Fighting Drug Resistance with AI

FEATURED RESEARCH

AI Generated Peptides Could Be the Answer to Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotic resistance is a growing crisis, with 700,000 deaths annually linked to drug-resistant infections. By 2050, that number could surpass cancer fatalities. The overuse of antibiotics has fueled this problem, making it harder to treat bacterial and fungal infections.

The search for new antimicrobial compounds has been slow, but hopefully with the help of AI that could change.

How AI is Designing New Antimicrobials: Researchers have developed an AI-powered pipeline that generated 600,000 antimicrobial peptide (AMP) candidates, and narrowing them down to 40 for further testing.

AMPs are short protein fragments that can eliminate bacteria and fungi by disrupting their cell membranes, unlike traditional antibiotics that often target specific bacterial functions. This makes AMPs less likely to induce resistance.

Of the tested AMPs, 25 successfully inactivated bacteria or fungi, with nine standing out as potent against drug-resistant infections.

One, AMP-29, eliminated Candida glabrata in a mouse model, and AMP-24 fought Acinetobacter baumannii infections. Both performed well with minimal toxicity and no immediate resistance buildup.

Why This Matters: AI-designed AMPs offer a promising alternative to conventional antibiotics, potentially outpacing bacterial resistance.

By automating discovery and expanding the chemical space of viable peptides, AI can help address one of the most pressing public health threats of our time.

The next step? AI-generated peptides show promise, but they still need rigorous clinical testing. Ensuring safety, effectiveness, and scalability for real-world use is the next challenge. The true test lies in proving these peptides work in humans, not just in labs or animal models.

For more details: Full Article

Brain Booster

Select the right answer! (See explanation below)

Opinion and Perspectives

EU AI STRATEGY

InvestAI’s €200 Billion Plan to Fuel AI Growth in Medicine, Science, and Industry

The European Union is going all in on AI. With the launch of InvestAI, the EU plans to mobilize €200 billion in AI investments, including €20 billion for AI gigafactories. The goal is to cement Europe’s position as a leader in AI development while keeping innovation open and collaborative.

Building the Future of AI: At the AI Action Summit in Paris, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled InvestAI as a massive public-private partnership, emphasizing that “AI will improve our healthcare, spur our research, and boost our competitiveness.”

The initiative will finance four AI gigafactories, each equipped with 100,000 state-of-the-art chips, four times more than today’s leading AI facilities. These gigafactories will specialize in training the most complex AI models for applications in medicine, science, and industry.

Why It Matters: Europe has lagged behind the U.S. and China in AI infrastructure. InvestAI is designed to close that gap by expanding access to large-scale computing power.

The EU’s layered investment model will de-risk private funding, ensuring that AI startups and researchers (not just tech giants) can build the next generation of AI.

The Next Steps: The first wave of AI gigafactories is set, but rigorous testing and infrastructure development are still ahead. The EU is also expanding AI education, investing in generative AI research, and launching initiatives to drive AI adoption in industry.

Von der Leyen sees InvestAI as more than a funding plan. “This is about making Europe an AI continent,” she said, reinforcing the EU’s commitment to long-term AI leadership.

For more details: Full Article

Top Funded Startups

Exclusive Funding Report

MONTHLY REPORT

AI Healthcare Startups Raised 2.2 Billion in January 2025

January was quite the month. $2.2 billion across 50 AI healthcare startups. A good start to the year and a big jump from December’s $883.5 million.

But funding numbers don’t exist in a vacuum. The month was shaped by big policy changes that had direct implications for AI healthcare funding.

Acess Our Report: Full Review

Product Pipeline

WEARABLE TECH

AI-Powered Wearable NeuStim™ Enhances Stroke and Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation

Neuvotion just secured FDA 510(k) clearance for NeuStim™, a non-invasive wearable that uses AI-driven electrical stimulation to help restore hand movement after stroke or spinal cord injury.

The device delivers high-precision muscle stimulation, and its touchscreen interface makes it easy for clinicians to pinpoint targets and customize therapy.

This technology brings a new level of flexibility to neurorehabilitation, offering a surgery-free way to enhance recovery.

With a launch planned for the coming year and support from clinical partners like Good Shepherd Rehabilitation, NeuStim™ is set to improve rehabilitation outcomes and efficiency for both patients and therapists.

For more details: Full Article

Policy and Ethics

AI PRESCRIPTION

Congress Considers Legislation to Approve AI as a Drug Prescriber

A new bill from Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) proposes allowing AI to prescribe medications, as long as it’s approved by the FDA and authorized by the state.

The idea is bold, but the technology isn’t there yet. There’s no clarity on which drugs AI could prescribe or whether a doctor would need to review its decisions.

AI is moving fast, and I get why lawmakers are eager to embrace it, but safety, oversight, and accountability can’t be an afterthought.

Without clear regulations, this could create more problems than it solves.

For more details: Full Article Proposed Bill: H.R.238

Byte-Sized Break

📢 Three Things AI Did This Week

• Elon Musk says he will withdraw his $97.4 billion bid for OpenAI if it remains a nonprofit, while OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has firmly rejected the offer, escalating their ongoing feud. [Link]

• YouTube Shorts is integrating Google DeepMind’s Veo 2, allowing creators to generate AI video clips with improved realism, available first in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. [Link]

• A study by Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon found that overreliance on generative AI at work weakens critical thinking skills, as users shift from problem-solving to merely verifying AI responses. [Link]

Have a Great Weekend!

Trivia Answer: C) Oxytocin

Oxytocin is basically the brain’s way of saying, “Aww, I like you.” This hormone is released during hugs, cuddles, and even when you’re bonding with your pet. It helps build trust, strengthen relationships, and make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. So, if love had a chemical mascot, oxytocin would be wearing the crown!