AI can write genomes — how long until it creates synthetic life?
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
Researchers have used artificial intelligence to design whole genome sequences, including one inspired by that of M. genitalium. The AI model is trained on trillions of DNA letters from organisms across the tree of life.
Although impressive, the genome designs — included in a Nature paper, published on 4 March, describing the Evo2 DNA language model used to create them3 — are just one step towards creating AI-generated microbial life, say other researchers.
“It’s cool, but it’s not there yet,” says Nico Claassens, a synthetic biologist at Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
The need to synthesize and test AI-generated genomes at scale is one major hurdle. Another is designing genomes that can direct all the essential functions of even the simplest life forms, let alone those of more-complex cells.
Read the full story | NATURE
