AI Powers Largest-Ever Antibiotic Discovery, Unearths Million Potential Cures from Microbial Dark Matter

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have used artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate the discovery of new antibiotics. The team, co-led by César de la Fuente, used machine learning to analyze genomic data from tens of thousands of bacteria and other organisms, identifying nearly one million potential antibiotic compounds. Dozens of these showed promising results against disease-causing bacteria in initial tests. The study demonstrates the potential of AI in antibiotic discovery, providing new leads for developers and marking a new era in the field. The team's findings are freely available in their AMPSphere repository.