Using AI, scientists find a drug that could combat drug-resistant infections

Researchers at the MIT Jameel Clinic, the epicentre of AI and healthcare at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, used AI to identify a new antibiotic that can kill Acinetobacter baumannii, a species of bacteria that is often found in hospitals and can lead to pneumonia, meningitis and other serious infections. Researchers Jim Collins and Regina Barzilay of MIT Jameel Clinic in collaboration with researchers from McMaster University authored a study identifying the new drug, named abaucin, from a library of nearly 7,000 potential drug compounds using a machine-learning model. 'This finding further supports the premise that AI can significantly accelerate and expand our search for novel antibiotics', said Collins.

‍