Technology

The scientist using AI to hunt for antibiotics just about everywhere

Source

MIT Technology Review

Published

Feb 16, 2026

TL;DR

AI Generated

César de la Fuente, a bioengineer and computational biologist at the University of Pennsylvania, is using artificial intelligence to search for peptides with antibiotic properties in various sources, including ancient organisms and extinct species. His team has discovered promising candidates in unexpected places like the genetic code of ancient single-celled organisms and venom from snakes, wasps, and spiders. De la Fuente's work aims to combat antimicrobial resistance by developing new antibiotics using AI tools to mine genetic sequences. His efforts have garnered recognition in the scientific community for pioneering the use of AI in antibiotic discovery.

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