This is an era of artificial intelligence and machine learning. The two, along with other advanced technologies, are making waves and one such is in the segment of muscle development. Understanding how muscles grow now has become a whole lot clearer with the use of machine learning. Dr. Ori Avinoam from the Weizmann Institute of Science teamed up with Dr. Assaf Zaritsky from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev to solve the mystery behind the stem cells turning into muscle fibers.

Stem cells are like the building blocks of our body and these transform into different types of cells including muscle cells. But how exactly does this happen? The two scientists created a computer model to track the whole process.

The model gave each cell a score and it was based on how far along it was in becoming a muscle fiber. It was found that the cells don’t all change at the same rate. Each one has its own path and this was a surprise to them as they earlier thought these would all change together.

It was also discovered that a crucial checkpoint exist in the process. It is learned that ahead of the stem cells becoming muscle fibers, these need to make sure about the readiness. An enzyme called p38 helps with this. When these blocked the enzyme, the cells could not finish turning into muscle fibers.

The computer model showed that the cells got stuck in a sort of “ready-to-fuse” stage without the enzyme. These had all the right parts to become muscle fibers. However, these could not quite put them together.

The discovery is not just about muscles. It simultaneously reveals how machine learning can help us understand complex biological processes. This could help in the future in monitoring diseases like cancer in real-time.