British AI Innovations in Clean Energy and Healthcare Earn Government Recognition
Two groundbreaking technologies developed by UK scientists gain £1 million funding and promise advancements in material efficiency and drug development.
British scientists have achieved a significant breakthrough in the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to the development of materials for clean energy and healthcare, resulting in a £1 million funding award from the UK Government.
The funding was awarded to Polaron, a spin-out project from Imperial College London, which developed a design tool that can accelerate the analysis of materials used in wind turbines and electric vehicle batteries from years to mere days.
Polaron's technology utilizes microscopic analysis to predict the performance of specific materials, a process that historically has been slow and unpredictable.
This novel approach relies on 'microstructural' images that reveal the internal features of materials, enabling rapid analysis and development.
The UK Government aims to leverage this technology to support manufacturers in creating stronger and more efficient components necessary for achieving clean energy goals.
Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle remarked that this technology aligns with the government's commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and reduce UK emissions by 81% by 2035. He emphasized the potential of AI innovation through initiatives like Polaron to enhance growth and public services while positioning the UK as a leader in AI technology.
The funding was part of the inaugural £1 million Manchester Prize, which recognized technological advancements addressing significant societal challenges.
Nearly 300 teams competed for the prize, and ten finalists each received £100,000 in support for their projects.
In a separate advancement, a groundbreaking AI fingerprint technology developed by scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research in London is reported to potentially reduce drug development timelines by approximately six years.
This new AI tool allows researchers to understand how cancer cells respond to various treatments by observing changes in their three-dimensional shape, thereby assessing drug effectiveness more rapidly.
The AI tool aims to streamline the lengthy drug discovery process, which typically spans 10 to 12 years.
Researchers assert that the pre-clinical phase could be shortened from three years to just three months, and the overall time for clinical trials could see reductions of up to six years.
This advancement holds promise not only for cancer treatments but also across a variety of diseases.
The AI was trained using nearly 100,000 3D images of melanoma skin cancer cells, capturing complex shape changes induced by different drugs with a prediction accuracy of up to 99.3%.
Moreover, the technology could assist in matching specific drugs to suitable patient subtypes earlier in the clinical process, enhancing treatment personalization.
These innovations underscore the UK's ongoing commitment to harnessing AI technology to address critical challenges in fields such as energy sustainability and healthcare.
The funding was awarded to Polaron, a spin-out project from Imperial College London, which developed a design tool that can accelerate the analysis of materials used in wind turbines and electric vehicle batteries from years to mere days.
Polaron's technology utilizes microscopic analysis to predict the performance of specific materials, a process that historically has been slow and unpredictable.
This novel approach relies on 'microstructural' images that reveal the internal features of materials, enabling rapid analysis and development.
The UK Government aims to leverage this technology to support manufacturers in creating stronger and more efficient components necessary for achieving clean energy goals.
Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle remarked that this technology aligns with the government's commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and reduce UK emissions by 81% by 2035. He emphasized the potential of AI innovation through initiatives like Polaron to enhance growth and public services while positioning the UK as a leader in AI technology.
The funding was part of the inaugural £1 million Manchester Prize, which recognized technological advancements addressing significant societal challenges.
Nearly 300 teams competed for the prize, and ten finalists each received £100,000 in support for their projects.
In a separate advancement, a groundbreaking AI fingerprint technology developed by scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research in London is reported to potentially reduce drug development timelines by approximately six years.
This new AI tool allows researchers to understand how cancer cells respond to various treatments by observing changes in their three-dimensional shape, thereby assessing drug effectiveness more rapidly.
The AI tool aims to streamline the lengthy drug discovery process, which typically spans 10 to 12 years.
Researchers assert that the pre-clinical phase could be shortened from three years to just three months, and the overall time for clinical trials could see reductions of up to six years.
This advancement holds promise not only for cancer treatments but also across a variety of diseases.
The AI was trained using nearly 100,000 3D images of melanoma skin cancer cells, capturing complex shape changes induced by different drugs with a prediction accuracy of up to 99.3%.
Moreover, the technology could assist in matching specific drugs to suitable patient subtypes earlier in the clinical process, enhancing treatment personalization.
These innovations underscore the UK's ongoing commitment to harnessing AI technology to address critical challenges in fields such as energy sustainability and healthcare.
