149 - Bridging AI & Biosciences

Join hosts Kieren Sharma (Artificially Ever After podcast, University of Bristol) and Andrew Page (MicroBinfie podcast, Origin Sciences) for a compelling live panel discussion exploring the dynamic intersection of artificial intelligence and the biosciences. In this episode, our expert panel discusses: 🔬 The AI Revolution in Biology - How machine learning and deep learning have transformed everything from microscopy image processing to drug discovery, enabling researchers to move from analyzing single images to conducting statistical analysis on massive datasets. 🤖 The LLM Era - Real experiences with generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude in research workflows, from accelerating literature reviews to writing thousands of lines of code through prompt engineering rather than manual coding. ⚖️ Finding Balance - When AI is genuinely transformative versus when it's just hype, including practical guidance on choosing between sophisticated transformer models and simpler, more energy-efficient approaches like random forests. 🔒 Safety & Trust Challenges - The "lethal trifecta" of untrusted data, private information, and internet access; reproducibility concerns; and the critical importance of validation in scientific AI applications. 🤝 Building Interdisciplinary Bridges - Honest insights about the mutual trust deficit between biologists and data scientists, the importance of finding a "buddy" in the other discipline, and why starting with the biological problem (not the model) is essential for meaningful results. 💡 Practical Advice for Computer Scientists - What skills and mindsets are needed to successfully apply computational expertise to new domains, from understanding domain-specific language to recognizing the complexity of biological problems. Featured Panelists: Dr. Mark Basham - Science Director for AI and Informatics, Rosalind Franklin Institute Dr. Elisa Pedone - Senior Research Scientist, CellVoyant (AI for cell therapy development) James Thomas - Senior Data Scientist, Jean Golding Institute, University of Bristol Key Themes: AI in drug discovery • machine learning in microscopy • generative AI in research • interdisciplinary collaboration • data quality challenges • environmental impact of AI • the future of computational biology This episode was recorded live at the Bridging AI & Biosciences Workshop in the University of Bristol and is part of AIBio UK's mission to highlight innovative applications of artificial intelligence across the biosciences.