Covid19 Genome Signature by AI
An underlying genomic signature for 29 different DNA sequences of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been identified by scientists, including one of Indian origin, using artificial intelligence (AI). This provides an important tool for drug and vaccine developers.
According to the scientists, including Gurjit Randhawa from Western University in Canada, in just two minutes, they can quickly and easily classify a deadly virus like SARS-CoV-2 using this new data discovery tool.
They said that the tool provides a process of high importance for mobilizing medical needs and strategic planning during a pandemic.
The PLOS ONE journal published this study, also suggesting that the Covid-19 virus SARS-CoV-2 virus has its origin in bats as Sarbecovirus, a subgroup of Betacoronavirus.
The researchers said that to illustrate the classification and arrive at the best choice out of all possible outcomes, the “highly accurate, scalable, and ultra-fast” classification system uses a new graphics-based, specialized software and decision-tree approach. The machine-learning method discovers the most relevant relationships among more than 5,000 viral genomes within minutes, and a 100 percent accurate classification of the novel coronavirus sequences is achieved.
The ability to automatically learn and improve from experience without being explicitly programmed
is provided to the systems by machine learning- an application of AI.At the University of Western Ontario in Canada, a professor, Kathleen Hill said, “To discover Covid-19 DNA’s intrinsic sequence pattern, all we needed was its DNA sequence. A fine level of classification was achieved in minutes as we used a logical approach and a signature pattern to match that pattern as close as possible to other viruses.”
More than 5,000 unique viral genomic sequences, including the 29 novel coronavirus sequences available on January 27, were analyzed already using this classification tool. During this global pandemic and beyond, in the toolkit for drug and vaccine developers, scientists, researchers, and front-line health-care workers, this tool will be an essential component.
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Covid19 genome signature by AI
