Virtual Cell Challenge

virtualcellchallenge.org · 206 words · saved by 3 readers

The challenge, hosted by Arc Institute at virtualcellchallenge.org and sponsored by NVIDIA, 10x Genomics, and Ultima Genomics, is focused on a fundamental challenge in biology. Entrants will use AI models to predict effects of single gene perturbations in cells. With total prizes worth $175,000, the challenge is part of Arc's efforts to accelerate AI modeling of biology, including by inspiring the creation of high-quality datasets and helping establish standardized benchmarks for virtual cell modeling.

Advances in single-cell RNA-seq technologies now enable large-scale measurements of cellular responses to genetic and chemical perturbations, fueling this exciting era of predictive cellular modeling. The Virtual Cell Challenge is a recurring, open, community-driven challenge aimed at evaluating and improving computational models that predict cellular responses to genetic or chemical perturbations. In 2026, the Challenge raises the bar to multi-context generalization and zero-shot prediction. We are not providing any net-new training dataset this year. Participants are free to use the H1…

Virtual Cell Challenge

saved by

related reading