Master key to viruses

BIOTECHNOLOGY: AI HELPS SCIENTISTS MAKE CRITICAL PARADIGM SHIFT

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Known by acronyms that need no explanation, viruses like Covid, Sars and Ebola conjure up images of medics in protective suits and spark fear in populations worldwide.

Vaccines for individual viruses have provided some relief, but new strains pose a constant challenge.

Now, new artificial intelligence (AI)-aided vaccine technology developed by scientists at Cambridge University offers potential immunity against whole families of viruses and could even prevent the next pandemic, according to researchers.

Prof Jonathan Heeney of Cambridge University likened the new technique to having the “master key” for an apartment block.

The main problem with vaccines, he said, was that they were “all historic”, so the strain you are vaccinated with might not be the one you end up being exposed to in six months.

Vaccines were “always chasing the virus”, the project lead researcher said in an interview.