Scientists have used Artificial Intelligence to design new viruses capable of killing cells in the laboratory.

It marks the first time that the new technology has been used to successfully generate whole genomes, or the full set of genetic instructions needed to build a working organism. 

Supporters of the work said it offered hope for developing new treatments, but critics quickly warned it raised ‘urgent’ safety and security concerns.  

In their study, researchers at Stanford University, California, used the technology to create a genome for a virus that infects bacteria.

The AI suggested thousands of genomes, and the researchers created 302 in the lab before exposing them to bacteria.

Overall, 16 of the viruses suggested by the AI were able to kill E.coli.

The viruses they created were bacteriophages, which only infect bacteria and are not able to infect human, animal or plant cells. 

Revealing the results, Dr Brian Hie, a chemical engineer behind the research, said: ‘In this case, we wanted the model to generate the entire genome end-to-end in a single left-to-right pass. We didn’t add anything.’

The research was published alongside an accompanying article warning over the potential risks of the advance. 

Written by Johns Hopkins experts Dr Thomas Inglesby and Dr Maurice Hanke, it warned: ‘Although this is promising for life sciences applications, it also raises urgent biosafety and biosecurity questions.

‘The ability to compose viral genomes using generative AI now exists; the governance to safely steer it does not.’

For the research, published in Science, scientists used the AI tools Evo1 and Evo2. 

These work in a similar way to large language model chatbots ChatGPT and Grok, except they have been trained on genetic codes rather than written text.

Researchers trained the models on two million genomes for bacteriophages, and then tasked them to create new potential genomes. 

Scientists synthesized the AI-made genomes in the lab and put them into petri dishes containing E.coli, prompting the bacteria to start making copies of the viruses. 

Petri dishes were then monitored to establish whether the bacteriophages had started to attack and kill the bacteria.

Samuel King, a PhD student in the lab, told the BBC: ‘We were starting to see these clear spots and it was just extremely exciting.’ 

They wrote in the paper: ‘This work provides a blueprint for the design of diverse synthetic bacteriophages and useful biological systems at the genome scale.’

Scientists said bacteriophages have one of the smallest genomes known, making them much easier to create.

They said, however, that the work was a step towards AI being used for more advanced research.

Dr Patrick Cai, a researcher at the University of Manchester in the UK, said: ‘While these are relatively small bacteriophage genomes, the significance extends far beyond phages. 

‘It suggests that genome language models are beginning to learn the design principles encoded by evolution, opening the door to AI-assisted genome writing.’

Tom Ellis, a professor of synthetic genome engineering at Imperial College London, called the work impressive but noted it highlights the challenges of creating larger, more complex genomes. 

He told The Guardian: ‘This is literally the smallest and easiest genome to make.’ 

He added that an AI trained on dangerous pathogens could theoretically be used to design harmful viruses, but controlling access to genetic data and restricting the synthesis of risky genomes would help mitigate that risk – and governments are already working on these measures. 

Still, he cautioned against overblowing the threat: ‘The threat from full AI design and writing of a genome of a virus or bacteria is very overblown.

‘Just taking existing pathogens and making gain-of-function changes to their genomes is so much easier and much more likely to be a real pathogenic threat.’ 

Gain-of-function research is essentially the scientific practice of genetically altering a pathogen to study how it might evolve; enhancing traits like transmissibility, virulence or host range to better understand and prepare for future pandemic threats.

But the term became a lightning rod during the Covid pandemic, fueling fierce debate over whether such experiments at the Wuhan Institute of Virology – some of which were funded by US taxpayer dollars – played a role in the virus’s origins.

The news sparked immediate debate online. Reactions ranged in degrees of alarm. 

Some X users were encouraged by the breakthrough. 

One wrote: ‘Bacteriophages! Research has been looking into these things for a long time 1786050744. We could end serious bacteria-based diseases with these things.’ 

Another chimed in: ‘One hell of a milestone. AI-designed working bacteriophages are a big step for phage therapy against antibiotic-resistant bacteria – glad they kept it strictly bacterial.’ 

