{"id":594812,"date":"2023-10-18T18:36:26","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T15:36:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/ai-that-predicts-virus-variants-could-guide-fight-future-pandemics\/"},"modified":"2023-10-18T18:36:26","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T15:36:26","slug":"ai-that-predicts-virus-variants-could-guide-fight-future-pandemics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ai-that-predicts-virus-variants-could-guide-fight-future-pandemics\/","title":{"rendered":"#AI that predicts virus variants could guide fight future pandemics"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a257251b71c2\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a257251b71c2\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ai-that-predicts-virus-variants-could-guide-fight-future-pandemics\/#How_EVEscape_predicts_virus_mutations\" >How EVEscape predicts virus mutations\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ai-that-predicts-virus-variants-could-guide-fight-future-pandemics\/#AIs_future_fight_against_viruses\" >AI\u2019s future fight against viruses<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div id=\"article-main-content\">\n                            <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A new AI tool that predicts viral mutations could guide treatments for COVID-19 \u2014 and the next pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The system, named EVEscape, was developed at Harvard Medical School and Oxford University. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In tests,\u00a0the tool accurately predicted the most concerning and frequent variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that emerged during the pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A study<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\/>\u00a0published last week in <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-023-06617-0\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nature<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> revealed an array of promising results. EVEscape\u2019s forecasts proved more accurate than experimental <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roaches, while faster and more efficient than lab-based tests. The tool\u00a0also successfully pinpointed therapies that would struggle to subdue new variants.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The predictions are already informing pandemic monitoring efforts. For over a year, the researchers have been releasing <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/evescape.org\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">biweekly rankings<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the most concerning new SARS-CoV-2 strains. The findings are shared with groups including the World Health Organization (WHO).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper latest channel-cta hs-embed-tnw\">\n<div id=\"hs-embed-tnw\" class=\"channel-cta-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"channel-cta-img\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/events.tnw\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"\/><\/div>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/events.tnw\/hardfork-2018\/uploads\/visuals\/tnw-newsletter.png\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<div class=\"channel-cta-input\">\n<p class=\"channel-cta-title\">The &lt;3 of EU tech<\/p>\n<p class=\"channel-cta-tagline\">The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol&#8217; founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It&#8217;s free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThere are still thousands of new strains emerging each month \u2014 too many to experimentally test,\u201d Pascal Notin, an Oxford University researcher who co-authored the study, told TNW. \u201cEVEscape allows us to rapidly determine the threat level of the new strains.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Notin and his colleagues have also used EVEscape to successfully predict mutations of HIV and influenza. They\u2019re now testing the tool on lesser-known that could also cause pandemics, such as Nipah and Lassa. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the future, the researchers envision EVEscape informing vaccine design. At present, vaccines and therapeutics are tested retrospectively against previous pandemic mutations. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">EVEscape could add evaluations on where the virus might go next. This offers hope for a powerful new treatment: variant-proof vaccines.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_EVEscape_predicts_virus_mutations\"><\/span><strong>How EVEscape predicts virus mutations\u00a0<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The new tool is based on a generative model called <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-021-04043-8\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">EVE<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Evolutionary model of Variant Effect). <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Initially, EVE was developed to predict the risks of genetic mutations causing human diseases, such as cancers. When COVID-19 proved alarmingly adept at mutating beyond the constraints of treatments, the researchers adapted their model to SARS-CoV-2.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generative models have unique strengths for this job. A key aspect of predicting which mutations will evade immunity is whether they will preserve the so-called\u00a0\u201cfitness\u201d of the viral protein. This fitness leads to a functional protein that expresses, folds, and binds to the host cell receptor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cGenerative models trained on evolutionary sequences are critically helpful in supporting that prediction,\u201d said Nodin.<\/p>\n<p>To make the predictions, EVE is trained to learn a <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">compact representation of<span> certain <\/span>protein sequences. These sequences have maintained their fitness over thousands to millions of years of evolution.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBy doing so, it has to implicitly learn the biochemical constraints that underpin functional sequences,\u201d Nodin explained. \u201cWe can subsequently leverage that understanding to predict whether new mutated forms for the protein \u2014 whether they are human or viral proteins \u2014 will be functional themselves.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"AIs_future_fight_against_viruses\"><\/span><strong>AI\u2019s future fight against viruses<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">EVEscape\u2019s adaptability stems from its simplicity. The tool learns from a dataset comprised of only viral protein sequences and their structure. As a result, it can be applied to any virus and at the very start of a pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThis is a great improvement over methods that typically need to wait for relevant pandemic antibodies to be broadly available for testing,\u201d Nodin said.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another string to EVEscape\u2019s bow is its modular design. When more powerful generative models emerge, the current fitness prediction models can be swiftly replaced.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>COVID-19 has also expanded the potential uses of EVEscape. T<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">he pandemic provided important lessons about AI predictions \u2014 and an immense pool of data.\u00a0 With that wealth of<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> information, EVEscape can make surprisingly accurate predictions about understudied viruses for which we have scarce data. That could prove immensely valuable in future outbreaks.<\/span>\n                        <\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/evescape-ai-predicts-virus-mutations-covid-19-vaccines\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A new AI tool that predicts viral mutations could guide treatments for COVID-19 \u2014 and the next pandemic. The system, named EVEscape, was developed at Harvard Medical School and Oxford University. In tests,\u00a0the tool accurately predicted the most concerning and frequent variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that emerged during the pandemic. A study\u00a0published last week&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":594813,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw-blurple?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2023\/10\/Untitled-design-1-2.jpg&signature=921090e15f1a1302d08d33769bc0fe6d","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-594812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=594812"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/594812\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/594813"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=594812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=594812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=594812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}