Abhi Siripurapu's Remarkable Journey in Biotechnology and AI

Hi everyone, welcome to the first ever PluggedIn blog! (We are so happy to have you! :) In this blog, we'll be using our platform in unison with the DevNotes Newsletter to draw eyes to the BRIGHTEST and most accomplished youth minds in the tech world that we interview weekly.

I present to you: Abhi Siripurapu, a high schooler in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, who is a rising leader in the field of biotechnology with two published papers as first-author. Most recently, he was a machine learning engineer at OCMS Bio, a startup that provides antibody tools using their innovative technology.

At OCMS Bio, Abhi worked on optimizing and humanizing nanobodies using cutting-edge machine learning techniques. He utilized a molecular modeling software called Schrodinger, various machine learning frameworks, and neural network architectures (including RNNs and LSTMs) to analyze and modify nanobody sequences. His process included gathering nanobody data from sources like the COVID antibody database, then using RNN and LSTM for sequence modeling and editing fir a trainer transformer, implementing an MSA-like process for sequence analysis, calculating aggregation scores using molecular modeling software, using a pseudo-GAN setup to suggest and evaluate sequence changes, and then employing in silico practices to measure how mutations affect aggregation propensity.

In the beginning of 10th grade he lead a new project from beginning to end under the Philadelphia Ear, Nose, and Throat Associates: using AI (Convolution LSTM Model) to detect voice fatigue to benefit singers or other people subject to over utilization. He began this project, realizing that there wasn’t much work done in that field at that point, and continued it for almost a two years from model development to human trial. Once the human trials validated his model, he even built an app on your phone and computer that you speak into for 30 seconds and the model tells you if your voice is fatigued or not, informing people who rely on their voice if their voice ASAP before more damage. By the end of it, he even recently got accepted to be published as first author in a respected ears, nose, and throat research journal!

In his summer after 10th grade was when Abhi was an engineer at OCMS Bio, and it’s also when he realized his true interest and calling toward AI application in antibodies and therapeutics.

Now finding his calling, during his junior year of high school he developed CDR Gen, an innovative AI system for antibody optimization. His project utilized a two-part approach: first, a large language model (LLM) trained on approximately 20 million antibody sequences using masked language modeling to predict and suggest beneficial mutations in the antibody's CDR three region. Second, a custom-designed convolutional neural network to predict binding affinity values based on 3D models of antibody-antigen complexes, eliminating the need for extensive physical testing. His system achieved improved binding affinity in 92% of tested sequences, with an average improvement of about 120%!! And his project, CDR Gen, is also designed to be adaptable to various antigens, potentially accelerating early-stage drug development by reducing the need for multiple rounds of mutagenesis and screening. No surprise, he again got accepted to be published as first author on another research for this one.

Holy moly. Complex “yap” that you’d never expect from a high schooler.

When I asked him how he got these opportunities, he remarked “just cold emails.” He’s an inspiration for everyone showing that being good at what you do will take you where you want to go.

He uses his knowledge to dominate competitions too... Abhi placed top 30 in the US for the USA Biology Olympiad. Abhi noted that he was only 2 points away from qualifying for the Olympiad's Study Camp (top 20) this summer to train to possibly represent the US at the International Biology Olympiad. He placed second in the state at DECA for his innovation project on a novel way to deliver tuberculosis medicine and attended the international competition in California; he placed third at his multi-state regional science fair on his research using LLMs to optimize antibodies and improve them at a significant margin.

Other than research and competitions, he also works at a local pharmacy as a technician! Shocked by huge prescription medication costs and the vast number of people that struggle to pay for them, he founded a non-profit called COPAID that helps senior citizens with out-of-pocket costs for their prescription medication from marginally underprivileged neighborhoods. He helps around 40 senior citizens pay for their medications every month and has saved them a total of 5-6 thousand dollars.

He attends The Hill School, a private boarding school in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, on a academic scholarship and is maxing out on his course load there with APs. He also is a varsity athlete at The Hill (it only makes sense) playing squash and is the founder of the biotech club at his school.

Abhi is truly astounding. If you want you can connect with him on LinkedIn, and continue to watch him grow into the head of this industry. If you'd like to contact him about anything, feel free to email him and reach out.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhinav-siripurapu-b23996201/ abhi.siripurapu1@gmail.com

Get excited for the next blog coming out next Saturday, a real spikey person being interviewed. Thank you for reading!