The article AI designs new antibiotics against multi-resistant superbugs first appeared in the online magazine BASIC thinking. With our newsletter UPDATE you can start the day well informed every morning.
Researchers have managed to design new antibiotics using AI. The active ingredients show promising effects against multi-resistant superbugs.
So-called superbugs are a major problem in medicine. Such bacteria, viruses or parasites are resistant to almost all medications. Experts estimate that drug-resistant infections already cause five million deaths per year worldwide. Now have Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) but used a trick to develop brand new antibiotics.
They use an AI system that has now had some success. Two of the AI-designed active ingredients are effective against stubborn germs such as MRSA and multi-resistant gonorrhea. The special thing about it is that the medicines designed by AI are structurally completely different from those that are currently in use.
KI: New antibiotics disrupt bacterial cell membranes
The active ingredients work via completely new mechanisms by disrupting the bacteria’s cell membranes. This is exactly what makes them much less susceptible to antibiotic resistance, which makes current drugs useless. The approach is seen as a glimmer of hope in the fight against the worst infections.
The MIT team took a two-pronged approach to development in order to achieve the best possible result. First, the researchers chose a targeted design. They fed the generative AI a chemical fragment that their computer model had already classified as antimicrobial promise.
Based on this, the AI had molecules designed. At the same time, the scientists pursued free design and allowed the algorithms to generate molecules without any restrictions.
Up to 36 million possible connections
In total, the AI designed more than 36 million possible connections. These were computer tested for their antimicrobial properties to find the top candidates. James Collins, professor of bioengineering and lead author of the study, is enthusiastic and emphasizes how much this work shows the “power of AI” in drug development.
The big advantage is that researchers will be able to explore much larger “chemical spaces” in the future that were previously inaccessible using conventional methods. The team wants to use the same strategy to specifically identify and design drugs against other types of bacteria.
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As a Tech Industry expert, I am excited about the potential of AI in designing new antibiotics against multi-resistant superbugs. The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses a serious threat to public health, and traditional methods of drug discovery have struggled to keep up with the pace of evolution in these superbugs.
AI has the ability to rapidly analyze vast amounts of data and identify patterns that may not be immediately apparent to human researchers. By harnessing the power of machine learning and other AI technologies, we can potentially develop new antibiotics that are more effective against these resilient bacteria.
However, it is important to proceed with caution and ensure that any new antibiotics designed by AI are thoroughly tested for safety and efficacy. The field of antibiotic development is already fraught with challenges, and we must be mindful of the potential risks and unintended consequences of introducing new drugs into the market.
Overall, I believe that AI has the potential to revolutionize the way we approach antibiotic development and combat antibiotic resistance. By leveraging the strengths of AI technology, we may be able to stay one step ahead of these superbugs and continue to protect public health.
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