Artificial Intelligence Model Identifies 'Amazing' Antibiotic Candidate

Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have harnessed a machine-learning algorithm to identify a new antibiotic compound that, in laboratory tests, killed many of the world's most challenging disease-causing bacteria, including some strains that are resistant to all known antibiotics. The new antibiotic candidate, which has been given the name halicin--after the fictional artificial intelligence system from "2001: A Space Odyssey,"--was discovered in the Drug Repurposing Hub, and is structurally different to conventional antibiotics. Initial in vivo experiments showed that halicin was effective against Clostridium difficile and pan-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections in two mouse models. "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," said James Collins, PhD, the Termeer professor of medical engineering and science in MIT's Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES) and department of biological engineering. "Our approach revealed this amazing molecule which is arguably one of the more powerful antibiotics that has been discovered."