RT-Engels: 19-01-2025,
The research organization has collaborated with a startup to develop ways to enhance stem cell production
OpenAI has unveiled a new language model, dubbed GPT-4b micro, which is specifically designed to help scientists extend the human lifespan, as reported by MIT Technology Review. The leading artificial intelligence research entity has collaborated with a company called Retro Biosciences on a project aimed at improving stem cell production by re-engineering certain proteins.
Stem cells are crucial in regenerative medicine due to their ability to differentiate into various cell types, offering potential treatments for age-related diseases.
Founded in 2021, Retro Biosciences is a startup focused on lengthening the human lifespan through cellular reprogramming. In 2022, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman invested $180 million in the company.
GPT-4b micro looks for ways to modify Yamanaka factors, which are proteins capable of converting adult cells into stem cells. Preliminary tests have indicated that proteins redesigned by the model are over 50 times more effective at inducing stem cell production than their natural counterparts.
The model was trained on extensive biological data from numerous species, enabling it to predict protein structures and interactions more accurately than traditional methods.
In an article from Friday, MIT Technology Review quoted one of the model’s developers at OpenAI, John Hallman, as saying that “just across the board, the proteins seem better than what the scientists were able to produce by themselves.”
GPT-4b micro is currently in the research phase and not yet available for public use.