ResearchUNC Charlotte

Charlotte’s CIPHER Uses AI To Provide Rapid Health Intelligence

A team at UNC Charlotte’s Center for Computational Intelligence to Predict Health and Environmental Risks (CIPHER) and Tuple, a Charlotte-based genomics consulting firm, has used artificial intelligence to rapidly assess the public health implications of the newly emergent SARS-CoV-2 XBB.1.5 variant. Results from simulations run by the team indicate the antibodies currently in our arsenal are effective to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 XBB.1.5. 

The variant has recently increased its share of COVID-19 infections caused in the United States, creating concern about a potential health care crisis. However, increased transmission ability of the variant does not mean it is not treatable.

“The CIPHER and Tuple team have tied several technologies together to provide rapid health intelligence, which is a dose of good news. It is becoming more clear that with new sciences and hard work we can address emergent diseases,” said Daniel Janies, the co-director of the CIPHER center and Carol Grotnes Belk Distinguished Professor of Bioinformatics and Genomics.

MORE >>>