121. AI-designed viruses

On this episode of Discovery Matters, Conor speaks with Samuel King, a Stanford PhD researcher working at the intersection of AI and biology. Samuel explains how biological language models can be trained on DNA to design entire viral genomes — including bacteriophages that can kill drug‑resistant bacteria.

The conversation explores how AI is accelerating biological discovery, why viruses can be powerful tools for good, and the ethical guardrails needed when working at the frontier of life sciences. It’s a fascinating look at how AI is becoming a partner in research — and what that means for the future of biology.