In Missouri, Monsanto Company formed a research collaboration with Atomwise to increase the speed and probability of discovering and developing new crop protection products using artificial intelligence. Atomwise develops artificial intelligence systems for molecular discovery and their AtomNet technology will employ powerful deep learning algorithms and supercomputers to analyze millions of molecules for potential crop protection products.
“Feeding a growing population is an urgent priority for global health that calls us to use every available technology,” said Dr. Abraham Heifets, Chief Executive Officer of Atomwise. “We are taking everything Atomwise has learned fighting deadly human diseases with artificial intelligence, and using that knowledge to combat the destructive pests that plague our food supply.”
Instead of the traditional trial-and-error and process of elimination methodologies to analyze tens of thousands of molecules, the AtomNet technology aims to streamline the initial phase of discovery by analyzing how different molecules interact with one another.