VITAL: New Biology in the Age of AI

Knowing the components of a living system does not by itself explain how they generate function or how that function changes under perturbation. Here we propose VITAL (Virtualized, Verifiable, Integrated Twin Architecture for Life), an international research program to discover which measurable states, dynamic rules, and cross-scale interfaces are sufficient to predict biological function under specified conditions. Experiments would test which information a model must retain and whether predictions linked across scales agree with one another and with measured responses to the same intervention. We outline an islet test linking molecular features, cellular secretory responses, and collective biphasic insulin release. VITAL calls for a coordinated global effort to shape a new biology in the age of AI—one in which models and experiments work together to explain how biological function emerges, predict how it changes and guide interventions for human health.