Kathmandu. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been used to design entirely new viruses. <\/p>\n
According to US researchers, these viruses are fully functional and can multiply in the laboratory. This is the first time that the entire genome has been successfully designed using AI. <\/p>\n
The 16 new viruses created in this way are designed to infect bacteria. They don’t pose any danger to people. <\/p>\n
This achievement has been described as a turning point in science. Scientists believe that this can start a new era for the treatment of diseases. <\/p>\n
However, experts also warn that AI-designed viruses also raise security concerns. AI tools are rapidly evolving. They are already being used to design new antibiotics. But this task is very complicated. It’s not easy to design a new and survivable virus from scratch. <\/p>\n
Brian Haigh, an assistant professor at Stanford University, told the BBC, “This is the next step in the complexity that generative AI can design. This is the first time generative AI has been used to design the entire genome. It’s a GNOME. It can replicate itself and perform other functions within the cells. It was completely new territory for us. \u2019<\/p>\n
How does the new technology work? <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n This technology works like large language models like ChatGPT. These models predict the next part of the text. But in this case, AI models predict the language of life, not words. These models are named EVO1 and EVO2. <\/p>\n These AI models were trained on the genetic code of viruses, bacteria, plants and people. They were then further refined to create a special type of virus called bacteriophage. Bacteriophages infect only certain types of bacteria. <\/p>\n The Stanford researchers selected 302 of the best AI-generated designs and then engineered them in the lab. Of these, 16 designs were effective in killing E. coli (Escherichia coli) bacteria. <\/p>\n According to Samuel King, a PhD student in the lab, they found that they were working early in the morning. These bacteriophages were placed in a petri dish. Where the level of bacteria was increasing. <\/p>\n Scientists were waiting for signs of how their new virus had attacked the bacteria. “We started to see the scars,” King says. \u2019<\/p>\n According to Brian Hee, when the results were shared with the entire team, everyone in the room suddenly started clapping. <\/p>\n Useful for new treatments but also a concern<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n }<\/p>\n Developing new bacteriophages could open up new avenues for treating infections. This can help treat infections that are resistant to antibiotics. This achievement also points to another possibility. <\/p>\n With the help of AI, more new biological structures can be designed than in the natural world. It’s called synthetic biology. “It could significantly improve human health,” says Brian High. This could lead to the development of new drugs and treatments. \u2019<\/p>\n However, concerns have already been raised that this technology could be misused. It can be used to create new diseases. <\/p>\n The study, published in the journal Science, was conducted by Dr. Anthony Smith from the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University. The commentary was written by Thomas Inglesby and Dr. Moritz Hanke. They say the research raises “urgent questions” about biosecurity. “The question now is not whether generative AI can be used to design virus genomes,” they say. <\/p>\n The real question is: Can this technology be used without serious harm? For example, he said, “Let’s not try to create new viruses that have the potential to cause disease.” \u2019<\/p>\n The researchers themselves took several steps to maximize safety. They excluded viruses from their training databases that could infect complex organisms. They did this research on bacteriophages. Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria, not humans. <\/p>\n Moreover, all the research was done in a secure laboratory. “Existing security measures largely ensure that this technology is used for good purposes,” Bryan said. \u2019<\/p>\n From computers to actual biological structures<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n }<\/p>\n Viruses are not considered to be alive. So creating a complete organism will be another major challenge for AI. The genetic code of bacteriophages created in this research consists of about 5,400 base pairs (letters). <\/p>\n On the other hand, the smallest genome of a living cell is about 5 lakh base pairs. There are about 3 billion base pairs in the human genome. “Trying to create a few simple creatures would be a lot of work, but not impossible,” says Brian. Our team is definitely willing to work further in this direction. \u2019<\/p>\n Marc Guel, a professor at the Synthetic Biology Laboratory at the University of Pompeu Fabra in Spain, called the study a “very important turning point”. “For the first time in history, we’re starting to design biology on a computer,” he said. It gives us the opportunity to dream of many exciting possibilities. \u2013 translated from BBC <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Kathmandu. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been used to design entirely new viruses. According to US researchers, these viruses are fully functional and can multiply in the laboratory. This is the first time that the entire genome has been successfully designed using AI. The 16 new viruses created in this way are designed to infect bacteria. 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