Anthropic opens Bay Area biology lab to accelerate AI drug discovery

Anthropic has quietly established a physical biology laboratory in the San Francisco Bay Area, marking a significant step in its push into AI-driven drug science. The startup confirmed the wet lab's existence, signaling a move beyond computer-based evaluations toward hands-on experimentation. The lab is part of Anthropic's broader ambition to tackle rare diseases and neglected conditions, with its head of life sciences, Eric Kauderer-Abrams, stating that real-world lab work remains essential for biological research. The company has also acquired startup Coefficient Bio for approximately $400 million in stock and launched software called Claude Science, while hiring experts in protein characterization and procurement to scale its operations Anthropic's expansion comes amid heightened public fears about AI risks, including recent warnings from its own researchers about potential catastrophic dangers. The company says it is balancing innovation with safety, focusing on preclinical work in areas traditional pharmaceutical firms overlook, and explicitly avoiding competition with drug developers by not running clinical trials for now