The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory has been awarded up to $21.7 million to leverage its expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing for groundbreaking cancer research and vaccine discovery. The funding comes from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Advancing Biomedical Research
Established in 2022, ARPA-H aims to speed up transformative biomedical research that can lead to better health outcomes. The funding awarded to Argonne will support this mission by tapping into the lab’s strengths in AI, high-performance computing, simulation, and structural biology.
“Argonne is at the cutting edge of AI research, significantly contributing to solving complex scientific and engineering problems,” said Paul Kearns, Director of the Argonne Laboratory. “This investment allows us to tackle some of the toughest challenges, like eradicating cancer and preparing for future pandemics.”
Major Projects Funded
The IDEAL (Integrated AI and Experimental Approaches for Targeting Intrinsically Disordered Proteins in Designing Anticancer Ligands) project is set to receive $15 million. This initiative focuses on developing new methods to slow down or stop the growth of tumors that do not respond to current treatments. The project will be a collaborative effort with the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Researchers plan to use advanced AI techniques, including foundation models—large-scale AI models trained on extensive datasets—to uncover new patterns and insights in cancer treatment. These efforts will utilize Argonne’s state-of-the-art resources, such as the Aurora exascale supercomputer at the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF) and the powerful X-rays from the Advanced Photon Source (APS). Both the ALCF and APS are user facilities supported by the DOE’s Office of Science.
Pioneering Vaccine Research
In addition to the cancer research project, Argonne has secured up to $6.7 million for the Antigens Predicted for Broad Viral Efficacy through Computational Experimentation (APECx) program. This initiative aims to revolutionize vaccine development by creating toolkits that target entire families of viruses. If successful, APECx could pave the way for vaccines that are effective against a wide range of viral threats, including cancer, autoimmune diseases, chronic illnesses, emerging infections, and future pandemics.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with ARPA-H and leading experts in the field to address global health challenges,” said Daniel Schabacker, the principal investigator for these projects. “This significant funding will enhance our capabilities in using AI and computing to tackle complex health issues,” added Thomas Brettin, co-investigator and strategic program manager in Argonne’s Computing, Environment, and Life Sciences division.
Utilizing Cutting-Edge Computing Facilities
The Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF) provides high-powered computing resources to the scientific community, helping advance discoveries across various disciplines. Supported by the DOE’s Office of Science and its Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) program, the ALCF is one of only two DOE Leadership Computing Facilities in the country dedicated to open science.
These projects mark a significant step forward in leveraging technology to improve healthcare outcomes, demonstrating Argonne’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of scientific research. With this new funding, Argonne is poised to make substantial contributions to cancer therapy and vaccine innovation, potentially impacting millions of lives worldwide.
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