Few would expect the science behind stopping the next wave of COVID-19 to come from an AgTech company on a mission to reduce global pesticide loads but Terramera’s computational chemistry, machine learning and artificial intelligence (ML/AI) innovations are being called upon for just that purpose.
Today, Vancouver’s Terramera announced its participation in a collaborative project within Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster to predict COVID-19 virus variations before they emerge.
Terramera’s leadership in computational biochemistry and ML/AI led the federal government to back this unique research collaborative with $1.8 million in initial funding.
Working with world-class partners including Microsoft and the University of British Columbia, Terramera will deliver computational models to identify and combat future mutants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Other project partners include Menten AI, ProMIS Neurosciences and D-Wave.
“We love to take on so-called ‘impossible’ challenges that no one expects and succeed,” said Terramera CEO and Founder, Karn Manhas. “This is an enormous opportunity to harness complementary areas of cutting-edge science across industry and academia. Working together, we can help solve some of the world’s biggest problems, from sustainable food production to treatments for COVID, with novel predictive technologies.”