The 2nd HFSP Frontier Workshop, co-hosted by the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, concluded successfully on November 26, 2024, at the BRIC-National Institute of Immunology (BRIC-NII) in New Delhi. The international symposium brought together eminent researchers to discuss the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in advancing life sciences.
Dr. Pushkar Sharma, Staff Scientist BRIC-NII and India Member of Board of Trustees of HFSP welcomed everyone with opening remarks on the motivation of the event and emphasized partnership of DBT and HFSP in their commitment to advancing life sciences. Prof. VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, highlighted the transformative potential of AI in addressing complex biological challenges and encouraged collaborative efforts to harness this technology effectively. Dr. Pavel Kabat, Secretary-General of the Human Frontier Science Program, underscored the importance of international cooperation in pushing the boundaries of scientific understanding, particularly at the intersection of AI and life sciences. He highlighted the efforts of HFSP in facilitating frontier science. Dr Rajesh Gokhale, Secretary DBT, spoke of the vision of the department and how new policies are being put in place to foster innovation, technology, and cutting-edge science in India. In a special segment in the opening section, Dr. Guntram Bauer, Chief Scientific Officer, HFSPO introduced the program of HFSP with special emphasis on the newly launched “Accelerator Grants”.
The event featured a stellar lineup of speakers, each exploring groundbreaking topics at the intersection of AI and life sciences. Dr. Debasisa Mohanty of the National Institute of Immunology addressed the use of AI/ML for understanding complex immune recognition processes. Dr. Katja Bühler of VRVis explored insights from biomedical imaging data enhanced by AI. Dr. Satoru Miyano of Institute of Sciences Tokya discussed the application of explainable AI (XAI) for uncovering biological mechanisms. Dr. Anurag Agarwal of Ashoka University emphasized the role of big data and AI as the new language of biology, while Dr. Gaurav Ahuja of Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology demonstrated the potential of mechanistic AI in anti-aging interventions. Finally, Dr. Edda Klipp of Humboldt University detailed theory-informed machine learning approaches in systems biology.
The event included a series of engaging sessions and an open panel discussion that provided attendees with insights into how AI technologies are shaping the future of biological research. Topics ranged from predictive biology and de novo protein synthesis to AI-powered imaging and healthcare innovations.The event underscored the growing importance of interdisciplinary and international collaborations in pushing the boundaries of life science research. Participants left inspired to embrace AI-driven innovations in their work.
For more details, watch the full recording of the event here.