Researchers from the University of Oxford and Harvard Medical School have developed an innovative artificial intelligence (AI) tool that has the potential to predict new variants of the virus. This groundbreaking tool, known as ‘EVEscape’, if available during the pandemic, could have detected the Omicron mutations in advance.
According to a report by the BBC, the researchers recently published their findings in the prestigious academic journal ‘Nature’. Their study highlights the power of EVEscape to forecast emerging virus variants before they become evident.
EVEscape comprises two important components. Firstly, an ‘evolutionary sequence model’ enables the tool to anticipate the changes that may occur in viruses. Secondly, detailed biological and structural information about the virus is analyzed and integrated with the evolutionary sequence model, enhancing the accuracy of mutation predictions as the virus evolves.
Significantly, the researchers emphasized that had EVEscape been deployed at the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, it would have accurately predicted critical mutations and identified the most concerning variants.
To validate their claims, the researchers turned back the clock to February 2020, when the pandemic first emerged, and tasked EVEscape with predicting the trajectory of the COVID-19 virus. Remarkably, EVEscape successfully identified the mutations that arose during the pandemic, surpassing experimental methods in accurately anticipating the most prevalent mutations.
Furthermore, the researchers utilized EVEscape to forecast potential challenges in antibody-based treatments as the virus continues to mutate. This predictive ability could prove invaluable in developing effective preventive measures and vaccines.
Describing the technology as one that can “anticipate the future,” the researchers are hopeful that swiftly identifying the threat level of new variants will facilitate the design of proactive measures to combat them.
It is evident that this AI tool has the potential to revolutionize our battle against emerging virus variants, offering unprecedented insight and enhancing our ability to stay one step ahead in the ongoing fight against COVID-19.
By Park Chan
cpark@aitimes.com
(Photo = Shutterstock)
Researchers at the University of Oxford and Harvard Medical School have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to predict new variants of the virus. They ensured that if this tool had been available during the pandemic, Omicron mutations would have been detected beforehand.
The BBC reported on the 23rd (local time) that researchers published a paper in the academic journal ‘Nature’ stating that they had developed ‘EVEscape’, an AI tool that predicts new variants of the virus before they hit the obvious
According to this, Evescape consists of two elements: ▲ an ‘evolutionary sequence model’ which predicts changes that can occur in viruses, and ▲ detailed biological and structural information about the virus. This method combines the two to predict mutations most likely to occur as the virus evolves.
In particular, the researchers emphasized that if Evescape had been used in the early stages of COVID-19, it would have correctly predicted mutations and identified the most worrying variants.
In fact, he revealed that he turned the clock back to February 2020, when the pandemic began, and asked Evescape to predict what would happen to the COVID-19 virus.
As a result, Evescape correctly identified the mutations that occurred during the pandemic. It also outperformed experimental methods in predicting which mutations would be most common.
They also predicted which antibody-based treatments might lose effectiveness as the pandemic progresses and the virus develops mutations that allow it to evade these treatments.
The researchers said the technology “anticipates the future.”
He also said, “We hope that quickly identifying the threat level of new variants will help us design preventive measures and vaccines.”
Reporter Park Chan cpark@aitimes.com
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