Scientists at the University of Cambridge have developed an artificially intelligent robot scientist -- named Eve -- that could help decrease the amount of time it takes to develop and test drugs. While modern pharmaceutical science has resulted and continues to result in the development of some innovative life-saving drugs, development and testing takes an incredible number of years and is very expensive -- it can take 10 years and $1 billion to develop a new drug.
The robot scientist uses its artificial intelligence capabilities to administer a series of tests to automate the early stages of drug testing and design. The robot has already help to discover a drug that could help inhibit the malaria parasite molecule.
While Eve can only carry out testing and can't synthesize compounds that it designs, this could become a reality in future versions.
Drug-Developing Robots
The Robot Scientist Will Help Speed Up Drug Development Processes
Trend Themes
1. Artificial-intelligence-powered Drug Development - The development of robots with AI capabilities to automate early stages of drug testing and design, decreasing the time and cost required for drug development.
2. Robot-assisted Drug Discovery - Robots can be used to carry out testing and automate drug discovery, potentially leading to the discovery of new and innovative drugs that could save lives.
3. Integrating Robotics in Pharmaceutical R&D - The use of robotics in pharmaceutical R&D can lead to increased efficiency and productivity in drug development, and can potentially revolutionize the industry.
Industry Implications
1. Pharmaceutical Manufacturing - The pharmaceutical manufacturing industry can leverage robots to speed up drug testing and design and optimize R&D processes.
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3. AI Industry - The AI industry can develop and provide advanced software and systems for robots to enhance their capabilities and enable more advanced drug testing and design.