Using AI to beat drug-resistant TB
New Sydney ID and Duke-NUS collaborative study will use near-real-time analysis to inform clinical care and public health responses to drug-resistant TB
Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading infectious disease killer in the world and most people with drug-resistant TB reside in Asia. AI analysis of TB genomes can help doctors to give patients optimal personalised treatment and allow public health teams to track how drug-resistant TB spreads in the community
Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) pose a serious public health risk and threatens Australia’s health security.
A new project, funded through a Office of Global and Research Engagement (OGRE) Ignition Grant, will bring together leading researchers in TB genomics and informatics from the Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute (Sydney ID) and the Duke-NUS Centre for Outbreak Preparedness in Singapore to tackle this urgent challenge.
The collaboration is developing an AI-enabled model to assess mutations in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium associated with drug resistance. Its innovative design will allow countries to contribute valuable genomic insights without sharing sensitive patient data - addressing critical data privacy and sovereignty concerns.
The tool will generate near real-time intelligence to inform clinical decisions and strengthen public health responses. Once fully validated, the model will be extended to partners through the Asia Pathogen Genomics Initiative (APGI), hosted at NUS, advancing TB care and control across the Asia-Pacific region.
We are excited by the opportunities created by this project, opening new doors for even stronger partnership with Singapore colleagues
This partnership between Sydney ID and Duke-NUS demonstrates how innovation and regional collaboration, can accelerate solutions to the world’s most deadly infection.
Dr Carl Suster, lead CI, Sydney ID and SoMS
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