For the first time in history, a vaccine component designed entirely by artificial intelligence has been tested in humans. And it worked.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge, working alongside biotech firm DIOSynVax Ltd, announced on June 5 that their AI-engineered vaccine candidate completed a Phase I clinical trial with no significant side effects. The trial involved 39 healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 50, conducted at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and the University of Southampton.
The vaccine doesn’t just target one virus. It’s designed to protect against the entire Sarbeco group of coronaviruses, which includes SARS-CoV-2 (the virus behind COVID-19), the original SARS virus, and a range of bat coronaviruses that could potentially jump to humans.
How AI built a better antigen
The research team fed genetic sequence data from a broad range of coronaviruses, collected through global surveillance efforts, into AI and machine learning systems. The AI then identified the viral features that remain consistent, or “conserved,” across multiple strains and species.
