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OpenAI, in collaboration with Retro Biosciences startup, has developed GPT-4b micro, which designs proteins capable of converting regular cells into stem cells—cells that can form any tissue in the body.
💡 Why is the New Model Needed?
Retro Biosciences aims to extend human life by at least 10 years. This should be achieved through special proteins—Yamanaka factors, which can "reverse time" for cells and transform them into stem cells. Japanese professor Shinya Yamanaka received the 2012 Nobel Prize in Medicine for discovering this mechanism.
The standard cell reprogramming process takes several weeks, with less than 1% of samples completing it successfully. However, GPT-4b micro searches for new modifications of Yamanaka factors that, according to preliminary estimates, will increase cell rejuvenation efficiency by 50 times. "Just across the board, the proteins seem better than what the scientists were able to produce by themselves," says OpenAI researcher John Hollman.
🤩 How GPT-4b micro Works
GPT-4b was trained on numerous protein sequences with known properties. This dataset is significantly smaller than those used to train OpenAI's "senior" models, hence the "micro" suffix.
Scientists then asked the AI model to modify the composition of Yamanaka factors to improve their properties. In laboratory conditions, each such experiment takes considerable time, as even a regular protein consisting of hundreds of amino acids can be modified in millions of ways, and it's impossible to predict which modification will work in advance.
Retro and OpenAI began collaborating a year ago. In 2022, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman personally invested $180 million in the startup.
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