Danish researchers develop AI tool to detect unknown pandemic threats

A new artificial intelligence tool developed by Denmark’s National Food Institute can identify previously unknown disease-causing bacteria, potentially helping prevent future pandemics, DR reports.

The tool, named PathogenFinder2, analyses genetic material from wastewater, healthy humans, and animals to assess whether an unfamiliar bacterium carries traits that could make it harmful. According to the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), it outperforms all earlier models—particularly when encountering entirely new bacterial species.

Researcher Alfred Ferrer Florensa compared the system to AI language models, explaining that just as those tools learn patterns in human language, PathogenFinder2 studies the protein signatures of bacteria. The tool has already evaluated over 21,000 bacterial DNA sequences and provides reasoning for its predictions.

Florensa emphasised the importance of detecting not only known threats but also “completely new and previously unknown disease-causing bacteria.” However, DTU researchers stress that any risks flagged by the AI must undergo further investigation before conclusions are drawn.