Google DeepMind Releases AlphaGenome 2: Predicting Genetic Variant Effects on Specific Cell Types
Google DeepMind launched AlphaGenome 2, offering finer-grained predictions of how DNA mutations affect different cell states, aiding disease research.
Google's AI lab DeepMind released AlphaGenome 2 on November 11, 2026. The new genomic AI model is designed to unravel how changes in DNA affect different types of cells, giving scientists a more detailed view of genetic clues to disease causes.
Unlike its predecessor, AlphaGenome 2 predicts the effects of genetic variants on individual cell types and states. While nearly every human cell carries the same DNA, different cells—such as heart muscle, skin, or immune cells—switch different genes on and off, and these patterns change depending on what a cell is doing. Consequently, the same genetic variant can have very different effects depending on the cell type and state.
DeepMind stated that AlphaGenome 2 was trained on more than 100 million individual cell profiles across 68 tissues. According to the company, the model identifies nearly twice as many variants that can change gene expression in cells compared to its previous state-of-the-art model. Researchers also found that AlphaGenome 2 can make predictions about new types of cells and biological states without needing retraining, and it can identify gaps in experimental data to help guide future lab investigations.
AlphaGenome 2 is currently available for non-commercial research via the AlphaGenome API, with a limited "private preview" for commercial research. Žiga Avsec, Google DeepMind’s genomics lead, noted that while AlphaGenome 2 is a successor to AlphaGenome, its more detailed predictions come at a higher computational cost, so it will not replace the original model immediately.