构建化学大模型智能体框架,推动分子发现自动化
Molecular LLM Agents: From Architectural Design to Scientific Autonomy

- 提出化学对象多模态感知与基于LLM的智能体架构
- 划分四阶段科学自主性等级,从辅助到自主设题
- 为分子发现流程中的智能体设计提供系统指南
分子科学是基于大语言模型(LLM)智能体的重要前沿。与主要处理自然语言、代码或网络环境的一般智能体不同,分子智能体需在符号字符串、分子图、三维构象、光谱、模拟及实验测量等多种形式的化学对象上进行感知、推理与操作。其能力依赖于化学上忠实的分子感知、以LLM为核心的智能体框架、领域特定工具集成以及计算或实验反馈,还需具备规划与工具使用能力。本文从两个互补视角构建分子智能体的概念框架:第一,提出分子智能体的架构视角,涵盖分子表示与感知、智能体框架、领域专用工具箱,以及学习与优化;第二,受工程系统阶段性自主性的启发,提出科学自主性阶梯,将智能体分为四个层级:L1辅助型或固定工作流,L2自适应计算智能体,L3具备反馈的物理实验智能体,以及L4科学议程自主智能体。二者共同构成全面框架,可用于比较现有分子智能体、识别缺失能力与部署风险,并指导未来分子发现流程中智能体的设计、评估与应用。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
Molecular science represents an important frontier for LLM-based agents. Unlike general agents that mainly operate over natural language, code, or web environments, molecular LLM agents must perceive, reason about, and act upon chemical objects across symbolic strings, molecular graphs, 3D conformations, spectra, simulations, and wet-lab measurements. Their capabilities depend on chemically faithful molecular perception, an LLM-centered agent framework, domain-specific tool grounding, and computational or experimental feedback, in addition to planning and tool use. This work develops a conceptual framework for molecular LLM agents from two complementary perspectives. First, we introduce an architectural view of molecular-agent design, covering molecular representation and perception, the agent framework, domain-specific toolboxes, and learning and optimization. Second, we propose a scientific autonomy ladder inspired by staged autonomy in engineering systems, categorizing agents into four levels: L1 assistive or fixed workflows, L2 adaptive computational agents, L3 feedback-aware physical experiment agents, and L4 scientific-agenda agents. Together, these two perspectives establish a comprehensive framework for comparing existing molecular LLM agents, identifying missing capabilities and deployment risks, and guiding the design, evaluation, and deployment of future agents in molecular discovery workflows.
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