The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has launched the AI Small Molecule Drug Discovery Center, a bold endeavor that harnesses artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize drug development. The new Center will integrate AI with traditional drug discovery methods to identify and design new small-molecule therapeutics with unprecedented speed and precision. Unlike conventional drug discovery, which can take years and cost billions, AI-driven approaches enable researchers to rapidly navigate a vast chemical landscape, including natural products, to pinpoint promising drug candidates. By leveraging Mount Sinai’s world-leading expertise in machine learning, chemical biology, and biomedical data science, the Center aims to bring innovative treatments to patients faster—particularly for diseases with urgent unmet needs, including cancer, metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases.

A team of scientists have developed ‘fungi tiles’ that could one day help to bring the heat down in buildings without consuming energy. These wall tiles are made from a new biomaterial combining fungi's root network – called mycelium – and organic waste. Earlier research has shown that mycelium-bound composites are more energy efficient than conventional building insulation materials such as expanded vermiculite and lightweight expanded clay aggregate.

Building on this proven insulating property, the scientists add a bumpy, wrinkly texture to the tile, mimicking an elephant’s ability to regulate heat from its skin.