A new institute, based at Brown and supported by a $20 million National Science Foundation grant, will convene researchers to guide development of a new generation of AI assistants for use in mental and behavioral health.

Salk immunologists discovered that specialized immune cells called T cells increase in mammary glands during late pregnancy and breastfeeding, and that some of the T cells relocate from the gut—suggesting a connection between the gut microbiome and breastfeeding. The findings may help explain the advantages of breastfeeding, prompt solutions for mothers unable to breastfeed, help design better formulas, and inform dietary decisions that enhance breast milk production and quality.

Researchers at Chan Zuckerberg Biohub San Francisco and Stanford University have developed an AI-driven Virtual Lab through which a team of AI agents, each equipped with varied scientific expertise, can tackle sophisticated and open-ended scientific problems by formulating, refining, and carrying out a complex research strategy — these agents can even conduct virtual experiments, producing results that can be validated in real-life laboratories.