A third added: ‘Can we have them take out salmonella? That’d be great, thanks.’ 

Yet others were less measured. After years of COVID conspiracy theories and lab leak debates, the idea of AI designing any virus tapped into a deep well of distrust that no amount of scientific nuance could easily soothe.

‘Covid 2 is gonna be so much fun with ai,’ one X user joked darkly. 

Another wrote: ‘I’m not 100% against this, but I’m 95% against this because I DO NOT believe in people’s ability to keep this stuff contained. Doesn’t matter how smart and careful they are, all it takes is one small mistake or unexpected event and then these things get out of the lab.’ 

A third said: ‘That’s how it starts, until they produce the next zombie virus to destroy humankind.’  

This article contains spoilers for Spider-man: Brand New Day

Spider-Man’s origin story in the comics is rooted in the death of his Uncle Ben. He is a hero driven by grief – on a mission, to begin with, to avenge his uncle’s death.

In the latest iteration of Spider-Man, however, his grief is different. In the cinematic Marvel Universe, Spider-Man’s loss comes later in his hero’s journey – in the second film, ⁠Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). And instead of Uncle Ben, this Peter Parker loses his Aunt May.

Two Spider-Man films later, Peter Parker is still grappling with his loss. In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, this continuation of grief is depicted through scenes in which Peter Parker imagines speaking to his late aunt.

As an expert in grief and bereavement research, I was pleasantly surprised to see such a mainstream action film contain such a poignant message – and important lessons about living with loss and grief.

In Peter’s story, we see that loss is something that’s never really “gotten over”. Rather, we grow around the grief we experience. We also see that it can be healthy and productive to maintain a connection with the person we’ve lost after their death.

What Peter is fostering is known as a “continuing bond”. This connection can come in the form of external bonds such as keeping photos, objects and memorabilia. And it can also come from internalised bonds – for example, memories of the deceased or an imagined conversation, like Peter has with his Aunt May.

Research shows that internalised bonds can have a positive effect on our experience of loss. In the film, Peter’s conversations with May are wrapped in a memory – he is often speaking to her as a teenager. These exchanges help him foster strength and resilience.

Loss is not only death

We also see Peter coping with the loss of friends whose memories of him were wiped in the last film, Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Not all the losses we experience are deaths, and not all losses are related to people. We can experience similar responses over the loss of a job, the loss of identity, or the loss of people in our lives who are still living.

The latter can often be seen, by ourselves and others, as not a “legitimate loss” because the people still exist in the world. In fact, this continuation without them can serve to complicate the grief experience.

Peter is not the only one from whom audience’s can learn about grief in this film. We meet Jean Grey for the first time, a mutant whose sister was killed.

Jean is in the most intense phase of grief. When she learns about her sister’s death, she experiences an intense emotional grief response, which brings on the explosive development of her powers.

While grief doesn’t give people superpowers in the literal sense, it can be transformational. You are not the same person after a loss, and you can grow around that grief. We see this in Peter, who transforms as the film progresses – represented by his physical and power transformations.

Both Peter and Jean are isolated characters who have lost their support mechanisms – Peter because of the loss of his friends and Aunt May, Jean because of the traumatic death of her sister. Loneliness and isolation is a common experience following loss, which can confound or complicate the experience. Social isolation creates additional emotional strain.

For fictional super-powered people, this can have devastating consequences for more than just the characters themselves. In the film, we see Jean’s anger and her struggle to process the reality of her sister’s death result in her taking control and freezing everyone within her immediate vicinity.

The film also provides an important lesson about social support. In later scenes, we see Peter and Jean connect in his mind. Peter provides important support for Jean in her loss, reaching out and letting her know that she is not alone in her grief. This reflects research highlighting the importance of connection to others and social support following a bereavement.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a great action film full of fantastical people fighting for good over evil with the help of their super powers. But at its heart, it’s also a powerful meditation on the very normal human experience of living with loss.

