Stanford researchers led by Brian Hie used the Evo1 and Evo2 genome language models to design complete bacteriophage genomes based on the \u03a6X174 family, which infects Escherichia coli, reported in Science (DOI 10.1126/science.aec2657) and covered on August 6, 2026. The models, trained on large collections of existing genomes, were prompted using a consensus sequence found in every \u03a6X174 phage in the training data, with evolutionary conservation guiding designs toward biologically plausible sequences. Candidate genomes were synthesized and inserted into E. coli, yielding 16 viable, novel phages. Postdoctoral researcher Samuel King described the result as a proof of concept for AI-guided genome design; Hie said the approach could make phage therapy more effective against antibiotic-resistant infections.

• cen.acs.org2026-08-06