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\u00a0Humans have been synthesising viral genomes and deliberately modifying viruses for decades. What is new, is not the physical manufacture of a virus. AI has entered the design stage of biology. Image used for representational purposes only
\n | Photo Credit: Getty Images\/iStockphoto<\/p>\n
The computer did not create a virus. It did not touch a test tube or handle a living cell. What it did may ultimately be more consequential: it helped decide what the virus\u2019s genome should be.<\/p>\n
Researchers at Stanford University and the Arc Institute used artificial intelligence (AI) to design complete genomes of bacteriophages – viruses that infect bacteria. Of 285 AI-generated designs physically synthesised and tested in the laboratory, 16 produced functioning phages. Some were able to overcome bacterial resistance that defeated the original virus. The phrase \u2018AI-created viruses\u2019 therefore needs qualification. Humans have been synthesising viral genomes and deliberately modifying viruses for decades. What is new, is not the physical manufacture of a virus. AI has entered the design stage of biology. For medicine, that creates remarkable opportunities. For biosecurity, it raises equally important questions.<\/p>\n
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