This is a really exciting time to be thinking about the prospects of AI. It was only in 2023 that we saw a massive explosion from large language models (LLMs), with Open AI's release of ChatGTP. Fast forward to 2025 and we're looking at the possibility of artificial general intelligence (AGI). 

Whether AGI is seen as a potential friend or foe, the multidisciplinary application of AI means we can use this technology to tackle big issues on the horizon. I'm particularly interested in the application of AI in bio, where machine learning is already promising big advances in areas such as drug discovery and cancer research. 

I love reading about these innovations and look forward to seeing what comes up in 2025. If you want to learn more about the latest moves in AI, I'd massively recommend reading the latest State of AI report by Nathan Benaich at Air Street Capital.

From my agricultural background, I like to stay abreast of the latest developments in food and farming. Agricultural technology (shortened to Agtech or Agritech) is a bustling and growing industry looking to tackle the food production problems we face in a world with a growing population and climate uncertainty. This can include anything from bio-based solutions to improve soil fertility, to designing smart devices for livestock to collect more data and improve efficiencies.

Additionally, there is a whole tranche of lab-based food production looking to reduce water use and the carbon footprint of food. Check out my blog for further interests in farming.

Naturally, given the nature of my DPhil research, I am interested in the topic of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Whether I was studying it or not, it's difficult to ignore the dangers of a post-antibiotic era.

AMR is a major global threat and we need to find innovative ways to tackle this problem. A landmark study predicted AMR could cause up to 10 million deaths per year by 2050. This would be catastrophic, but there are things we can do to help; including better drug stewardship, investing in scientific research, and most importantly collaboration on a global scale. 

Something I'm really excited about is the potential of using bacteriophages to tackle AMR infections. However, certain hurdles need to be overcome including examples such as scaling up phage manufacturing processes according to GMP, finding better ways to store and administer phages in the clinic, and developing more agile diagnostics to profile bacterial strains and species so they can be matched to the optimal phage cocktail (and even developing safe and effective phage cocktails...!).