AI in Scientific Discovery: The Cell2Sentence Model and Cancer Research
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Science and Technology (Artificial Intelligence - AI, Large Language Models - LLMs, Foundation Models, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Interferons).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 3 (S&T, Economy): Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life; Awareness in the fields of IT, Computers, Robotics, Nano-technology, Bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights; Achievements of Indians in science & technology; Indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
Key Highlights from the News
Google has developed a new AI-powered tool called Cell2Sentence-Scale 27B (C2S-Scale).
This is a 27-billion parameter foundation model that can understand the "language of individual cells."
Key Benefit: This AI model suggested a novel drug combination for cancer treatment that human experts were previously unaware of. This proved effective in laboratory experiments.
How it Works: This AI helps detect emerging tumors that hide from the immune system.
When tumors hide, the levels of the body's immune proteins called interferon are low. In this situation, the AI discovered a drug called silmitasertib which can strengthen the process of antigen presentation, thereby stimulating the immune system.
This research demonstrates that AI is capable not just of data analysis but also of making scientific discoveries.
This research has been published on bioRxiv, a server for pre-print papers before peer-review.
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