Researchers
have been using artificial intelligence to study how the microbiome interacts
with the human system to improve vaccine response.
A team of researchers at Iowa State University, US,
are employing innovative artificial intelligence (AI) to
investigate how the microbiome interacts with the immune system. The team, led
by Dr Gregory Phillips, said that they are focusing on gut bacteria that have
adapted to live in the human digestive system to improve vaccine response.
The
team are leading trials in mice monitoring changes in microbiota spurred by
vaccine delivery and immune response. As the interactions they will be
observing are so complex, the team have collaborated with Indiana University,
US, to apply machine learning to find patterns in vast amounts of data. The aim
is to find definitive relationships between the microbiome and immune response
by the end of the study. “As scientists, we want to find cause and effect,”
said Phillips. “We want to go beyond associations to get causes, something in
the microbiota that influences the host whereby vaccines can be improved.”
The researchers have also teamed with the ISU
Navovaccine Institute, a consortium of 75 researchers at 23 institutions, that
fosters partnerships among researchers from different disciplines. In this
study, they hope to bridge the gap between biology and AI.
The
US Department of Defensive is funding the research as it is hoped that improved
vaccine response will help military personnel stay healthy during their
missions, through which they may encounter a wide range of viruses and
pathogens. However, Phillips highlighted that the research has implications
beyond military applications. According to the team, the next step is to test
vaccines that target the Spike protein (S) of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to gauge
whether changes in the microbiome can improve responses to COVID-19.
More information can be found here.
.png)
.jpg)
.gif)
