New $18M Penn project will use AI to develop RNA treatments like the COVID vaccines
Summary
Cellular-level biology that could help develop vaccines just got more accessible to researchers, thanks to AI.The University of Pennsylvania, along with the University of Puerto Rico, received an $18 million six-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) earlier this fall to support an artificial intelligence-based RNA BioFoundry.The goal is to democratize RNA technology, Daeyeon Lee, engineering biomolecular professor at Penn, told Technical.ly. So that if theres a scientist thats sitting in their lab and theyre trying to solve a problem, [RNA is] one of the tools in [their] toolbox.RNA, or ribonucleic acid, is a molecule in cells that carries genetic information. For example, it was used in recent years to develop the COVID vaccine and make other advancements in healthcare, but it can also be used to address challenges in agriculture and environmental sustainability, according to Lee.The acid functions similarly in all living organisms, Lee said. The goal is to create a computer interface with AI tools that researchers can use to answer their questions or that will put them in contact with subject experts, according to Lee.The BioFoundry will also provide physical materials, such as nanoparticles, the material used to transport RNA into cells.Expanding RNA research for medical innovations and beyondThe BioFoundry is especially interested in RNA because the current research community around it is very small, said Zachary Ives, computer and information science department chair at Penn.RNA can change cellular behavior, generate proteins and be used for genetic editing, Ives said.The BioFoundry will start by working with experienced RNA researchers and learn what the process currently looks like. There will also be grant opportunities for researchers looking to do specific projects with its resources, Lee said.The BioFoundry will also use AI to track impact, by keeping records of who comes to it, what information they request and what materials they request.The professors also want to keep track of research results, like whether they led to published reports or commercial products, Ives said.Then the question is, do they come back to the BioFoundry so that they can tell us what their results were, Lee said.