OpenBind, which recently secured £8 million in anchor funding from DSIT’s Sovereign AI Unit, will generate the world’s largest dataset on drug-protein interaction – twenty times larger than any previous effort in the field. This data will be used to train next-generation AI models capable of identifying new drugs faster and more affordably, promising to significantly reduce development costs.
Ms Clark and Ms Chappaz toured the facility with Diamond’s CEO Gianluigi Botton to observe key research instruments. The ministers visited the I04-1 beamline, which will be integral to OpenBind’s ambitions.
Diamond Head of Industrial Liaison Elizabeth Shotton; French Minister Delegate for artificial intelligence and digital affairs Clara Chappaz; Under-Secretary of State for AI and Digital Government Feryal Clark; and Diamond CEO Gianluigi Botton.
It was great to visit Diamond Light Source with our French partners, to see some of the work making the UK a global hub for AI-driven drug discovery. The OpenBind consortium is a brilliant example of how world-leading UK capabilities are unlocking new AI models that can identify new treatments, faster.
Feryal Clark, Under-Secretary of State for AI and Digital Government
Backed by our Sovereign AI Unit, this cutting-edge work, applying AI tech to biosciences, has huge potential to unlock new avenues to attract international investment and help rebuild our NHS. This is critical work in support of our Plan for Change.
OpenBind exemplifies Diamond’s integral role in harnessing home-grown AI expertise to drive global innovation and impact. By combining Diamond’s world-class capabilities with advanced AI technologies, we are not only improving drug development but also delivering on the UK’s technological ambitions.
Diamond CEO Gianluigi Botton
The OpenBind consortium represents the ambitions laid out in the government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, which calls for investment in AI to drive economic growth, transform public services and position the UK as a global leader in responsible AI innovation. OpenBind’s collaborative approach, bringing together academia and internal expertise, also reflects the importance of EU partnerships, ensuring that scientific breakthroughs are shared across borders to tackle global challenges in health and sustainability.
The visit to Diamond was the culmination of France’s state visit to the UK which saw the announcement of several joint initiatives. These projects reflect a growing UK-France alliance in science and technology, with a focus on high-tech resilience and shared scientific excellence.
Read more about OpenBind and Diamond’s role as host in the AI-driven drug discovery consortium.
