Basecamp Research is actively working to digitize nature and map the tree of life, aiming to build the foundational data crucial for advancing artificial intelligence in biology. The company announced its mission to overcome the current "data wall" faced by AI models trained on biological information, seeking to unlock generalist models for genes and proteins across diverse organisms and environments. This initiative, as stated by vitrupo on social media, is anticipated to be "transformational for biotech, healthcare, and any field that depends on understanding life."
Current AI models in biology often encounter limitations due to insufficient and unrepresentative data, hindering their ability to achieve true scaling laws. Basecamp Research addresses this by meticulously collecting original biological data from diverse and extreme environments globally, expanding the known tree of life by over ten times. This extensive, ethically sourced database, known as BaseData, now includes over one million newly discovered microbial species, providing an unprecedented breadth of biological information.
The London-based company leverages this vast dataset to train advanced foundational AI models, including BaseFold and BaseGraph, designed to predict protein structures and behaviors with high accuracy. Basecamp Research claims its BaseFold model significantly outperforms existing solutions like AlphaFold2 in predicting large, complex protein structures. By providing AI with a more complete understanding of biology, these models aim to enable the design of novel biological systems for applications ranging from drug discovery to sustainable industrial processes.
To fuel its ambitious data collection and model development efforts, Basecamp Research has secured substantial investment, including a $60 million Series B financing round in October 2024, bringing its total funding to $85 million. The firm has established over 100 partnerships across 25 countries, engaging in collaborations with leading institutions such as the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and major corporations like Procter & Gamble. These partnerships underscore the industry's recognition of Basecamp Research's unique approach to biological data.
The ultimate goal is to achieve full coverage of the biological design space, which is essential for developing robust generalist AI models capable of understanding and manipulating life at a fundamental level. According to the tweet, "To test if scaling laws still apply, we need more biodiversity and full coverage of the design space." This comprehensive data-driven approach promises to accelerate scientific discovery and unlock new possibilities in various life science sectors, addressing previously unanswerable questions in biological design and therapeutic development.