Virtual cells

The Moonshot Podcast S2, Episode 2: Coding The Natural World

The Moonshot Podcast S2, Episode 2: Coding The Natural World

This episode of The Moonshot Podcast delves into the future of biological engineering, showcasing how AI and computational biology are transforming our interaction with living systems. Host Astro Teller first speaks with Brad Zamft of Heritable Agriculture about programming plants for increased yield, pest resistance, and drought resilience. Next, Relly Brandman from project A-Life explains how they're using AI to create a "virtual cell," shifting biomanufacturing from slow trial-and-error to a predictable engineering discipline for producing diverse materials like medicines, fuels, and textiles.

Faster Science, Better Drugs

Faster Science, Better Drugs

Erik Torenberg, Patrick Hsu (Arc Institute), and Jorge Conde (a16z) discuss Arc's moonshot to create 'virtual cells' using foundation models to simulate biology. They cover why science is slow, how AI can accelerate drug discovery by predicting cellular perturbations, and the remaining bottlenecks in clinical trials and capital intensity that the biotech industry faces.