# AI designs 16 new phages to fight drug-resistant bacteria 2026-08-07T14:06:26+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Researchers at Stanford University and the Arc Institute have used AI to create 16 new bacteriophages that can infect drug-resistant E. coli bacteria, marking what they call a breakthrough in synthetic biology. The study, published in Science and reported by The Hindu, saw scientists use genome language models Evo 1 and Evo 2 to generate thousands of designs. Only 16 of nearly 300 synthesised sequences produced functional viruses. These phages are not human viruses and cannot infect people, but they offer hope in the fight against antibiotic resistance. Timesnownews reports that researchers were able to overcome resistance in lab tests using a cocktail of the AI-designed phages. However, experts warn that the same technology could eventually be used to engineer harmful pathogens, raising biosecurity concerns. ## Coverage - timesnownews.com - thehindu.com Tags: AI, antibiotic resistance, bacteriophages, biosecurity, Stanford, synthetic biology Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/ai-used-to-create-16-new-viruses-aiding-fight-against-superbugs/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/ai-used-to-create-16-new-viruses-aiding-fight-against-superbugs/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.