AI-Powered Breakthrough: Scientists Unveil New Antibiotic to Eradicate Superbugs

mccoy02 (69)in Project HOPE • last year

Machine learning algorithms powered using artificial intelligence (AI) developed tools are proven fact that there's no turning point for AI development in playing major role in our today's world, though most people have draw attention on media how AI will disrupt working sectors there we have it that it has also change our working model by making research super easy for different working fields.

The constant battle against drug resistance bacteria have dated centuries ago scientists in their quest have always devised means of countering disease through rigorous lab research and this bacteria have always adapt and replicate these drugs to their advantage using their self-defense mechanisms to resist these newly developed resistance drugs, a groundbreaking milestone have been unveil through the use of AI scientists have discovered a new antibiotics that shows positive potential of eliminating Superbug a bacterial declared by World health organisation (WHO) deem to be a critical threat in healthcare sectors.

Superbugs Acinetobacter baumannii bacteria

This bacteria is claimed to be a drug resistance bacteria that displaces miltidrug resistance, a pathogen that can spread through air, water and physical contact it is mostly found in surgical room where patients with open wounds are more vulnerable for the bacteria to multiple on surgical surfaces causing infection in urinary tract and lungs, in 2017 WHO declare an urgent need for cure of this pathogen as it poses threat to the healthcare sector.

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A recent research carried out by group of scientists using AI to screen thousands antibacterial molecules have discovered a new antibacterial compound from the Acinetobacter baumannii molecule which they named abaucin

We had a whole bunch of data that was just telling us about which chemicals were able to kill a bunch of bacteria and which ones weren’t. My job was to train this model, and all that this model was going to be doing is telling us essentially if new molecules will have antibacterial properties or not.
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With the help of data collected from trained AI model these scientists from MacMaster university have been able to increase drug efficiency, test more bacteria compound that the machine model have not encountered before and come out with more positive results that are potentially antibacterial compound these results lead to the discovery of abaucin that is believed to resist the superbug Acinetobacter baumannii bacteria.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Antibiotic Discovery

With the use of trained AI model bacteria pattern have been analyzed which human research couldn't discover due to human errors, AI can easily detect millions of bacteria pattern and analyse their movements, with more training model these AI will help accelerate discovery of new drugs through database of vast majority of bacteria.

In Conclusion the integration of AI model with antibiotic research will open up a renewed sense of optimism to battle against bacteria this new discovery shows the potential of AI in battling diseases but also demonstrates improved solutions can be achieved by harnessing AI technology along with that of healthcare.