A2S2
Applied Artificial Intelligence ยท Synthetic & Systems Biology
Welcome to the A2S2 Group at NYU Abu Dhabi. We pioneer next-generation computational tools with advanced biological research.
Our tools: AlgaGPT & LA4SR (10,000x faster) | 4,200+ AF3 structures | 150 PGDBs | Published in Nature, Science, Cell
Research Focus
- ๐คBio-AI: AI Model Development & Deployment for Biological Systems
- ๐ฌSystems Biology: Metabolic networks, wet-lab and AI-based interactomes
- ๐งฌAlgal Genomics: 229 genome projects (106 micro + 123 macro)
- โ๏ธSynthetic Biology: ORFeomes, AI-based protein design
- ๐คPhysical AI: A2S2 lab Operating System and automation
Research Areas
AI, Genomics, Robotics & Systems Biology
AI for Biology
Transformer models and generative AI for sequence analysis, proteome exploration. AlgaGPT for decontamination, LA4SR for dark proteome.
Algal Genomics & Engineering
Large-scale genomic characterization through 229 genome projects (106 micro + 123 macro). Regulatory ORFeomes and synthetic chromosomes.
A2S2-OS (FrankenLab-CLAW-OS)
Our robotics lab operating system, unifying robotics, vision, and LLM-driven laboratory automation.
๐งฌ AlgaeCODE PGDBs
150 Pathway/Genome Databases for comprehensive algal metabolic analysis using Pathway Tools & BioCyc framework.
Lab Statistics
Our research output at a glance
๐ฅ LA4SR Makes Global Headlines (Dec 2025)
"NYUAD scientists develop AI tool to speed discovery of life-supporting microbes" โ Identifies overlooked proteins 10,000ร faster. Featured in 20+ media outlets & ADERN Newsletter.
Media Coverage
Featured in leading science publications
Lab Timeline
Key milestones in our journey
Our Team
Scientists and engineers driving discovery
Kourosh Salehi-Ashtiani, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biology, NYU Abu Dhabi. 20+ years in systems & synthetic biology.
Ashish Kumar Jaiswal, M.S.
Research Associate & Bioinformatician. Bioinformatician +20 years | AlphaFold3 | AI/ML | AlgaGPT & LA4SR developer
David Nelson, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist. AlgaGPT & LA4SR developer. Dark proteome expert.
Contact Us
Get in touch for collaborations
๐ Address
NYU Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island
P.O. Box 129188, UAE
๐ Links
AI for Biology
Developing transformer models and generative AI for sequence analysis, proteome exploration, and biological discovery. Includes AlgaGPT for decontamination and LA4SR for dark proteome analysis.
Algal Genomics & Engineering
Large-scale genomic characterization through the 229 algal genome projects (ALG-ALL-CODE), combined with synthetic biology approaches including regulatory ORFeomes and synthetic chromosomes.
A2S2-OS (FrankenCLAW Lab-OS)
Our robotics lab operating system, unifying robotics, vision, and LLM-driven laboratory automation.
See platform resources โAI & Analysis Tools
Machine learning models and computational tools developed by the lab
AlgaGPT
Transformer-based model for decontaminating algal sequencing data. Enables cleaner genomic analysis by identifying and filtering contamination from environmental samples.
- Sequence contamination detection
- Multi-species deconvolution
- Quality score assessment
TI-free LA4SR
Generative AI for exploring dark proteomes, uncovering functional insights in previously uncharacterized protein regions through sequence analysis.
