when AI does genetic engineering

Artificial intelligence is transforming many disciplines, and life sciences are no exception. For example, we regularly see the emergence of new medical tools specializing in diagnostics or public health statistics that are already beginning to change the way practitioners and researchers work… and this is just the beginning. From now on, machine learning is beginning to penetrate even into the particularly sensitive area of biotechnology, and more precisely, into genetic manipulation.

Profluent, an American company specializing in proteins, has just unveiled a new tool that could pave the way for a host of work that is as exciting as it is daunting. And for good reason: this system, called OpenCRISPR-1, is introduced as ” first gene editor created by AI “.

CRISPR-Cas9 – a revolution in bioengineering

If this nickname reminds you of anything, it’s because it came from CRISPR-Cas9, a genetic editing tool that has revolutionized biology to its very foundations. This makes it possible to modify the DNA sequence of two elements extracted from microorganisms, where they serve as a mechanism of protection and regeneration. The first component, CRISPR, is a small genetic sequence designed to match another DNA sequence. It serves as a guide to target a very specific part of the target DNA region. The second, Cas-9, behaves like a kind of molecular knife. Its goal is to cut the target sequence in the desired location with surgical precision, either remove it or replace it with another one.

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These manipulations can significantly change the properties of the target organism. It can be used to produce plants that are resistant to certain pathogens, to impart fluorescence to cells for basic research purposes, as part of gene therapy procedures… in other words, its potential is virtually limitless. Since it was developed by the Frenchwoman Emmanuelle Charpentier and her colleague Jennifer Doudna, with Nobel Prize as a result, it has proven itself in almost all biotechnology research laboratories and has paved the way for much pioneering work in many fields.

OpenCRISPR, gene editing tool generator

Profluent wants to take this approach to the next level with generative artificial intelligence. Let’s take the ChatGPT chatbot for example. Like other tools of this type, it relies on an artificial neural network that learns to identify connections between a user’s query and the content of the millions of texts that were used to train it.

Essentially, OpenCRISPR-1 works exactly the same way. It emerged from a mountain of nucleic acid sequences—the building blocks of DNA, the storage medium for genetic information. Using this data, he was able to learn “imagine” brand new gene editors synthetic, based on biological components other than the CRISPR-Cas9 complex.

In theory, this approach could allow the creation of even more effective genetic engineering tools than the latter, which still has some significant drawbacks. However, we will have to wait for proper clinical trials to confirm this. But it is nonetheless a remarkable proof of concept and full of very profound implications: artificial intelligence is now capable of “inventing” tools capable of altering the genome of living beings, including humans.

And Profluent intends to share this with the rest of the scientific community – up to a point. According to The newspaper “New York Times, it will retain exclusive use of the AI model that enables the creation of these gene editors, but the latter will systematically published in the public domain.

Two-way technology

A prospect that risks causing some alarm among some observers. After all, is it really responsible to make such a powerful tool available to everyone? The question is a logical one, given that CRISPR has already allowed some unscrupulous researchers to engage in highly ethically questionable work.

One can cite the famous “ He Jiankui case “Recall that this little-known Chinese researcher crossed a red line when he secretly edited the genome of two twins in embryos. An initiative for which he was condemned by almost the entire academic world. Jiankui was subsequently sentenced to prison, and the Chinese government took the opportunity to establish an ethics committee to strictly regulate the practice.

If the reaction was so strong, it was because Science still lacks insight into this relatively recent technology. It is possible that such manipulations could lead to unexpected and catastrophic side effects on human health or biodiversity. Gene editing can also be used as part of a eugenics approach to create “ superhumans “individually, with all the ensuing consequences for our society. In addition, CRISPR and its analogues can also be used to create bacteriological weapons and so on.

It would be dishonest to dismiss these disaster scenarios. But in practice, modern technology already opens the door to this kind of abuse, so the emergence of CRISPR imitations will not make much difference at this level.

On the other side of the spectrum, on the other hand, the benefits can be enormous. When used responsibly, these new CRISPR-Cas9 variants could pave the way for advances even more revolutionary than the original ones.. From gene therapy to treat incurable diseases, to modified bacteria engineered to produce expensive drugs at a lower cost, to super plants that can feed the entire planet… the potential of genetic engineering is virtually limitless if used wisely. Therefore it will be It is interesting to follow the contributions of AI in this field of research, which could change our civilization, for better or for worse.

The text of the study is available here.