Google DeepMind, Meta, Isomorphic Labs Put $300M Into Biohub
The joint investment is part of a $1.8 billion effort to build AI datasets for biological research, including a predictive 'virtual cell'.
Google DeepMind, Meta, and Isomorphic Labs are jointly investing $300 million into Biohub, the nonprofit biomedical research organization founded by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, according to The Verge.
The investment forms part of a $1.8 billion initiative to build AI datasets for biological research, with the goal of developing a predictive "virtual cell" that researchers can use for simulations.
Federal agencies are contributing alongside the companies. The US Department of Energy will invest more than $500 million over the next five years, and the National Institutes of Health will provide datasets, repositories, and knowledge bases drawn from previous federal investment totalling over $500 million.
Alex Rives, Biohub's head of science, said the creation of a virtual cell is one of the most important challenges for the next era of science.
Background
Biohub was founded in 2016 with the aim of combating diseases through the creation of a virtual cell for researchers to run simulations.
Quick answers
How much are Google DeepMind, Meta, and Isomorphic Labs investing in Biohub?
The three organizations are jointly investing $300 million into Biohub.
What is the total size of the initiative?
The investment is part of a $1.8 billion initiative to build AI datasets for biological research.
What is Biohub trying to build?
Biohub is working toward a predictive "virtual cell" that researchers can use to carry out simulations.