Novel Biological “Artificial Intelligence” System Could Make Impossible Medicines Real

Novel Biological “Artificial Intelligence” System Could Make Impossible Medicines Real
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Australian researchers at the University of Sydney have developed PROTEUS, a groundbreaking “biological artificial intelligence” system that accelerates directed evolution inside mammalian cells to create novel or enhanced molecules in weeks instead of years, SciTech Daily reported.

Unlike traditional directed evolution done in bacteria, PROTEUS evolves proteins directly within mammalian cells, making it more relevant for medical applications.

PROTEUS explores millions of molecular sequences to solve complex biological problems, such as improving gene-editing tools like CRISPR or creating drug-regulated proteins and nanobodies that detect DNA damage linked to cancer. The system uses chimeric virus-like particles to maintain cell stability during multiple evolution cycles and prevent trivial solutions.

This open-source technology, developed at the Charles Perkins Centre with collaborators from the Centenary Institute, promises faster development of precise gene therapies, enzymes, and molecular tools. The findings were published in Nature Communications, and the team encourages other labs to adopt PROTEUS to advance biotechnology and medicine.