Official announcements from USC, Prime Intellect, or the respective tech companies

USC, Prime Intellect Launch Open-Source 7B-Parameter METAGENE-1 for Pathogen Detection and Pandemic Prevention

Jan 6, 2025, 10:15 PM

Researchers from the University of Southern California (USC), Prime Intellect, and the Nucleic Acid Observatory have released METAGENE-1, a groundbreaking 7-billion-parameter autoregressive transformer model. This metagenomic foundation model is trained on over 1.5 trillion DNA and RNA base pairs sourced from human wastewater samples. The model is designed for global pathogen detection, pandemic monitoring, and prevention, aiming to revolutionize public health by enabling early detection of emerging health threats. METAGENE-1 is open-sourced, fostering collaboration and innovation in the fields of biology and artificial intelligence. The initiative highlights the potential of decentralized AI in addressing global health challenges, advancing scientific understanding, and mitigating risks in the age of exponential biology.