Meta billionaire Mark Zuckerberg is backing a $500 million push to build massive biological datasets that could power AI models capable of simulating human cells.
The Virtual Biology Initiative, led by Biohub, aims to create predictive models of life at the cellular level by collecting and analyzing vast amounts of high-quality biological data.
Scientists say accurate digital models of cells could accelerate disease research and future medical treatments by allowing researchers to test ideas virtually before running expensive laboratory experiments.
The project will split the funding, with $100 million going toward supporting global data collection and $400 million on developing tools for imaging, measuring, and engineering biology at unprecedented scale.
Several major research organizations have agreed to participate in the initiative, including the Allen Institute, Arc Institute, Broad Institute, and Wellcome Sanger Institute.