Part 2/11:
Scientists in Australia and China have made a historic breakthrough by using AI to identify over 160,000 new virus species. Led by researchers from the University of Sydney, Alibaba Cloud’s Absera Lab, and Sun Yat-sen University, this discovery represents the largest virus collection ever pinpointed in a single study.
The AI tool at the heart of this discovery, named Luca, analyzes vast amounts of genomic data—essentially an encyclopedia of genetic sequences—to spot patterns indicating viral presence. Think of Luca as a super-intelligent puzzle solver, connecting fragmented pieces of existing data into a comprehensive picture.