Scientists from Glasgow, Siena and Trieste discuss the potential and risks of using AI in virology.
How can Artificial Intelligence help us predict the possible evolution of a virus? Will AI make it possible to accelerate the development of new vaccines? What are the main ethical and security risks associated with the use of AI in virology, and how can we mitigate them?
These are the questions that will be discussed by some of the leading international experts in the field of artificial intelligence applied to molecular virology, who will be participating in the workshop “AI in Virology: Leveraging AI to Advance Our Understanding of Viruses”, organised by the Virology Unit of Area Science Park, coordinated by virologist Giuditta de Lorenzo, on 9 September at the Congress Centre of the Padriciano Campus of the Trieste Science Park.
The workshop will explore the latest advances in the application of Protein Language Models, computational tools that read protein code, contributing to a deeper understanding of viral mechanisms and helping to predict virus evolution, accelerate vaccine development, and discover new therapies.
Key speakers include David Robertson and Joe Grove, Group Leaders at the Centre for Virus Research at the University of Glasgow, Francesca Cuturello and Alberto Cazzaniga from the Data Engineering Laboratory (LADE) at Area Science Park, and Emanuele Andreano from the Biotecnopolo Foundation in Siena.
The day will conclude with a round table discussion dedicated to the biosecurity implications of using AI in virology, with an introduction by Alessandro Marcello of ICGEB, to reflect on the delicate balance between biological risk and scientific progress.
The event is organised by Area Science Park as part of the PRP@CERIC (Pathogen Readiness Platform for CERIC-ERIC Upgrade).
