Abstract
This study focuses on the development of an AI model to predict the next
variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus based on genomic data. Leveraging a
dataset comprising a wide range of SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the
Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, and Omicron variants, we employ
Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms to train a model capable of
identifying patterns and mutations within the viral genome. Furthermore,
we emphasize the significance of the Spike protein region, given its
relevance to vaccine development. By treating the Spike protein
sequences as 2-dimensional images, we apply image recognition techniques
commonly used in AI research to analyze and extract meaningful insights
from these protein sequences.We also highlight the status of AI
applications in genomics, noting previous studies focused on binding
affinity prediction and clustering analysis of Spike proteins. However,
no existing AI models have addressed the prediction of future variant
sequences. Consequently, our study aims to bridge this gap by developing
an AI model with the potential to forecast the sequence of forthcoming
SARS-CoV-2 variants. This research contributes to our understanding of
viral evolution and assists in the proactive development of strategies
to combat the evolving COVID-19 landscape.