- Dark proteome annotation
- Functional prediction for unknown proteins
- Structure-function relationship discovery
๐งฌ ALG-ALL-CODE Genomes
World's largest algal genome collection โ 229 draft genomes submitted to NCBI
| # | Species | Size | Accession | Division | Env |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexandrium andersonii | 289M | NMCA2222 | Miozoa | Salt |
| 2 | Alexandrium tamarense | 34M | NMCA1771 | Miozoa | Salt |
| 3 | Amphidinium carterae | 848M | NMCA1314 | Miozoa | Salt |
| 4 | Chlamydomonas reinhardtii | 120M | CC-125 | Chlorophyta | Fresh |
| 5 | Chlorella vulgaris | 55M | UTEX2714 | Chlorophyta | Fresh |
| 6 | Dunaliella sp. M2 | 94M | NYUAD-M2 | Chlorophyta | Salt |
| 7 | Emiliania huxleyi | 168M | CCMP1516 | Haptophyta | Salt |
| 8 | Nannochloropsis oceanica | 28M | NMCA1779 | Ochrophyta | Salt |
| 9 | Phaeodactylum tricornutum | 27M | CCAP1055 | Ochrophyta | Salt |
| 10 | Thalassiosira pseudonana | 768M | NMCA1335 | Ochrophyta | Salt |
๐ฌ AlphaFold3 Structures
4,200+ protein structure predictions for Prochlorococcus and cyanobacteria
Protein-Protein Interaction Analysis
CAE19413 Homodimer
Combined Score: 260.05 | pLDDT: 82.1
Interface Area: 10,189 ร
ยฒ | 256 residues
Interface view showing hydrogen bonds (blue) and salt bridges (red)
CAE19332 Homodimer
Combined Score: 243.77 | pLDDT: 68.3
Interface Area: 11,169 ร
ยฒ | 253 residues
Surface view showing chain A (green) and chain B (blue)
Mutation Analysis Pipeline
Gene8282 Wild Type
Rainbow coloring (NโC terminus). Magenta ligand shows binding site location.
WT vs Mutant Comparison
Orange (WT) vs Cyan (Mutant) overlay showing structural changes at mutation site.
Active Site Detail
3.0ร distance measurement between key residues. Fe-S cluster (cyan spheres) coordination.
XGBoost Quality Prediction
Machine learning pipeline using XGBoost for interface quality assessment:
- Combined scoring from ipTM, pLDDT, interface area
- Automated categorization: Strong / Moderate / Weak
- Integration with PyMOL for publication-quality figures
- Batch processing of 1,960+ PPI predictions
โก Infrastructure
High-performance computing for AI and structural biology
HP Z8 G5 Workstation
Dual GPU workstation for AlphaFold3
NVIDIA DGX Spark
Inferencing and Robotics
A2S2-OS Robotics
Lab automation with robotic arm
A2S2 FrankenCLAW Lab-OS
End-to-end Bio-AI Orchestration
๐ Global Collaborators
๐ง๐ช University of Liรจge
Prof. Jean-Claude Twizere โ Networks & Applied AI
๐ป GitHub โVisit ULiรจge โ๐ฆ๐ช University of Sharjah
Prof. Amr Amin โ Drug discovery & Translational Research
Visit U.Sharjah โ๐ฌ๐ง SAMS Scotland
Scottish Association for Marine Science โ 73 macroalgal genomes
Visit SAMS โ๐ Publication Timeline
80+ peer-reviewed publications โข Published in Nature, Science, Cell, and more
โญ Featured Publications
๐ All Publications by Year
20253 papers
- Nelson DR, Jaiswal AK, Ismail NS, Mystikou A, Salehi-Ashtiani K. Pan-microalgal dark proteome mapping via interpretable deep learning and synthetic chimeras. Patterns (Cell Press), 2025.
- Nelson DR, Chaiboonchoe A, Fu W, et al. Multi-omics decipher the molecular mechanisms driving high-lipid production in an artificially-evolved Chlamydomonas mutant. bioRxiv, 2025.
- Chen J, Qian C, Shu Y, Salehi-Ashtiani K, et al. Bioinspired cell silicification of the model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Sustainable Horizons, 2025.
20248 papers
- Nelson DR, Jaiswal AK, Ismail N, et al. LA4SR: illuminating the dark proteome with generative AI. arXiv preprint, 2024.
- Su Y, Hu J, Xia M, et al. An undiscovered circadian clock to regulate phytoplankton photosynthesis. PNAS Nexus, 2024.