It shows us that loss can be a transformational experience, not something simply to overcome. Like Peter, we all learn to live with loss in its many shades. While this can be isolating, the character arcs in Spider-Man teach us that reaching out and connecting with other people can be an important part of processing and adjusting to your loss.

“Under Kemi Badenoch’s strong leadership, a Conservative gain ought to be within reach, if the hard work is put in. I was the MP for nineteen years, and a Government Minister for 12 years (only Michael Gove served longer in the 2010-24 governments), and it is time for me to face new challenges and for a successor Conservative candidate to win back the seat from Labour, as I did in 2005.

A market town has been plunged into chaos by anti-immigration protests across two nights, leading to attacks on police officers and subsequent arrests.

On Tuesday, crowds of up to 100 people were seen storming homes linked to asylum seekers in Norfolk.

The individuals shouted and attempted to gain access to the properties in St John’s Way, Thetford, with a small group managing to enter one, force a resident out, and steal their phone.

As the disorder continued on Thursday evening, two men were arrested after two police officers were taken to hospital, with one female officer ‘seriously bitten’.

Other arrests were made for offences including public order, harassment, and possession of an offensive weapon.

One man aged in his 40s remains in custody, while Brian Thompson, 68, of Fairfields, has been charged for possessing a wooden bat and has been bailed ahead of a court appearance on August 25.

Earlier this week, properties were damaged with their windows smashed and fences broken, and people attempted to break into a residential property, police said.

Increased police powers were then granted this evening, allowing officers to direct people to remove face coverings or leave the area if they commit or ‘may commit’ anti-social behaviour.

Those who refused to remove a face covering when asked could be arrested, Norfolk Police added.

The force added that ‘significant police resources’ were deployed to Thetford on Wednesday night to maintain public safety after a large group of people gathered on Clover Way.

It was reported that people were ‘trying to gain access to a residential property’ and that group members ‘became physically aggressive towards officers’. This involved a male officer being struck with a rock, while the biting of his female colleague ‘broke the skin’.

A third officer was spat at.

Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice claimed the disorder is a sign ‘local people are furious that large numbers of illegal migrants are being dumped into their locality’.

He told Times Radio: ‘Those local communities should be allowed to express that concern and anxiety without instantly being smeared and labelled as being bigots in some way.

‘That is very different to any form of violence.’

Windows on a terraced house on that street appeared to be smeared with broken eggs today.

A marked police car was parked near the street, which is close to a primary school, and uniformed officers were seen at the rear of a property.

The police response was criticised by some local people, though, with one unnamed resident of Clover Way describing how, at around 9.30pm on Wednesday, ‘lots of young boys … came up on bikes and chucked eggs at the house’.

The largely seated protest started ‘peaceful’ until extra officers arrived and formed a line, she said, after which it ‘started to get a little bit rowdy’ as protesters ‘took a step forward’ towards law enforcement.

No one tried to get into the house, she said, adding that police ‘started pepper-spraying people’, including ‘a lady in a wheelchair’.

There were ‘a few young idiots picking up stones, lobbing them at a police car’.

‘They brought a riot van down and blocked the front of the house,’ she explained, adding that officers got out batons, made arrests and told people to leave.

‘This is a very quiet estate; nothing happens here.’

Meanwhile, Scott Hussey, a Reform UK councillor for the Brecks ward for Norfolk County Council, said the street was divided with 30 officers on one side and about 80 ‘people from the town’ on the other.

‘Many people who had just come out of their houses to watch,’ he insisted, saying it was ‘mainly peaceful’ when he was there.

The town’s MP, Terry Jermy, further said that the ‘ugly scenes’ in Thetford over the past few days have been ‘difficult to watch’, calling them ‘deeply concerning’.

Mr Jermy has previously called on the Home Office to end ‘secrecy and confusion’ around plans to house more asylum seekers in former military barracks – including at RAF Barnham near Thetford.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

MORE: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor ‘chased by masked stalker’ at Sandringham

MORE: Aerial images reveal just how close wildfire came to engulfing holiday park

MORE: Bodycam captures vile conversations between police officers about if they’d have sex with suspects

Scott Hussey, a Reform councillor for the nearby Brecks division on Norfolk County Council, said a “peaceful protest” had started at the town’s police station on Wednesday night before it moved to Clover Way.

