The AI in Business Podcast Understanding AI’s Expanding Role in Drug Discovery and Life Sciences R&D - Liran Belenzon of BenchSci
Feb 26, 2025
Liran Belenzon, Co-founder and CEO of BenchSci, is a trailblazer in applying AI to drug discovery and R&D. He discusses how AI transformations are tackling the complexities of disease biology, paving the way for more efficient workflows. Liran highlights the significance of knowledge graphs and multimodal AI in enhancing research speed and quality. He emphasizes the need for flexible drug discovery processes and the importance of adapting budgets to harness AI’s full potential, balancing innovation with cost-effectiveness.
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Disease Biology Complexity
- The biggest challenge and opportunity in drug discovery is understanding complex disease biology.
- 90% of clinical trials fail due to misunderstanding this biology, not drug ineffectiveness.
AI's Dual Role
- AI can improve drug discovery by making existing science better through productivity tools.
- It can also improve science itself, leading to significant advancements.
Knowledge Graphs and Ontology
- Knowledge graphs combined with ontological models help classify entities and their relationships, translating insights for scientists.
- This addresses the challenge of inconsistent terminology in biology.