The research organization has collaborated with a startup to develop ways to improve stem cell production.
OpenAI has unveiled a new language model, called GPT-4b micro, that is specifically designed to help scientists extend human lifespan, MIT Expertise Evaluation reports. The leading entity in artificial intelligence research has collaborated with a company called Retro Biosciences on a project aimed at improving the production of stem cells by reengineering certain proteins.
Stem cells are crucial in regenerative medicine due to their ability to differentiate into various cell types, offering potential treatments for age-related diseases.
Founded in 2021, Retro Biosciences is a startup focused on extending human life through cellular reprogramming. In 2022, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman invested $180 million in the company.
GPT-4b micro looks for ways to modify Yamanaka factors, which are proteins capable of converting adult cells into stem cells. Preliminary tests have indicated that the proteins redesigned by the model are more than 50 times more effective at inducing stem cell production than their natural counterparts.
The model was based on a large amount of biological data from numerous species, allowing it to predict protein structures and interactions more accurately than traditional methods.
In an article on Friday, MIT Expertise Evaluation cited one of the model’s developers at OpenAI, John Hallman, saying that “On average, the proteins look better than what the scientists were able to produce on their own.”
GPT-4b micro is currently in the research phase and is not yet available for public use. OpenAI plans to publish the results for peer review at a later date.
Another developer on the project, Aaron Jaech, told MIT Expertise Evaluation that the project aims to solidify OpenAI’s position in scientific research. He added that it is still too early to say. “Whether those capabilities will go out into the world as a separate model or whether they will be incorporated into our core reasoning models.”
In 2018, Google developed the first version of its AlphaFold, an artificial intelligence model that specializes in discovering complex 3D structures of proteins. AlphaFold is capable of completing the task in a matter of minutes, “with a remarkable degree of precision,” Discover Google DeepMind on your website.
While working in a related field, GPT-4b micro uses different principles to help researchers redesign specific proteins effectively.
In recent years, several research teams around the world have been experimenting with AI in a bid to develop novel treatments. A study published Wednesday in the scientific journal Nature suggested that AI-designed proteins could neutralize deadly snake venom.
In 2022, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine and Harvard University announced that they had trained several image-generating AI models to come up with new proteins that could be useful in the development of vaccines and cancer treatments. , among other uses.
“The proteins we find in nature are amazing molecules, but engineered proteins can do much more.” David Baker, a professor of biochemistry at the University of Washington Medicine and senior author of the study, said at the time. He then received the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the computational design of proteins.
