Arc News

Inspired by advances in vision-language models and robotics, we combined ESM3 (a foundation model that understands proteins at the molecular level) with Qwen3 (a language model capable of reasoning). The result is a system that can emulate how a biologist thinks while processing biological context at scales humans can't match.

In our new work published in Nature, we discovered that the aging gastrointestinal tract produces specific molecules that blunt the activity of a key gut-brain neuronal pathway, leading to age-related cognitive decline in mice.

A naturally occurring byproduct of liver metabolism—the ketone body, β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB)—can strengthen the fitness and antitumor activity of CAR T cells. The findings, reported in the journal Cell, by Arc Institute and Stanford University scientists, together with colleagues from the University of Pennsylvania, highlight a potential new way to enhance cancer immunotherapies.

Maayan Levy is exploring the use of metabolites, the 'chemical messengers' between cells in our body, as both diagnostics and therapeutics. Now an Assistant Professor of Pathology at Stanford Medicine and an Innovation Investigator in Residence at Arc Institute, Levy focuses on translating discoveries about these metabolites into human therapeutics.

Now published in the journal Nature, the DNA foundation model is showcasing the power of open and collaborative science