Scientists Use AI to Design Functioning Bacteriophages

Researchers used AI models Evo 1 and Evo 2 to design 285 new phage genomes, successfully creating 16 functioning viruses capable of infecting E. coli.

The AI was trained on over 2 million existing phage genomes to generate new combinations for the ΦX174 virus, which has a genome of 5,400 DNA letters.

This generative biology approach aims to combat antibiotic resistance by creating phages that can adapt to infect bacteria that have developed resistance to original strains.