Key facts
- Artificial Intelligence has been used to design and create 16 novel, functional viruses in a laboratory.
- The designed viruses are bacteriophages that infect bacteria and do not pose a threat to humans.
- This marks the first time generative AI has been used to design a complete, self-replicating viral genome.
- The research could lead to new treatments for antibiotic-resistant infections.
- Experts have highlighted urgent biosafety and biosecurity concerns associated with the technology.
US researchers have successfully used artificial intelligence to design and create 16 novel, functional viruses that can replicate in a laboratory. These viruses, known as bacteriophages, are designed to infect specific bacteria and pose no threat to humans. This breakthrough, detailed in the journal Science, is the first instance of generative AI being used to design a complete viral genome.
The AI models, Evo1 and Evo2, were trained on genetic codes from viruses, bacteria, plants, and humans, learning the 'language of life' to predict genetic sequences. Researchers synthesized 302 promising AI designs, with 16 proving effective in killing E. coli bacteria. This development could pave the way for new treatments against antibiotic-resistant infections.
However, the ability to design new biology also raises significant biosafety and biosecurity concerns. Experts have warned that such technology could potentially be misused to create dangerous diseases. The researchers emphasized that safety measures were taken, including excluding viruses that infect complex organisms from the training data and conducting the research in a secure laboratory.
Academics involved in the study described it as a "very significant turning point" and an "important milestone" in synthetic biology, opening possibilities for developing new drugs and therapies. They noted that while creating living organisms from scratch would be a larger leap, the current work demonstrates a growing capability to design biology on a computer.