AI Creates 16 New Viruses
Arc Institute
For the first time, an AI system has designed entirely new viruses capable of infecting and killing bacteria. The breakthrough, achieved by Stanford University and the Arc Institute, could aid in fighting antibiotic resistance but raises concerns about bioweapon misuse. Of 300 synthesized AI-generated genomes, only 16 produced functional bacteriophages.
Scientists at Stanford University and the Arc Institute used the AI models Evo 1 and Evo 2 to design completely new viruses. The AI was trained on millions of genomes from all domains of life to learn evolutionary patterns. The researchers used the bacteriophage Phi X-174 as a reference, but the goal was to generate novel genomes compatible with infecting E. coli. After evaluating the AI-generated genomes, they selected 300 candidates for synthesis, and 16 of those turned out to be fully functional bacteriophages with unique sequences and varying behaviors. The AI-created viruses were also tested against antibiotic-resistant bacteria and were able to overcome resistance more effectively than natural phages. While this opens doors for personalized phage therapies, experts warn of potential misuse to create biological weapons, noting a lack of safeguards and regulation.
Source: Wired AI —
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