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KAIST VP: AI Essential for Biotech's Future, Accelerates Protein Analysis from 150 Years to 10 Days
🇰🇷 South Korea /Health & Science

KAIST VP: AI Essential for Biotech's Future, Accelerates Protein Analysis from 150 Years to 10 Days

From Chosun Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • KAIST Vice President of Research Lee Sang-yeop stated that the future of biotechnology is impossible without integrating artificial intelligence.
  • He highlighted that AI can significantly accelerate complex processes, such as protein analysis, reducing a 150-year task to just 10 days.
  • Lee emphasized the necessity of combining biotechnology, medical science, engineering, and AI for future advancements.

The future of biotechnology hinges on the seamless integration of artificial intelligence, according to Lee Sang-yeop, Vice President of Research at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).

Speaking at the 2026 Global Bio Conference in Seoul, Lee stressed that fields like biotechnology, medical science, engineering, and AI must converge. He pointed to the dramatic acceleration of complex scientific tasks as a prime example of AI's potential. Protein analysis, a process that could traditionally take 150 years, can now be accomplished in a mere 10 days using AI-driven methods.

Lee's vision centers on "systems metabolic engineering," a field he has pioneered by merging systems biology, synthetic biology, and evolutionary engineering. This interdisciplinary approach, powered by AI, is crucial for unlocking future breakthroughs in the bio-economy.

There is no future without integrating bio, medical, engineering, and artificial intelligence (AI).

— Lee Sang-yeopLee Sang-yeop, Vice President of Research at KAIST, stated the necessity of integrating AI into biotechnology during his keynote speech at the 2026 Global Bio Conference.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Chosun Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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