Key Takeaways:
- Evogene collaborates with Google Cloud to enhance ChemPass AI, targeting innovation in small molecule design for drug development and crop protection.
- The collaboration will utilize Google Cloud’s Vertex AI and GPU-powered Compute Engine for advanced computational capacity.
- This initiative aims to accelerate R&D in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and other life-science industries through an AI foundation model trained on ~40 billion molecular structures.
- The foundation model will expedite product development, reduce costs, and increase success rates in identifying promising candidates.
Overview of the Collaboration
Evogene Ltd., a computational biology leader, announced a strategic partnership with Google Cloud to develop an advanced AI foundation model for de novo small molecule design. This model will propel Evogene’s ChemPass AI technology to new levels, focusing on small molecule discovery for applications in drug development, sustainable agriculture, and broader life-science-based product innovation.
Leveraging Google Cloud’s Advanced Technology
Evogene will utilize Google Cloud’s Vertex AI, GPUs on Google Compute Engine, and Google Cloud Storage, tapping into Google Cloud’s advanced computational power and storage capacity. This infrastructure will support training the foundation model on a dataset of approximately 40 billion molecular structures, creating a powerful tool for generating and evaluating novel small molecule candidates with high speed and accuracy.
Expanding ChemPass AI’s Capabilities
This initiative builds on Evogene’s expertise in computational predictive biology and Google Cloud’s proficiency in AI and machine learning. The focus of this collaboration is to extend ChemPass AI’s capabilities, enabling it to generate and optimize new small molecules tailored for pharmaceuticals, crop protection, and other sectors. The model’s sophisticated design allows for targeted molecule generation, helping to streamline the R&D process.
Potential Impact Across Industries
This advanced foundation model aims to enhance drug discovery by reducing costs and increasing the likelihood of identifying effective drug candidates. In agriculture, the technology will support the creation of sustainable solutions to address challenges like food security and crop resilience. The model’s versatility also opens avenues in various other sectors where custom-designed small molecules could lead to groundbreaking products and solutions.
Statements from Leadership
Ofer Haviv, President and CEO of Evogene, highlighted the collaboration as a milestone in the company’s growth, stating, “This strategic collaboration underscores Evogene’s commitment to innovation…accelerating our growth trajectory and delivering significant value to our shareholders and partners.” Boaz Maoz, Managing Director of Google Cloud Israel, echoed this sentiment, noting, “By harnessing the power of Google Cloud, Evogene’s ChemPass AI has the potential to revolutionize small molecule design.”
Evogene Latest News
Launch Finally Foods to Innovate in Alternative Proteins Sector With The Kitchen FoodTech Hub (2024/04/03)
Evogene Ltd. and The Kitchen FoodTech Hub have formed Finally Foods Ltd, a venture focusing on molecular farming to provide alternative protein sources. The company aims to modify plants to act as bioreactors, efficiently and responsibly producing proteins as an alternative to animal-based sources. The alternative proteins market, valued at USD 17.6 billion in 2022, is projected to grow to USD 55 billion by 2032, with an anticipated CAGR of 12%. Finally Foods has received pre-seed investment from TKH and the Israeli Innovation Authority, with Evogene’s ownership stake and co-founders’ expertise providing a solid foundation for success.
Evogene Bags €1.2M EU Grant for Climate-Resilient Crop Development (2023/05/10)
Evogene Ltd.’s Ag-Seed Division has received a €1.2 million grant from the EU Horizon program to pioneer the creation of climate-resilient oil-seed crops. The Crop4Clima project aims to develop oil-seed crops, initially canola and rapeseed seeds, capable of assimilating 60% more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and requiring 20% less water intake compared to crops grown under conventional agricultural practices. This program seeks to develop enterprises that tackle climate challenges and cultivate environmentally sustainable crops to better address climate change.
Photo by Chad Elliott on Unsplash
4 Comments