Scientists administered artificial intelligence-designed viruses to a human patient for the first time to combat a serious bacterial infection. The treatment employs bacteriophages to infect and kill bacteria.
Radical Numerics announced the therapy on 20 October 2026. The company developed the treatment using its AI model, Omnii, to create modified versions of a virus called T7.
Researchers used Omnii to redesign the virus’s leg-like structures, with laboratory testing confirming the modified viruses could infect and kill the targeted bacteria. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the experimental treatment, which aims to eliminate an E. coli infection that has resisted antibiotics and existing phage treatments.
In 2025, researchers at the Arc Institute in California developed an AI model called Evo 2, which generated approximately 700,000 viral genomes. From those genomes, researchers selected 285 designs for laboratory testing, and 16 designs produced viable viruses.
Three researchers from that project, including Dr. Eric Nguyen, established Numerics and introduced Omnii in June 2026. Eric Nguyen believes the team could eventually create personalized treatments within days.
Numerics has not revealed whether the patient has recovered, and the technical findings have not undergone peer review or been published in a scientific journal.