“I counted up to the 30 officers lined up on one side of the street and on the other side maybe up to 100 protesters,” he said.

“There were some skirmishes, it was a spirited protest but I didn’t see any violence.”

He accused the Home Office of “opening a number of these HMOs across Thetford” and “trying to rush through the site for asylum seekers at Barnham”.

“We fully support their right to protest. I’d encourage people to protest peacefully and most of what I saw yesterday was peaceful.”

Jermy has previously called on the Home Office to end “secrecy and confusion” around plans to house more asylum seekers in former military barracks – including at RAF Barnham, near Thetford.

In a statement he condemned the unrest, saying: “People have been pulled from their homes – a place of safety – and forcibly removed, with reports of members of the public breaking into homes, taking property and smashing windows.

“This would have been utterly terrifying for the people in these properties and also very worrying for neighbouring residents.

“I do not know the immigration status of the people placed in these properties or their legal status, but I know they are human beings that must be afforded the same rights that we all expect in this country.

“Whatever our own individuals views on immigration – mob rule and vigilantism is not acceptable.”

Do you have a story suggestion for Norfolk? Contact us below.

Four people have been charged in connection with a probe into how the two 17-year-olds ended up in the Southeast Asian country

Four people have been charged in connection with a probe into the arrest of two Cardiff children in Thailand. Two 17-year-olds were arrested in the Southeast Asian country in June, sparking a South Wales Police investigation into the circumstances which led to them travelling to the country.

On Thursday evening, the force confirmed five people had been arrested in connection with its ongoing investigation. Four were subsequently charged and are due to appear at Cardiff Magistrates Court on Friday, August 7.

A fifth man has been released on police bail. Sign up for our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here

Those appearing in court are:

• Levi Mohamed, 20, of Butetown, Cardiff, who has been charged with conspiring to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the importation of a class B drug and four counts of conspiring to arrange the travel of another with a view to exploitation.
• Patrick O’Driscoll, 30, of Caerau, Cardiff, who has been charged with conspiring to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the importation of a class B drug, four counts of conspiring to arrange the travel of another with a view to exploitation, and possession of a firearm.
• Gareth Press, 42, of Ely, Cardiff, who has been charged with conspiring to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the importation of a class B drug and two counts of conspiring to arrange the travel of another with a view to exploitation.
• Ffion Bowes-Cavanagh Hooley, 24, of Caerau, Cardiff, who has been charged with conspiring to fraudulently evade a prohibition on the importation of a class B drug.

A 23-year-old man from Keighley, West Yorkshire, who was arrested on suspicion of improper importation of controlled drugs, was released on police bail.

The arrests took place in Cardiff and West Yorkshire on Wednesday, August 5. In a statement South Wales Police added: “Those charged are due to appear at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court tomorrow (Friday, August 7).

“The children remain in custody in Thailand where they are being supported by their families and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

“The families have been updated regarding the arrests and charges. We understand this continues to be a concerning time for them and wider community.”

They asked anyone with any information or concerns to contact them, quoting reference 2600200125, online here, by dialling 101, or calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice.

Emma McGowan, 39, was pronounced dead after police were called to an incident at a house on Yewdale Avenue, Breightmet, in the early hours of Tuesday, August 4.

Officer announced later that day they were treating the incident as a murder investigation, and Ms McGowan’s family have now paid tribute to her.

A family spokesperson said: “A much-loved daughter and adored mother to four young children.

Floral tributes at the scene (Image: Phil Taylor)

“Our hearts are broken, and we will miss you forever.”

On Thursday, August 6, Greater Manchester Police announced that they had charged Joseph Webb, 36, with murdering Ms McGowan.

A force spokesperson said: “We have charged a man in relation to the death of a woman in Bolton on Tuesday, August 4, 2026.

