David Baker's GenBio AI unveils virtual model of entire cell system - STAT News

AIDO Cell is a new virtual cell system unveiled by GenBio AI. GenBio AI By Meghana Keshavan Aug. 18, 2026 Keshavan, a biotech correspondent, is the co-author of The Readout , a newsletter about the business, science, and politics of biotech. Meghana Keshavan [email protected] Meghana Keshavan covers biotech and contributes to The Readout newsletter . Imagine Google Earth, but for a human cell. Zoom in closely enough, and instead of streets and buildings, there are proteins and strands of RNA and DNA. Then knock out a gene, or drop in a drug, and you’d see the system predict how the cellular landscape changes. That’s the idea behind AIDO Cell, a new virtual cell system unveiled Tuesday by Palo Alto, Calif., startup GenBio AI. If Google DeepMind’s AlphaFold sought to predict the structure of individual proteins, AIDO Cell is taking much broader aim: predicting how the molecular machinery of an entire cell behaves. Advertisement “With AlphaFold, you’re predicting the structure of one house or learning about one person in that city, whereas in AIDO Cell, you’re sort of predicting how that whole city works,” said David Baker, a University of Washington scientist who co-founded GenBio AI and shared the 2024 Nobel Prize in chemistry with the makers of AlphaFold for his work in computational protein design. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and news alerts. Already have an account? Log in Individual plans Group plans Monthly $39 Totals $468 per year $39/month Get Started Totals $468 per year Starter $30 for 3 months, then $399/year $30 for 3 months Get Started Then $399/year Annual $399 Save 15% $399/year Get Started Save 15% 11+ Users Custom Savings start at 25%! Request A Quote Request A Quote Savings start at 25%! 2-10 Users $300 Annually per user $300/year Get Started $300 Annually per user View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe Log In Artificial intelligence , biotechnology , drug development , Pharmaceuticals , research , STAT+ Submit a correction request Reprints Meghana Keshavan Biotech Correspondent Meghana Keshavan covers biotech and contributes to The Readout newsletter .