The US government, Google and Meta are joining a $1.8 billion effort led by nonprofit Biohub to build large biological datasets that can be used to train artificial intelligence models for research and drug development. The initiative was announced on Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
Google DeepMind, Meta and drug-discovery company Isomorphic Labs are committing $300 million to the project. The US Department of Energy will provide more than $500 million over five years for laboratory measurement, modelling and computing, while the National Institutes of Health will coordinate datasets and repositories supported by more than $500 million in previous federal funding.
The funding will support Biohub’s Virtual Biology Initiative, which seeks to collect detailed information on how cells respond to different conditions and interventions. Researchers will use the data to develop predictive AI models capable of simulating biological processes.
Biohub, founded by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, committed $500 million to the initiative in April. The organisation said its first major dataset could be ready within a year, while accurate predictive models could emerge within five years.
The datasets are expected to eventually become publicly available, although commercial funders will receive periods of early access to data generated through their contributions.
The project reflects growing competition among technology companies and research organisations to apply AI to biology, with the potential to reduce the time and cost involved in developing new medicines.
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