AI lab-bot to speed up drug discovery

Associate Professor at the School of Chemical and Process Engineering at Leeds University, Dr Richard Bourne, is leading a project in collaboration with the likes of AZ and GSK to develop an AI-driven lab-bot to refine the process of identifying and synthesising molecules for new medicines, initially to find medicinally-active chemicals that can be used to treat arthritis and cancer. The researchers are using a robot-controlled system to optimise the drug discovery process that can autonomously change the parameters of a reaction until the best results are achieved. In their system at Leeds Uni, the reaction is contained in pipes that are smaller than a millimetre in diameter, which provides greater control of the reactants. An artificial intelligence system continuously monitors the outcome of the reactions, compares the results from other experiments held in an online database and then alters the parameters until the optimal result is achieved.
Dr Bourne said: “Discovery chemists are involved in a ceaseless challenge to synthesise new drug molecules to the point where they can be successfully tested for medical activity, but the process of reaching that point can be very slow, and that has consequences for people who are waiting for new drugs that could help alleviate painful and chronic conditions. Our research at Leeds is about finding a balanced approach, so new molecules are found that are safe and reliable but are discovered in a timely manner. We believe by harnessing artificial intelligence we can achieve that accelerated approach.”