# Virtual lab of artificial intelligence agents accelerating nanobody design against SARS-CoV-2 variants

**Authors:** Hakjin Kim, Taeho Kwon, Sun-Uk Kim, Seon-Kyu Kim

PMC · DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.126093 · International Journal of Biological Sciences · 2026-01-01

## TL;DR

AI agents in a virtual lab designed nanobodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants, showing AI's potential as a collaborative tool in biomedical research.

## Contribution

The Virtual Lab framework uses coordinated AI agents to autonomously design and refine nanobodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants.

## Key findings

- AI agents designed, scored, and refined nanobody candidates against SARS-CoV-2 variants.
- The system validated nanobodies experimentally, demonstrating AI's role in hypothesis generation and experimental design.
- The integration of AI with quantum computing is expected to enhance biomedical research speed and precision.

## Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI)-driven research frameworks are reshaping the boundaries of biomedical discovery. The Virtual Lab exemplifies this transformation, assembling large language model (LLM) agents into coordinated scientific teams functioning as investigators, specialists, and critics. The system autonomously designed, scored, and refined nanobody candidates against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, and subsequently validated them experimentally. These findings demonstrate how AI can move beyond prediction and retrieval to serve as an active collaborator in hypothesis generation, experimental design, and translational application. As technology continues to advance, the convergence of artificial intelligence and quantum computing is expected to give rise to a new era of Quantum AI enabled biomedical research. This integration will accelerate discovery speed, enhance precision, and foster interdisciplinary collaboration, opening unprecedented opportunities for data-driven innovation in the life sciences.

## Linked entities

- **Diseases:** SARS-CoV-2 (MONDO:0100096)

## Full-text entities

- **Species:** Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (no rank) [taxon 2697049]

## Full text

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## Figures

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## References

5 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12780944/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12780944