The researchers who built AI-generated DNA just raised $50M to reinvent biology (fortune.com)

Radical Numerics, a startup co-founded by Eric Nguyen, has emerged from stealth with a $50 million seed round, aiming to reshape biological research through AI. Their groundbreaking technology enables AI to read, write, and reason about DNA, RNA, proteins, and other biological molecules in a unified model. This innovation stems from the company's founders' backgrounds, who previously developed generative genomics models that can produce DNA sequences at scale. Notably, they created the world's first fully AI-designed functional virus last year, underscoring the potential of their technology. This multimodal approach sets Radical Numerics apart in an industry dominated by single-modality companies. They believe that comprehensively understanding biological systems can break the drug development bottleneck, and early partnerships in cancer detection and pathogen characterization hint at practical applications. However, the dual-use nature of their technology raises ethical concerns, as it could facilitate both medical advancements and biological weapon creation. To address these challenges, the company has enlisted former defense officials and is committed to running its future model releases with caution. As Nguyen noted, unraveling the complexities of the human genome offers both incredible promise and significant responsibility, making Radical Numerics' mission critical for the future of both AI and biology.