Nobel prize is the most reputed award given in the field of scientific innovation. Nobel prize was first given on 1901, and since then it is given every year for the discoveries in science and human development. Following are the main categories of Nobel prizes- Physics, Chemistry, Physiology/Medicine, Literature, Peace and Economic Sciences.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024
This year, Nobel prize in Chemistry 2024, has been awarded to
- David Baker (University of Washington USA)
- Demis Hassabis (Google Deepmind UK)
- John Jumper (Google Deepmind UK)
Nobel prize in Chemistry is awarded for computational protein design to David Baker and protein structure prediction for Demis Hassabis and John Jumper.
We all know how important protein is for sustaining life. They are present in every living organism, and perform nearly all biological processes — from cell communication and growth to immunity and replication. This year Nobel prize recognize the research done by David Baker for building entirely new kind of proteins, and for Demis Hassabis and John Jumper for building AI model for predicting complex model of protein structure.
Figure: Amino acids are building blocks of protein
David Baker research work
David Baker’s research combines computational and laboratory techniques to create custom proteins with unprecedented precision. David Baker pioneered the field by developing world’s most popular and effective software for computational protein design, and creating the first protein with a novel 3D shape.
Proteins generally consist of 20 different amino acids, which can be described as life’s building blocks. In 2003, David Baker succeeded in using these blocks to design a new protein that was unlike any other protein. Since then, his research group has produced one imaginative protein creation after another, including proteins that can be used as pharmaceuticals, vaccines, nanomaterials and tiny sensors.
Figure: First protein that was different from other protein
David Baker work has produced several thousand new proteins, including molecules that neutralize viruses, target cancer cells, catalysts for chemical reactions. Baker’s research also contributed to the development of the world’s first computationally designed protein medicine, a protein-based vaccine for COVID-19.
Figure: Protein developed using David Baker’ Rosetta program
Demis Hassabis and John Jumper research work
In 2020, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper presented an AI model called AlphaFold2. Since their breakthrough, AlphaFold2 has been used by more than two million people from 190 countries. Among a myriad of scientific applications, researchers can now better understand antibiotic resistance and create images of enzymes that can decompose plastic.
AlphaFold2 Software
AlphaFold2 (AF2) is an artificial intelligence (AI) system developed by DeepMind that can predict three-dimensional (3D) structures of proteins from amino acid sequences with atomic-level accuracy. With its help, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper have been able to predict the structure of virtually all the 200 million proteins that researchers have identified.
Figure- AlphaFold produces highly accurate structure
End note
Nobel committee has recognized AI in the field of Physics and Chemistry research in 2024 awards. Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024 is an indicator where computational modeling using AI has been used to identify complex structure for proteins, and their greater importance on human including cancer research and creating covid vaccine from protein.
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