The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024 to two teams of researchers who have made groundbreaking discoveries in the field of protein design and prediction.
David Baker, a professor at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA, has successfully designed entirely new kinds of proteins, a feat considered almost impossible. His research group has created proteins that can be used as pharmaceuticals, vaccines, nanomaterials, and tiny sensors.
On the other hand, Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper from Google DeepMind, London, UK, have developed an AI model called AlphaFold2, which can predict protein structures with unprecedented accuracy. This breakthrough has enabled researchers to understand antibiotic resistance and create images of enzymes that can decompose plastic.
The discovery of proteins’ amazing structures holds enormous potential for the advancement of life sciences and medicine. Heiner Linke, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, describes both discoveries as “vast possibilities” that open up new avenues in protein research.
Proteins are the building blocks of life, consisting of 20 different amino acids linked together to form a three-dimensional structure that determines their function. The prediction of protein structures has been notoriously difficult, but Hassabis and Jumper’s AI model has made it possible to predict the structure of virtually all identified proteins.
The prize amount is 11 million Swedish kronor, with one half awarded to David Baker and the other half jointly to Demis Hassabis and John Jumper. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences will continue to promote scientific excellence and exchange ideas between disciplines, upholding its mission since its founding in 1739.
Source: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/2024/press-release/