Deep Learning Could Make Animal Testing A Thing Of the Past

Discovering a new drug is no easy task. Once scientists have isolated or synthesized a particular compound, they then have to figure out what it's good for. To make sure it works, they conduct experiments in petri dishes, then in mice, then in larger mammals, and eventually in humans--a (pricey) gauntlet that just 6 percent of drugs pass through. Big data analytics company In Silico Medicine wants to change all that. Using a deep learning technique that can analyze how compounds affect cells, the researchers can not only determine what new drugs could be used to treat, but also its dose and possible side effects on other parts of the body.