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Scientists have developed a vaccine using AI for the first time: which virus will it target?

Scientists have developed a vaccine using AI for the first time: which virus will it target?

05 June 2026, 19:00

Scientists have developed a vaccine using AI for the first time: which virus will it target? — The vaccine was developed using AI

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a vaccine against all types of coronavirus using artificial intelligence. They are also working on developing new treatments for Ebola and influenza.

This is according to the BBC.

Researchers claim that this is the first time a key component of a vaccine has been developed entirely using artificial intelligence and has already been tested on humans. It is reported that, instead of using a single specific strain of the virus, the scientists took several known genetic codes from open-source virus threat monitoring programmes.

Artificial intelligence then analysed this data set and designed a ‘superantigen’ which, according to the researchers, is capable of overcoming viruses. According to media reports, the AI-generated antigen enables the human immune system to protect the body against all types of coronavirus — even if it mutates.

“This is a fundamental shift in how we prepare for pandemics. It’s about creating vaccines that protect us not only from today’s viruses, but also from whatever might cause the next outbreak or disease,” said the study’s lead researcher, Professor Jonathan Heeney.

According to the researchers, 39 people took part in the antigen trials. A second study, involving around 200 people, will provide a deeper understanding of how well the vaccine trains the immune system, the university says.

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