AI-generated molecules cure mice of antibiotic-resistant superbugs in just 3 days.
At an MIT-backed Boston biotech startup, AI has discovered entirely new molecular structures capable of killing antibiotic-resistant bacteria – including strains that are immune to every known drug. In early tests, mice infected with deadly pathogens were cured in just 72 hours.
The AI platform uses a deep generative model trained on millions of molecular interactions. It doesn’t search for already known antibiotics – it invents new ones from scratch. Within 6 hours of processing resistant strains, it produced 23 candidate molecules. One – called Hallicin-2 – proved to be 100 times more effective than vancomycin.
What makes Hallicin-2 unique is its dual mechanism: it pierces bacterial membranes while simultaneously disabling DNA modification. Most bacteria cannot develop resistance to both at the same time, making it a game-changer in the antibiotic race.
Even more impressively, the AI-designed molecule shows no toxicity in mammalian cells and is safely broken down in the liver. If human trials are successful, it will be the first class of antibiotics invented by AI to reach hospitals.
The system is now being licensed to hospitals across Europe to generate personalized antibiotics from patient samples – a revolution in personalized infection treatment.
In the past, we discovered drugs by accident. Now machines are designing them faster than bacteria can evolve.