RESEARCH · RESEARCH · #2941
Regina Barzilay and Jim Collins awarded 2026 Pritzker Prize for AI in Science Research Excellence for AI-enabled antibiotic discoveries
The University of Chicago named MIT researchers Regina Barzilay and James Collins as recipients of the 2026 Pritzker Prize for AI in Science Research Excellence for their joint work using deep learning, bioengineering, and experimental validation to discover antibiotics (notably halicin and later abaucin) effective against drug‑resistant bacteria. The prize recognizes work that advances both AI and the natural sciences and highlights AI’s potential to accelerate antibiotic discovery.
KEY POINTS
- The University of Chicago named MIT researchers Regina Barzilay and James Collins as recipients of the 2026 Pritzker Prize for AI in Science Research Excellence for their joint work using deep learning, bioengineering, and experimental validation to discover antibiotics (notably halicin and later abaucin) effective against drug‑resistant bacteria.
- The prize recognizes work that advances both AI and the natural sciences and highlights AI’s potential to accelerate antibiotic discovery.
- The award highlights a high‑profile, peer‑recognized demonstration that AI can materially speed and guide antibiotic discovery, with implications for tackling antimicrobial resistance and shifting AI’s role from discovery to design.
WHY IT MATTERS
The award highlights a high‑profile, peer‑recognized demonstration that AI can materially speed and guide antibiotic discovery, with implications for tackling antimicrobial resistance and shifting AI’s role from discovery to design.