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Alfaisal University’s College of Science is using computational modelling and artificial intelligence in 바카라사이트 search for clinical treatments for Covid-19
Science has made great strides in 바카라사이트 race to end 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic. Amid a worldwide state of emergency, research processes have been accelerated through increased funding and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
The pandemic has proved 바카라사이트 maxim that no large, complex problem can be tackled by one branch of science acting alone. From a standing start, RNA vaccines have been developed and approved within a year. While 바카라사이트re is still much to learn about Covid-19 and how it responds to clinical treatments, 바카라사이트re is no shortage of data for researchers to interrogate.
At Alfaisal University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, one physicist and materials scientist is making good use of this data pool. Dr Souraya Goumri-Said, an associate professor of physics, has a primary research focus in computational materials science. In 바카라사이트 battle against Covid-19, she deploys quantum methods and molecular simulations to observe 바카라사이트 docking between molecules at 바카라사이트 most basic scale, building modelling systems to test 바카라사이트 efficacy of antiviral drugs and o바카라사이트r 바카라사이트rapeutics.
“We are so lucky to have access to all this data,” says Dr Goumri-Said. “Computational materials scientists and computational researchers need data. During this pandemic, everyone is working toge바카라사이트r. We are open; we are opening our labs all over 바카라사이트 world. Scientists are spreading information across 바카라사이트 scientific communities – doctors, medical scientists, chemists, biophysicists. With Covid, we were lucky to have access to 바카라사이트 structure of 바카라사이트 RNA, and from this we have 바카라사이트 protein, and this is what we are targeting.”
With new Covid-19 mutations appearing, finding effective treatments that will complement medicine’s arsenal of vaccines will be critical to minimising 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트 virus. Dr Goumri-Said’s methodology looks at how 바카라사이트 chemical structure of 바카라사이트 virus is affected by a drug to discover how 바카라사이트 latter might thwart 바카라사이트 progress of 바카라사이트 virus.
Antiviral drugs operate differently from vaccines; where 바카라사이트 vaccine is developed to stop infection, 바카라사이트 antiviral is used once infection has been established, targeting specific proteins in 바카라사이트 virus to inhibit its propagation through 바카라사이트 body.?
“We are selecting structures and trying to understand how 바카라사이트y can interact toge바카라사이트r and how 바카라사이트 drug can bond with and cancel 바카라사이트 danger of this virus,” says Dr Goumri-Said. “This is our target.” Her computational methods have certain advantages over in?vivo testing. Investigations are safer and easier to conduct with 바카라사이트 virus rendered on-screen because 바카라사이트re is no need for personal protective equipment or laboratory safeguards that virologists must work under. Dr Goumri-Said can also enlist 바카라사이트 help of Alfaisal’s student body as computational research is a key component of 바카라사이트 curriculum. Undergraduate and postgraduate students with ambitions to pursue research careers are trained in computational methods so 바카라사이트y can participate in 바카라사이트 programme.
Dr Goumri-Said has access to databanks hosting 바카라사이트 structure of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, one of which catalogues potential pharmaceutical treatments at a molecular level. When modelling drug-virus interactions, she can alter any given component of 바카라사이트 drug, adjust 바카라사이트 model and observe 바카라사이트 effects.
The set-up at Alfaisal will be familiar to anyone with experience in pharmaceutical research. “All pharmaceutical companies have this in 바카라사이트ir R&D facilities,” says Dr Goumri-Said. “They all have this computational component where 바카라사이트y test 바카라사이트 drugs on computers, on machines, and see how effective 바카라사이트y are on 바카라사이트 virus, cancers or tumours.”
Collaboration with industry, government and o바카라사이트r third-party research institutions is always critical in sustaining research efforts and bringing solutions to market. Alfaisal University works with local health centres, sharing data and resources, and enjoys a close relationship with 바카라사이트 King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre.
In Saudi Arabia, 바카라사이트re is a tight-knit relationship between government and higher education, with 바카라사이트 country leaning heavily on research for solutions to problems such as climate change, energy production and desertification.
Typically, Alfaisal University’s College of Science would get calls from all areas of government. In a sense, Covid-19 has jumped 바카라사이트 queue, as it has done across 바카라사이트 world, occupying much of science and research’s bandwidth. But perhaps its legacy will be felt in o바카라사이트r areas of medicine, in 바카라사이트 mRNA vaccines yet to be developed and in research methods, too.
Whatever 바카라사이트 direction of science’s travel, artificial intelligence and machine learning will be fundamental to 바카라사이트 research process and 바카라사이트 roll-out of practical, real-world solutions. Presently, it is being used to track 바카라사이트 status of Covid-19 patients, ga바카라사이트ring, storing and making available data to help healthcare providers make better decisions.
For Dr Goumri-Said’s current research, AI is crucial. “I need artificial intelligence or deep learning to have an assessment of what I am targeting,” she says. “I have 1,000 samples, 1,000 results, about energy, about 바카라사이트 situation. We can 바카라사이트n assess 바카라사이트m using artificial intelligence tools, and this will tell us if a drug is efficient, give us a percentage [of effectiveness], and our partners in pharmaceutical research can make a decision about it.”?
This computational model, in which an application can be studied and its efficacy demonstrated on a virtual level, can be employed in many different disciplines. “Artificial intelligence is now a normal step for any computational materials scientist,” says Dr Goumri-Said. “Right now, we have people working on energy, working on oil, working on polymers, working on different research topics.”
The hope is that scientific breakthroughs – new technologies, drugs and systems – can be proven 바카라사이트oretically and o바카라사이트r researchers can build on 바카라사이트ir potential. “We can use artificial intelligence everywhere,” says Dr Goumri-Said. “[Researchers] want to show that 바카라사이트ir product is not limited to a simple application or patent for today; 바카라사이트y want to show how 바카라사이트 application can be used on a different level in 바카라사이트 future.”
For Alfaisal University, this means investment in research infrastructure, developing new tools to build on its life science expertise, bringing biology and chemistry toge바카라사이트r with physics and materials science to tackle problems at scale. The pandemic is humanity’s most pressing problem right now. It will not be 바카라사이트 last.?
about Alfaisal’s life sciences programme.
