Artificial intelligence is transforming genomics research and disease diagnosis, delivering unprecedented speed, accuracy, and personalized treatments, experts declared at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) here on Tuesday. Addressing researchers and students, scientists detailed AI’s evolution from labor-intensive manual analysis to swift, data-driven insights poised to reshape healthcare across India and beyond.
Early machine-learning tools between 2012 and 2016 grappled with vast genomic datasets, but deep learning advancements from 2017 to 2019 propelled genetic variant detection accuracy to nearly 99 percent. Dr. Kumarasamy Thangaraj, senior scientist at CSIR-CCMB, highlighted AI’s pivotal role in swiftly processing massive genetic data, condensing months of manual effort into mere hours while precisely identifying disease-causing mutations. The game-changer arrived in 2020-2021 with AlphaFold, Google’s AI system that predicts protein structures with near-laboratory precision, unlocking molecular-level understanding of how genetic changes disrupt protein functions—vital for rare disease research and accelerated drug development.
Since 2022, multi-modal AI has integrated genomic sequences with clinical records, medical imaging, biomarkers, and lifestyle data to pioneer precision medicine, customizing therapies for individual patients rather than one-size-fits-all approaches. Independent consultant Sushil Alimchandani praised AI’s diagnostic prowess, which curbs human error, processes scans exponentially faster, and trims costs to enable early interventions. In drug discovery, predictive AI models spotlight promising molecules early, slashing clinical trial failures, while in imaging analysis, they outpace conventional techniques dramatically.
Looking ahead, experts envision AI powering remote diagnostics for rural India, equipping doctors with timely, evidence-based insights without supplanting their expertise. CCMB, a cornerstone of molecular biology since 1977, continues spearheading genomic studies on diverse Indian populations alongside AI-enhanced bioinformatics, cementing Hyderabad’s status as an AI-health innovation hub.
-Rashmi Kumari
