Breakthrough in protein science: Nobel Prize honours AI pioneers
In Stockholm, it was announced that this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to American David Baker and the British duo Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper. The scientists were honoured for their work on designing and predicting the three-dimensional structure of proteins.
9 October 2024 14:02
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureates have been revealed. American David Baker received recognition for his research on protein design using computational methods. British scientists Hassabis and Jumper were awarded for predicting the three-dimensional structures of proteins.
According to the Nobel Committee's website, the research findings of this year's laureates have made it possible to create new proteins that can be utilised in treating diseases, in vaccines, in nanomaterials, and for a better understanding of bacterial resistance to antibiotics.
AlphaFold2: Revolution in protein structure prediction
In 2020, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper introduced the AI model AlphaFold2. This model allows for predicting the structure of nearly all of the 200 million identified proteins. Since its introduction, AlphaFold2 has been employed by over 2 million people across 190 countries. This research has enhanced our understanding of the mechanisms of bacterial resistance to antibiotics and the action of enzymes that break down plastic.
In 2023, David Baker utilised amino acids, the fundamental building blocks of proteins, to design new protein molecules. His research group has since continued to design further proteins. These proteins have potential applications in drugs, vaccine components, nanomaterials, and small sensors.
Distribution of the monetary prize
David Baker will receive half the prize, totalling 11 million Swedish kronor (£790,000). Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper will share the remaining portion.
David Baker, born on October 6, 1952, is a pioneer in using computational methods for designing and predicting three-dimensional protein structures using artificial intelligence. His contributions are of immense importance to the field of medicine.
Thirty-nine-year-old Briton Demis Hassabis began his career designing and programming computer games using artificial intelligence. He is a co-founder of the DeepMind lab, a subsidiary of Google, and an advisor to the UK government on AI technology.
John Michael Jumper, born in 1981 in Little Rock, USA, collaborated with Hassabis to create the artificial intelligence system AlphaFold, which predicts protein structures based on amino acid sequences. Jumper is currently working at the DeepMind lab in London.
David Baker, a professor at the University of Washington, was listed in the 2024 "Time" list of the 100 most influential people in the field of health. Meanwhile, in 2021, John M. Jumper was recognised by the journal Nature as one of the ten most significant figures in science.
