University of Washington and Google DeepMind Researchers Share 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for Protein Breakthroughs

David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper Honored for Groundbreaking Protein Design and AI-Based Structure Prediction

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024 has been awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to three researchers whose revolutionary work has unlocked new frontiers in understanding and designing proteins. David Baker, a professor at the University of Washington, Seattle, received half of the prize for his pioneering work in computational protein design. The other half was shared by Demis Hassabis and John Jumper from Google DeepMind, London, for developing an artificial intelligence model that has solved a long-standing challenge in predicting protein structures.

Breakthroughs in Protein Design and Prediction

Proteins are life’s essential chemical tools, controlling and driving reactions necessary for biological functions. David Baker, over two decades, has made significant advancements in the field of protein design. In 2003, he and his research group at the University of Washington developed methods to create proteins that do not exist in nature. These proteins, designed from scratch, have diverse applications ranging from pharmaceuticals and vaccines to nanomaterials and sensors. His work has demonstrated that it is possible to construct entirely new proteins using life’s building blocks—amino acids—opening doors to previously unimaginable biochemical creations.

In recognition of this achievement, Baker's contributions are considered to have reshaped our understanding of how proteins can be engineered for specific tasks, making it possible to design molecules for combating diseases or developing materials with novel properties.

Demis Hassabis and John Jumper, both based at Google DeepMind in London, were awarded for their work in addressing a 50-year-old problem in biology—predicting how proteins fold into their functional shapes. Since the 1970s, researchers have struggled to determine the three-dimensional structures of proteins from their amino acid sequences, a task that is essential for understanding protein function.

Hassabis and Jumper's development of AlphaFold2, an AI-based model, marked a breakthrough in 2020. The model has since predicted the structure of nearly all known proteins—around 200 million—making an immense impact on scientific research globally. Their discovery has profound implications for understanding biological processes and developing solutions to pressing challenges, such as antibiotic resistance and plastic decomposition.

Global Impact of Protein Research

The work of these Nobel laureates holds enormous potential for improving human health and understanding complex biological systems. Baker’s computational tools for protein design have been used to develop new classes of drugs, while the ability to predict protein structures with AlphaFold2 is accelerating research in areas like enzyme design and drug discovery.

AlphaFold2 has been accessed by over two million users across 190 countries, facilitating advancements in fields like genomics, molecular biology, and medicine. Researchers can now predict protein structures in mere hours, compared to years of work that were previously required to understand just a handful of proteins.

Prize and Recognition

David Baker, born in 1962 in Seattle, Washington, earned his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and is currently a professor at the University of Washington. His group at the Institute for Protein Design has consistently pushed the boundaries of what is possible in molecular biology, making him a key figure in protein science.

Demis Hassabis, born in 1976 in London, holds a PhD from University College London and is the CEO of Google DeepMind. John Jumper, born in 1985 in Little Rock, Arkansas, completed his PhD at the University of Chicago and is a Senior Research Scientist at Google DeepMind. Together, their work has revolutionized the field of protein folding, making a once-impossible task achievable with AI.

The total prize amount is 11 million Swedish kronor (approximately USD 1 million), with half going to David Baker and the other half shared between Hassabis and Jumper. Their contributions promise to drive future discoveries in medicine, biotechnology, and materials science.

Broader Implications for Science and Society

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry reflects the growing convergence between biology and artificial intelligence. The work of Baker, Hassabis, and Jumper underscores the potential for computational models and AI to revolutionize scientific research, enabling breakthroughs that can reshape industries and improve lives. As Heiner Linke, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, remarked, "These discoveries open up vast possibilities for understanding life at the molecular level and developing new treatments and technologies."

The laureates’ contributions will likely continue to inspire and drive forward global efforts to harness the power of proteins, furthering scientific knowledge and benefiting humanity.