI models on genetic codes to predict DNA sequences, then synthesized 302 promising designs after modeling them on the X174 phage template.
- Of 285 outputs tested, 16 phages proved viable, with many demonstrating greater effectiveness at killing bacteria than the original template; these viruses pose no threat to humans.
- Experts Thomas Inglesby and Moritz Hanke from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security warned the findings raise "urgent biosafety and biosecurity questions," while Hie argued the potential to "massively improve human health" outweighs risks.
- This study represents a "very significant turning point" in synthetic biology, according to Prof Marc from Pompeu Fabra University, with researchers now exploring whether AI can design even more complex organisms.
173 Articles
173 Articles
For the first time, scientists in the United States used artificial intelligence to create viruses that do not exist in nature, a milestone in synthetic biology that promises advances in health care, but also raises important concerns about biosecurity and protection against misuse. Researchers at Stanford University developed a generative AI program called Evo 2, which writes new genomes – the genetic instructions for life encoded in DNA. And t…
DEXYPTAGE - Scientists have used artificial intelligence to create all new, hitherto unknown genomes. Part of the scientific world is concerned.
The model of AI Evo 2 generated 16 bacteriophages that infected bacteria as resistant as natural viruses. However, it was trained only on the basis of viruses that do not affect humans or animals.
Scientists from Stanford University have been able for the first time to design viruses that do not exist in nature using artificial intelligence (AI), reports several international media, including The New York Times and The Guardian. These are bacteriophages, small viruses that attack and kill bacteria. ...
AI used to design novel bacteriophage genomes in the lab
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been used by a team of researchers in the United States to design complete genomes for new bacteriophages, marking the first reported effort of its kind and a step toward potential AI-designed phage therapies, according
Scientists have created the first viruses designed by artificial intelligence (AI), a major achievement that offers hope for the development of new therapies, but also raises concerns about how to ensure the safety of the technology, The Guardian reports.
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