Officers investigating at the scene (Image: Phil Taylor)

“Officers were called to an address on Yewdale Avenue, Bolton at around 3.15am.

“Upon attendance, they located a woman, aged in her 30s, unresponsive with significant injuries.

“Despite the best efforts of emergency services, she was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.”

Webb, of Yewdale Avenue, Breightmet, is expected to appear before Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court later today (Thursday, August 6).

​Scarborough businesses have recently seen a sharp rise in retail crime despite a reduction of 11 per cent across North Yorkshire, leading coastal councillors to question what action is being taken to tackle the surge.

​York and North Yorkshire’s deputy mayor for policing and crime, Jo Coles, said that North Yorkshire Police was taking retail crime “really seriously”.

Jo Coles, York & North Yorkshire Deputy Mayor for Policing, Fire and Crime.

​Speaking at a recent meeting of the North Yorkshire Police, Fire, and Crime Panel, Cllr Janet Jefferson said: “While there appears to be a positive reduction in recorded retail crime in the force area of around 11 per cent in the last year, retail crime continues to be problematic in areas such as Scarborough.”

​The representative for Castle Ward added: “With a reported increase of around 27 per cent in the same period, is the deputy mayor satisfied that the best approach is being taken to tackle this problem across the coast? We do have a 24/7 radio link with about 80 members throughout the town covering businesses.”

​Deputy mayor, Ms Coles said: “The mayor and I have been absolute champions of the need to do more around retail crime across York and North Yorkshire – it is a huge problem.

​“We had the inspection report that was recently published, and a drop of 11 per cent in retail crime across North Yorkshire is not to be underestimated in terms of an achievement for the force.”

​Ms Coles said North Yorkshire Police was taking retail crime “really seriously” and that there had been “two retail crime symposiums really bringing partners together to ensure everyone is doing everything they can”.

​She added: “I’m very aware that the reduction is an incredible achievement but it isn’t being felt in every part of the county and that we replicate good practice wherever possible. It is something that is a partnership response, and the criminal justice element is also really important and the tools that are available to police once someone is arrested, and it’s something we’re looking at.

​“The mayor and I are continuing to hold NYP closely to account on retail crime.”

North Yorkshire Police, Fire And Crime Panel, July 2026. NYC

​In July, North Yorkshire Police said that “with the summer months, there comes an increase in retail crime, street crime and anti-social behaviour across Scarborough – this includes more shop thefts, street-drinkers, and generalised anti-social behaviour”.

​In order to tackle the seasonal increase, NYP has launched Operation Sun to “combat the increase of crime and anti-social behaviour in Scarborough”.

​The force added: “We have increased high-visibility foot patrols in the town centre and key areas of Scarborough, to proactively deter and prevent crime and anti-social behaviour. The patrols will also act to arrest and pursue criminality on our streets.”

If you travel on the Huddersfield line, tickets and passes are being accepted on the following services that serve Ashton, Dukinfield, Droylsden, Stalybridge, Mossley, Greenfield: 80, 180, 184, 216, 219, 230, 237, 343, 350, 356.Passengers can also travel by tram on the following lines: Ashton-under-Lyne line.

If you travel on the Manchester – Southport line, tickets and passes are being accepted on the following services that serve Salford, Swinton, Walkden, Tyldesley, Atherton, Westhoughton, Daisy Hill, Hindley, Ince, Wigan, Pemberton and Orrell: V1, V2, 608, 609, 35, 132, 601, 602, 640, 641, 635, 632, 36, 37, 38. 607

If you travel on the Chester via Altrincham line, tickets and passes are being accepted on the following services that serve Aswood, Stockport, Reddish, Levenshulme, Longsight, Cheadle, Gatley, Wythenshawe, Timperley, Altrincham, Hale Barns and Manchester Airport: 7, 11, 42A, 42B, 43, 192, 203, 310, 313, 368, 370, 371, 378. Passengers can also travel by tram on the following lines: Manchester Airport line.