MIT researchers Regina Barzilay and Jim Collins have made a groundbreaking contribution to the field of antibiotic discovery using artificial intelligence. The duo has been awarded the 2026 Pritzker Prize for AI in Science Research Excellence for their pioneering work in integrating deep learning, bioengineering, and experimental validation to identify novel antibacterial candidates against drug-resistant pathogens. Their research, which was first published in 2020, led to the discovery of the first artificial intelligence-discovered antibiotic, halicin. This antibiotic was originally studied as a potential diabetes drug but was found to be effective against a range of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including Clostridium difficile, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The discovery process, which typically takes years, was completed in just a few weeks using a deep learning model trained on 2,500 molecules. The significance of this breakthrough lies in its potential to address the growing global antimicrobial resistance crisis. The use of AI in identifying new and effective antibiotics could revolutionize the way we approach antibiotic discovery and development. Barzilay and Collins' work has shown that AI can be a valuable tool in the fight against superbugs, and their research has paved the way for further exploration of this field. The Pritzker Prize for AI in Science Research Excellence is a testament to the impact of Barzilay and Collins' work. The award, established in 2024 by the University of Chicago in partnership with Caltech, recognizes contributions that advance both AI and the natural sciences or engineering. Barzilay and Collins are faculty co-leads of the Abdul Latif Jameel Clinic for Machine Learning in Health and affiliates of the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing and the MIT School of Engineering.