- Daakour S, Nelson DR, Fu W, et al. Adaptive Evolution Signatures in Prochlorococcus: ORFeome Resources. Microorganisms, 2024.
- Nelson DR, Mystikou A, Jaiswal AK, et al. Macroalgal deep genomics illuminate multiple paths to aquatic, photosynthetic multicellularity. Molecular Plant, 2024.
- Alzahmi AS, Daakour S, Nelson D, et al. Enhancing algal production strategies: strain selection, AI-informed cultivation, and mutagenesis. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 2024.
- Salehi-Ashtiani K. AlgaGPT: A Transformer-Based Model for Efficient Decontamination of Algal Sequencing Data. PAG 31 Conference, 2024.
- Nelson DR, Muvunyi R, Hazzouri KM, et al. A near telomere-to-telomere phased reference assembly for the male mountain gorilla. bioRxiv, 2024.
- Daakour S, Nelson DR, Fu W, et al. Adaptive Evolution Signatures in Prochlorococcus. Preprints, 2024.
20233 papers
- Salehi-Ashtiani K. Large-Scale Sequencing and Analyses of Micro and Macroalgae Genomes. PAG Australia, 2023.
- Maseko SB, Brammerloo Y, Van Molle I, et al. Identification of small molecule antivirals against HTLV-1 by targeting the hDLG1-Tax-1 protein-protein interaction. Antiviral Research, 2023.
- Corominas R, Yang X, Lin GN, et al. Protein interaction network of alternatively spliced isoforms from brain links genetic risk factors for autism. Nature Communications, 2023.
20225 papers
- Nelson DR, Chaiboonchoe A, Hazzouri KM, et al. Tissue-Specific Transcriptomes Outline Halophyte Adaptive Strategies in the Gray Mangrove. Agronomy, 2022.
- Hazzouri KM, Sudalaimuthuasari N, Saeed EE, et al. Salt flat microbial diversity and dynamics across salinity gradient. Scientific Reports, 2022.
- Nelson DR, Al Hrout A, Alzahmi AS, et al. Molecular Mechanisms behind Safranal's Toxicity to HepG2 Cells from Dual Omics. Antioxidants, 2022.
- Olivet J, Maseko SB, Volkov AN, et al. A systematic approach to identify host targets and rapidly deliver broad-spectrum antivirals. Molecular Therapy, 2022.
- Maseko SB, Van Molle I, Blibek K, et al. Structural basis for targeting the human T-cell leukemia virus Tax oncoprotein. bioRxiv, 2022.
20218 papers
- Alzahmi A, Daakour S, El Assal DC, et al. High-Throughput Metabolic Profiling for Model Refinements of Microalgae. J. Vis. Exp., 2021.
- Al-Shehhi MR, Nelson D, Farzanah R, et al. Characterizing algal blooms in a shallow & a deep channel. Ocean and Coastal Management, 2021.
- Fu W, Dohai B, El Assal DC, et al. Protocol to generate and characterize biofouling transformants of a model marine diatom. STAR Protocols, 2021.
- Kerselidou D, Dohai BS, Nelson DR, et al. Alternative glycosylation controls endoplasmic reticulum dynamics. Science Advances, 2021.
- Chen Y, Qi F, Gao F, et al. Hovlinc is a recently evolved class of ribozyme found in human lncRNA. Nature Chemical Biology, 2021.
- Nelson DR, Hazzouri KM, Lauersen KJ, et al. Large-scale genome sequencing reveals the driving forces of viruses in microalgal evolution. Cell Host & Microbe, 2021.
- Koussa J, Vitrinel B, Whitney P, et al. Sex-specific glycosylation of secreted immunomodulatory proteins in Brugia malayi. bioRxiv, 2021.
- Friis G, Vizueta J, Smith EG, et al. A high-quality genome assembly and annotation of the gray mangrove, Avicennia marina. G3 Genes|Genomes|Genetics, 2021.
