RNA viruses including SARS-CoV-2 constantly accrue new mutations.Credit: Steve Gschmeissner/Science Photo Library The holy grail of pandemic preparedness is being able to predict how a virus will evolve just by looking at its genetic sequence. Those days are still a way off, but a growing number of research groups are using artificial intelligence (AI) to predict the evolution of SARS-CoV-2, influenza and other viruses. Viruses — particularly RNA viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 — constantly evolve by accruing new mutations. Some of these changes are advantageous to the virus, allowing variants to evade host immunity and spread rapidly. By predicting how a virus will evolve, researchers could, in theory, design vaccines and antiviral treatments ahead of time. So far, AI tools can predict which single mutations in a virus will […]
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