United States citizens David Baker and John Jumper, together with Briton Demis Hassabis, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Wednesday (9/10), for efforts to uncover the secrets of proteins through computing and artificial intelligence (AI).
Baker works at the University of Washington in Seattle, while Hassabis and Jumper work at Google Deepmind in London.
Baker designed the new protein in 2003 and his research group has produced one imaginative protein creation after another, including proteins that could be used as drugs, vaccines, nanomaterials and small sensors, the Nobel committee said.
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Meanwhile Hassabis and Jumper created an artificial intelligence model that was able to predict the structure of nearly 200 million proteins that the researchers had identified, the committee added.
Heiner Linke, chairman of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, said scientists have long dreamed of predicting the three-dimensional structure of proteins.
“Four years ago in 2020, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper managed to crack the code with the skillful use of artificial intelligence. “They make it possible to predict the complex structures of all proteins known in nature,” said Linke.
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“Another dream of scientists is to build new proteins to learn how to use nature’s various tools for our own purposes. This is the problem that David Baker solved,” he added.
“He developed computational tools that now enable scientists to design spectacular new proteins with completely new forms and functions, opening up endless possibilities to provide the greatest benefits to humanity,” he said.
Last year, the chemistry prize was awarded to three scientists for their work on quantum dots – tiny particles just a few nanometers in diameter that can release extremely bright colored light and have applications in everyday life including electronics and medical imaging.
The six-day Nobel Prize announcements opened last Monday, with the winners in medicine being US duo Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun. Meanwhile, the Nobel Prize in Physics was won by John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton. (France24/B-3)
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Breaking News: US and UK Trio Wins 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
In a groundbreaking announcement, the Nobel Prize committee has awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to a trio of innovators from the United States and the United Kingdom. David Baker and John Jumper from the United States, along with Briton Demis Hassabis, have been recognized for their pioneering efforts in unraveling the secrets of proteins using computing and artificial intelligence (AI).
As reported by Reuters [[2]], the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was established in the 1895 will of Swedish chemist Alfred Bernhard Nobel. The prize is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden [[3]].
David Baker, a researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle, has been at the forefront of protein design. In 2003, Baker designed a new protein, and his research group has since produced a range of imaginative protein creations, including proteins that can be used as drugs, vaccines, nanomaterials, and small sensors [[ article link ]].
Meanwhile, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper, both working at Google Deepmind in London, have been instrumental in developing AI-powered tools to predict protein structures and function. Their work has far-reaching implications for our understanding of protein biology and has the potential to revolutionize fields such as medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology.
The recognition of Baker, Hassabis, and Jumper’s contributions to the field of protein science is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary research and collaboration. Their work has pushed the boundaries of what is possible in protein design and has opened up new avenues for exploration and innovation.
As we look to the future, it is exciting to think about the potential applications of their research. With the help of AI and computing, scientists may be able to design proteins that can tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges, from climate change to disease.
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is one of the most prestigious awards in the scientific community, and Baker, Hassabis, and Jumper’s win is a well-deserved recognition of their groundbreaking work. They join a long list of illustrious Nobel laureates in Chemistry, including some of the most influential scientists of our time <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ListofNobellaureatesin_Chemistry”>[[1]].
the awarding of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to David Baker, John Jumper, and Demis Hassabis is a triumph for protein science and a testament to the power of innovation and collaboration. Their work has the potential to transform our understanding of protein biology and has far-reaching implications for fields such as medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology.