20204 papers
- Kerselidou D, Dohai BS, Nelson DR, et al. Exostosin-1 Glycosyltransferase Regulates Endoplasmic Reticulum Architecture. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 2020.
- Fu W, Chaiboonchoe A, Dohai B, et al. GPCR Genes as Activators of Surface Colonization Pathways in a Model Marine Diatom. iScience, 2020.
- Wierbowski SD, Vo TV, Falter-Braun P, et al. A massively parallel barcoded sequencing pipeline enables generation of the first ORFeome and interactome map for rice. PNAS, 2020.
- Al Shehhi MR, Nelson D, Alkhori RR, et al. Characterizing Algal blooms in a shallow and a deep channel. arXiv preprint, 2020.
20194 papers
- Fu W, Nelson DR, Mystikou A, et al. Advances in microalgal research and engineering development. Curr. Opin. Biotechnol., 2019.
- Nelson DR, Chaiboonchoe A, Fu W, et al. Potential for Heightened Sulfur-Metabolic Capacity in Coastal Subtropical Microalgae. iScience/Cell, 2019.
- Fu W, Gudmundsson S, Wichuk K, et al. Dataset on economic analysis of mass production of algae. Data in Brief, 2019.
- Fu W, Gudmundsson S, Wichuk K, et al. Sugar-stimulated CO2 sequestration by the green microalga Chlorella vulgaris. Science of The Total Environment, 2019.
20183 papers
- Al-Hrout A, Chaiboonchoe A, Khraiwesh B, et al. Safranal induces DNA double-strand breakage and ER-stress-mediated cell death in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Scientific Reports, 2018.
- Yi Z, Su Y, Bergmann A, et al. Chemical mutagenesis and fluorescence-based high-throughput screening for enhanced accumulation of carotenoids in a model marine diatom. Mar. Drugs, 2018.
- Hazzouri KM, Khraiwesh B, Amiri KMA, et al. Mapping of HKT1;5 gene in barley using GWAS approach. Frontiers in Plant Science, 2018.
20174 papers
- Fu W, Chaiboonchoe A, Khraiwesh B, et al. Intracellular spectral recompositioning of light enhances algal photosynthetic efficiency. Science Advances, 2017.
- Nelson DR, Khraiwesh B, Fu W, et al. The genome and phenome of the green alga Chloroidium sp. UTEX3007 reveal adaptive traits for desert acclimatization. eLife, 2017.
- Khraiwesh B, Salehi-Ashtiani K. Alternative Poly(A) Tails Meet miRNA Targeting in Caenorhabditis elegans. Genetics, 2017.
- Fu W, Nelson DR, Yi Z, et al. Bioactive compounds from microalgae: Current development and prospects. Studies in Natural Products Chemistry (Elsevier), 2017.
20168 papers
- Jijakli K, Khraiwesh B, Fu W, et al. The In Vitro Selection World. Methods, 2016.
- Chaiboonchoe A, Ghamsari L, Dohai B, et al. Systems level analyses of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii metabolic network. Mol. BioSyst., 2016.
- Fu W, Khraiwesh B, Liu H, et al. Advances in Biotechnology for Sustainable Development. BioMed Research International, 2016.
- Wiemann S, Pennacchio C, Hu Y, et al. The ORFeome Collaboration: A genome-scale human ORF-clone resource. Nature Methods, 2016.
- Chiu CN, Rihel J, Lee DA, et al. A Zebrafish Genetic Screen Identifies Neuromedin U as a Regulator of Sleep/Wake States. Neuron, 2016.
- Yang X, Coulombe-Huntington J, Kang S, et al. Widespread expansion of protein interaction capabilities by alternative splicing. Cell, 2016.
- Abdrabu R, Sharma SK, Khraiwesh B, et al. Single Cell Characterization of Microalgal Lipid Contents with Confocal Raman Microscopy. Springer, 2016.
