Arc Institute builds first viable AI-generated viral genomes
Arc Institute just used its Evo biological foundation model to design fully functional bacteriophage genomes from scratch. Using the classic phi X 174 phage as a template, the team tested 285 designs and verified 16 viable viruses that successfully infected host bacteria and overcame resistance mutations. Why it matters: genomics is officially crossing the bridge from reading and writing DNA to directly prompting functional living organisms.