The puzzle seems impossible: take a three-billion-letter code and predict what happens if you swap a single letter. The code we’re talking about—the human genome—stores most of its instructions in genetic “dark matter,” the 98 percent of DNA that doesn’t make proteins. AlphaGenome, an artificial intelligence system just released by Google DeepMind in London, aims to show how even tiny changes in those noncoding sections affect gene expression.
DeepMind’s newly released technology could transform how we treat genetic diseases. Though scientists long dismissed noncoding DNA as “junk,” we now know this so-called dark matter controls when and how genes turn on or off. AlphaGenome shows promise in predicting how mutations in these regions cause diseases—from certain cancers to rare disorders where crucial proteins never get made. By revealing these hidden control switches, AlphaGenome could help researchers design therapies that target genetic conditions, potentially aiding millions of people.
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