Vancouver-based agricultural technology company Terramera is leading a new research project that hopes to use machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to get ahead of COVID-19. The collaborative project hopes to avoid future pandemics via better forecasting and pre-design of effective vaccines, antibodies, and tests. Terramera plans to deliver computational models to identify and combat future mutants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. "Instead of playing catch-up again … we'll predict likely new strains with our machine learning models." British Columbia's Digital Technology Supercluster, backed by the Government of Canada, will support Terramera's effort with $1.8 million CAD in initial funding through its COVID-19 program, which seeks to protect the health and safety of Canadians and the country's economy "through the development, deployment, and scaling of digital technologies."

Variational AI Inc.'s bread and butter rests in novel drug discovery, specifically using artificial intelligence (AI) to compress the years-long preclinical process to perhaps a single year. But in the midst of a pandemic, even a year might be too long to find a treatment for COVID-19, according to CEO Handol Kim. "Even if we're able to collapse the front end, you still have five or six years of clinical trials and who knows if we need a drug in five or six years for COVID-19?" he said. "We thought, 'Well, the fastest way to do this is repurposing existing drugs.'" The pitch caught the interest of the Digital Technology Supercluster, which last month committed to spending $60 million of its $153 million budget to develop partnerships across its networks to address issues brought on by the pandemic.