Anthropic has disclosed the discovery of a new reverse transcription enzyme system, obtained through the use of its artificial intelligence, Claude. Although the exact function of this molecular complex has not yet been determined, it is attracting attention due to its similarity to the CRISPR mechanism, a technology used to modify genes in specific parts of DNA. The company presented this novelty on Wednesday, September 23rd, marking its first breakthrough in biological research aided by AI.
The arrangement-linked reverse transcriptases (ARTs) were identified after analyzing over 200 thousand enzymes. To process such a volume of data, 950 Claude agents were mobilized in a reading that exceeded 21 hours. According to Anthropic, activities of this type have the potential to save weeks or even months of research time.
In parallel with the discovery of the new system, Anthropic confirmed the creation of a laboratory dedicated to biological studies using AI. This new facility was established in the San Francisco region, California, as reported by Reuters.
The operation began with a simple command given to the AI. The team asked Claude to examine a database containing DNA sequences with the goal of locating 'new examples of reverse transcriptases.' The model itself took responsibility for coordinating the agents, evaluating the results, and selecting the most promising candidates.
The entire process involved 950 agents, 21 hours of processing, and approximately 210 million tokens. Based on this, the AI identified a DNA repetition pattern associated with an unusual reverse transcriptase system. Subsequently, scientists analyzed these sequences and concluded that it was an enzymatic system found in bacteriophages, which are viruses capable of destroying bacterial cells.
The functioning of ART is analogous to CRISPR, a method widely used in biotechnology to edit DNA segments with high specificity. Through this technique, researchers seek treatments for conditions such as cancer and autoimmune diseases, in addition to making genetic modifications in plants and animals aiming for better agricultural results. Thus, ART may represent a new biotechnological tool option for such investigations.
Anthropic shared this ART discovery with researcher Feng Zhang, a professor at MIT and one of the pioneers of the CRISPR technique. He described the achievement as an 'encouraging example of how AI agents can contribute to biological discoveries,' also expressing a desire for this work to motivate other biologists to explore the use of AI in their research.
At the beginning of September, Anthropic had warned about a potential risk of bioweapon production, suspending Claude in certain scenarios deemed dangerous. One of the incidents mentioned involved the Chikungunya virus, an arbovirus common in Brazil. The company reported that scientists were looking for mutations that would strengthen the pathogen, possibly aiming at developing vaccines against the disease. Due to an attempt to bypass a Claude protection during the searches with the AI, the company classified the case as dangerous and blocked the use of the tool.
Anthropic's concerns about Claude's capabilities in scientific contexts are recurrent. When launching the Mythos model, described as 'very advanced' at the time, the company postponed its release to develop adequate safety mechanisms for research involving biological topics. Currently, one of the implemented safety measures is reducing the level of the model used to provide less detailed answers in certain queries. It is important to note that, in the case of the ART enzyme discovery, Anthropic did not specify which version of the AI was used, but it is likely that it was a version with fewer safety restrictions than those available to the public.
