Ola Spjuth ready to integrate AI into SciLifeLab's DNA

Ola Spjuth, Professor of Pharmaceutical Bioinformatics, is appointed to lead the development of a national AI strategy for SciLifeLab – Sweden's research infrastructure for molecular biosciences. Ola Spjuth thereby assumes a key role in SciLifeLab's ongoing intensification of data-centric operations and services to the research community.

“Artificial Intelligence is constantly opening new doors within life science research, but also requires dedicated work if we are to consolidate Sweden's position in the ongoing life science revolution. My goal is to integrate AI into the SciLifeLab ecosystem - and a national AI strategy for SciLifeLab is an important first step in the right direction,” states Ola Spjuth at Uppsala University's Faculty of Pharmacy.

Ola Spjuth's assignment also includes the role as advisor to the SciLifeLab Data Center, primarily with a focus on the ongoing construction of a technical foundation for the infrastructure's current and future AI capacities. A mission performed via testing and pilot operations of AI tools with potential significance for SciLifeLab clients. Ola Spjuth will conduct his work in close collaboration with SciLifeLab director Jan Ellenberg and co-director Mia Phillipson.

“A national AI strategy that realizes the synergies between the development of AI-driven tools for data analysis and implementing them in SciLifeLab to provide even better service to the research community is definitely a key component of our future plans,” confirms Jan Ellenberg.

With AI-based models, SciLifeLab will improve its services by offering faster and more sensitive data analyzes within areas such as genomics, spatial biology and imaging. Thereby enabling identification of even more complex patterns in biomedical data, which will in turn accelerate drug discoveries, improved diagnostics and personalized treatments.

“Artificial intelligence and self-learning machines are constantly adding new scientific dimensions. Three years ago, our group inaugurated our own robotic facility at Uppsala's Biomedical Center, enabling the automation of several routine tasks, increasing our productivity and freeing valuable time. In the fall of 2022, we added a robotic course laboratory that is today attracting students from a variety of bioscience disciplines, and to me, there is no doubt that AI and automation will play an increasingly important role in future research,” says Ola Spjuth.

text: Magnus Alsne & SciLifeLab, photo: Mikael Wallerstedt