Stockholm (AP): On Wednesday, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was given to David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper for their pioneering work related to proteins. Baker is affiliated with the University of Washington in Seattle, while Hassabis and Jumper are associated with Google DeepMind in London. Hans Ellegren, the secretary general of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, announced the recipients of the prize.
Since designing a novel protein in 2003, Baker’s research team has produced a series of innovative protein designs, including options for pharmaceuticals, vaccines, nanomaterials, and miniature sensors, according to the Nobel committee. The duo of Hassabis and Jumper developed an artificial intelligence model capable of predicting the structure of nearly all 200 million proteins identified by researchers, the committee noted.
Last year’s chemistry prize recognized three scientists for their advancements in quantum dots—tiny particles that emit vibrant colors and have applications in electronics and medical imaging. The week of Nobel announcements began with the medicine prize awarded to Americans Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, followed by the physics prize to machine learning pioneers John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton.
Further awards will be presented, including the literature prize on Thursday, the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, and the economics prize on October 14. The Nobel Prize includes a monetary award of 11 million Swedish kronor (approximately USD 1 million), funded by a bequest from Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. The laureates will receive their awards during ceremonies held on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s passing.
