New II-tool evescape has been developed to analyze evolutionary and biological data, enabling the prediction of how viruses can change to avoid the impact of the immune system. Scientists believe that this tool can greatly aid in the development of vaccines and therapies for SARS-COV-2 and other rapidly mutating viruses.
The creation of EveSCApe, as the tool is called, is credited to specialists from the Harvard Medical School and Oxford University. This tool comprises two elements: a model of evolutionary sequences that predicts changes that may occur within viruses, and detailed biological and structural information about the virus. By utilizing such data, EvesCape can accurately predict the most likely variants of the virus within its evolutionary course.
EveSCApe is built upon the foundation of the original model called eva (evolutionary model of variant to) – a generative model that learns to predict protein functionality based on large-scale evolution of different types.
In their studies, scientists have showcased that if EveScape had been utilized at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, it would have successfully predicted the most common mutations and identified the most dangerous options for SARS-COV-2. The tool has also made accurate forecasts in relation to other viruses, including HIV and influenza.
Currently, researchers are utilizing Evescape to predict future options of SARS-COV-2. Every two weeks, experts publish a ranking of new options, significantly contributing to the development of more effective vaccines and therapies. The team is continuously expanding their work by including more viruses in their research. Experts emphasize that Evescape can be adapted to any virus, making it a flexible tool in the fight against viral diseases.
The source code for evescape has already been made available, and scientists are actively applying it to real data concerning SARS-COV-2, in order to produce forecasts about its future development. These data are regularly updated and made accessible to the World Health Organization (WHO) and other interested parties, assisting in the evaluation of vaccines and therapies against current and future viral variants.
It is important to highlight that Evescape not