Researchers at MIT have identified a “powerful new antibiotic” using a machine-learning algorithm.
Results show that their antibiotic could effectively kill the world’s most challenging disease-causing bacteria.
According to James Collins, the Termeer Professor of Medical Engineering and Science in MIT’s Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES) and Department of Biological Engineering, “We wanted to develop a platform that would allow us to harness the power of artificial intelligence to usher in a new age of antibiotic drug discovery. Our approach revealed this amazing molecule which is arguably one of the more powerful antibiotics that has been discovered.”
Using a machine-learning algorithm, they identified a powerful new antibiotic compound that killed many of the world’s most problematic disease-causing bacteria, including some strains that are resistant to all currently available antibiotics. The new drug cured infections in mouse models.
The computer program can screen more than “one hundred million compounds” in a matter of days—a process that would take years using traditional laboratory methods. Using the AI model, researchers were able to screen more than one hundred million compounds and identify potential drugs that killed bacteria using different mechanisms from conventional drugs.
Not only does this potentially lead to more effective antibiotics, it may effectively reduce the problem of bacteria becoming resistant to existing drugs.