- Fu W, Chaiboonchoe A, Khraiwesh B, et al. Algal Cell Factories: Approaches, Applications, and Potentials. Mar. Drugs, 2016.
20159 papers
- Khraiwesh B, Qudeimat E, Thimma M, et al. Genome-wide expression analysis offers new insights into the origin and evolution of Physcomitrella patens stress response. Scientific Reports, 2015.
- Amin A, Hamza AA, Daoud S, et al. Saffron-Based Crocin Prevents Early Lesions of Liver Cancer. Recent Pat Anticancer Drug Discovery, 2015.
- Flowers JM, Hazzouri KM, Pham GM, et al. Whole genome re-sequencing reveals extensive natural variation in the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Plant Cell, 2015.
- Sharma SK, Nelson DR, Abdrabu R, et al. An integrative Raman microscopy-based workflow for rapid in situ analysis of microalgal lipid bodies. Biotechnology for Biofuels, 2015.
- Sahni N, Yi S, Taipale M, et al. Widespread macromolecular interaction perturbations in human genetic disorders. Cell, 2015.
- Khraiwesh B, Jijakli K, Swift J, et al. Prospective Applications of Synthetic Biology for Algal Bioproduct Optimization. Springer International Publishing, 2015.
- Salehi-Ashtiani K, Koussa J, Dohai B, et al. Toward Applications of Genomics and Metabolic Modeling to Improve Algal Biomass Productivity. Springer International Publishing, 2015.
- Jijakli K, Abdrabu R, Khraiwesh B, et al. Molecular Genetic Techniques for Algal Bioengineering. Springer International Publishing, 2015.
- Fu W, Wichuk K, Brynjolfsson S. Developing diatoms for value-added products: challenges and opportunities. New Biotechnology, 2015.
2014 & Earlier20+ papers
2014: Chaiboonchoe A et al. Microalgal metabolic network model refinement (Frontiers); Koussa J et al. Computational Approaches for Microalgal Biofuel (BioMed Res Int); Corominas R et al. Autism-centered interactome network (Nature Communications)
2013: Khraiwesh B & Qudeimat E. Abiotic StressโResponsive Small RNA (Wiley); Xin X et al. SH3 interactome conserves general function (Mol Syst Biol)
2012: Djebali S et al. Evidence for transcript networks (PLoS One)
2011: Yang X et al. A public genome-scale lentiviral expression library (Nature Methods); Ghamsari L et al. Genome-wide functional annotation (BMC Genomics); Chang RL et al. Metabolic network reconstruction of Chlamydomonas (Molecular Systems Biology)
2010: Johannessen CM et al. COT drives resistance to RAF inhibition (Nature); Mangone M et al. The landscape of C. elegans 3'UTRs (Science)
2009: Manichaikul A et al. Metabolic network analysis integrated with transcript verification (Nature Methods)
2008: Salehi-Ashtiani K et al. Isoform discovery using targeted cloning (Nature Methods)
2006: Salehi-Ashtiani K et al. A Genome-wide search for ribozymes reveals an HDV-like sequence (Science)
2001: Salehi-Ashtiani K & Szostak JW. In vitro evolution suggests multiple origins for the hammerhead ribozyme (Nature)
๐ค Talks & Presentations
Click to view invited talks, keynotes, and conference presentations
2019:
- Dr. Weiqi Fu - East Lake International Forum, Huazhong University, China: "Microalgae resourcization"
- Prof. Kourosh Salehi-Ashtiani - National University of Singapore SynCTI: "Synthetic biology-enabled future in Asia"
- Dr. David R. Nelson - Joint Genome Institute (DOE): "The algallCODE project"
- Dr. David R. Nelson - 9th International Congress on Algal Biomass, Boulder, CO: "100+ genomes show virus influence"
- Dr. Alexandra Mystikou - GP-write & Sc2.0 Meeting, New York: "CRISPR methodology for microalgal genomes"
2018:
