Researchers at MIT have developed an AI-guided robotic platform to automate the production of small molecules, freeing chemists from labour-intensive tasks. Initially, the AI software uses neural networks trained on previously published chemical reactions to recommend a route for synthesising a molecule, after which a chemist reviews it and turns it into a recipe. Next, the robotic platform automatically builds the molecular assembly line and performs the reactions to manufacture the compound. The researchers say that their system is more efficient than existing methods in two key areas.
Researchers at MIT have developed an AI-guided robotic platform to automate the production of small molecules, freeing chemists from labour-intensive tasks. Initially, the AI software uses neural networks trained on previously published chemical reactions to recommend a route for synthesising a molecule, after which a chemist reviews it and turns it into a recipe. Next, the robotic platform automatically builds the molecular assembly line and performs the reactions to manufacture the compound. The innovation allows for a quick turnaround and could lead to novel molecules with wide-ranging applications, such as in medicine, polymer chemistry or solar energy.