Researchers have developed a new method to reconstruct the genetic code of ancient organisms, potentially allowing them to study life forms that existed before LUCA (Last Universal Common Ancestor). This involves creating 'progenitors' – simplified genetic systems that mimic the characteristics of early life, and then evolving them in the lab to observe how complexity arises.
Arc Institute develops Evo 2, the largest AI model in biology to date, trained on over 9.3 trillion nucleotides from 128,000 genomes. It can identify disease-causing mutations and design new genomes, with applications in genetic analysis and engineering treatments.