- Prof. Kourosh Salehi-Ashtiani - UAEU Khalifa Center: "Improvement of algal productivity"
- Prof. Kourosh Salehi-Ashtiani - Institute for Network Biology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munich: "Algae Genomics"
- Prof. Kourosh Salehi-Ashtiani - Northwestern University: "Algae Systems biology"
- Prof. Kourosh Salehi-Ashtiani - 8th International Algal Conference, Seattle: "Genomes of subtropical microalgae"
- Dr. Weiqi Fu - 8th International Algal Conference, Seattle: "Enhancement of algal biomass productivity"
- Amphun Chaiboonchoe - Synthetic Biology SEED 2018: "Adaptive Lab Evolution generates fast-growing Chlamydomonas"
2017:
- Prof. Kourosh Salehi-Ashtiani - SB7.0 Singapore: "ISR: Design-based approach to increase photosynthetic efficiency"
- Prof. Kourosh Salehi-Ashtiani - NYU Biomedical Conference: "Intracellular spectral recompositioning"
2016:
- Prof. Kourosh Salehi-Ashtiani - International Gas, Oil, Petroleum Engineering, Las Vegas: Session Chair
- Prof. Kourosh Salehi-Ashtiani - 17th Chlamydomonas Conference, Kyoto: "Lipid accumulating mutant"
- Dr. Weiqi Fu - European Networks Conference on Algal Photosynthesis, Malta
2015:
- Prof. Kourosh Salehi-Ashtiani - BIT's 5th World Congress Marine Biotechnology, Qingdao: Keynote
- Dr. Basel Khraiwesh - NYUAD Annual Research Conference: "Genome-wide abiotic stress analysis"
- Ashish K Jaiswal - ISMB/ECCB 2015, Dublin
- Dr. Weiqi Fu - SEED 2015, Boston: "Intracellular Spectral Recompositioning"
Media Coverage:
- The Guardian (2017): Algae alternative to palm oil
- The National (2017): Green algae found in UAE
- Gulf News (2017): UAE green alga alternative to palm oil
- Khaleej Times (2017): Local algae as palm oil alternative
- Dubai Media TV Interview: Prof. Kourosh Salehi-Ashtiani
- Science (2011): Algal biofuels research
๐ฅ Our Team
Scientists and engineers advancing AI-driven biological discovery
๐ธ A2S2 Lab Team
Present & Past Lab Members โข NYU Abu Dhabi
Current Members
Kourosh Salehi-Ashtiani, Ph.D.
Ashish Kumar Jaiswal, M.Sc.
David Nelson, Ph.D.
Sarah Daakour, Ph.D.
Amnah Salem Alzahmi, M.Sc.
Distinguished Alumni
Dr. Diana El Assal
Ph.D., University of Luxembourg
Dr. Basel Khraiwesh
Senior Research Scientist (In Memoriam)
๐ง Contact Us
Get in touch for collaborations and inquiries
๐ Address
NYU Abu Dhabi
Saadiyat Island Campus
P.O. Box 129188
Abu Dhabi, UAE
๐ Links
NYUAD ยท HuggingFace ยท NCBI
๐ Quick Links
๐ Join Our Team
Interested in AI, genomics, robotics, or synthetic biology?
๐ Current Openings
We currently do not have any open positions.
๐ PhD Applicants: If you are interested in doing a Ph.D. at NYUAD, please visit this page for general information and this page for the application process.
Please check back for future opportunities in:
Please check back later for new opportunities, or submit your details below to be considered for future openings.
โจ Why Join A2S2?
- โ Work at the intersection of AI, genomics, and collaborative robotics
- โ Access to cutting-edge infrastructure (NYUAD HPC, A2S2 Local AI workstations and servers)
- โ Collaborate on 229 genomes and 4,200+ protein structures
- โ Be part of a world-class research team at NYU Abu Dhabi
๐ก Tip: Even without current openings, we review all submissions and may reach out when positions become available. Feel free to share your details!
๐ Express Your Interest
Your information will be kept on file and reviewed when positions become available.
We appreciate your interest in the A2S2 Group!
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