admin The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced on Wednesday that the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to scientists David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper for their pioneering work in understanding protein structures. The prize, considered one of the most prestigious honors in the scientific community, carries a reward of 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.6 million).
Half of the prize was granted to David Baker for his contributions to computational protein design, while the other half was shared between Demis Hassabis and John Jumper for their advancements in predicting protein structures from amino acid sequences. Their work has significantly advanced the field of protein science, making it possible to design new proteins with specific functions and predict their shapes—a milestone long sought by researchers.
Advancing Protein Science
The Academy highlighted two groundbreaking achievements in the recipients’ work. David Baker’s research focused on designing new proteins with specific functions through computational methods, a development that opens the door to innovative treatments and biotechnological applications. In parallel, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper fulfilled a 50-year-old dream in the scientific community by accurately predicting the three-dimensional shapes of proteins based solely on their amino acid sequences. This breakthrough accelerates drug development and deepens the understanding of biological processes.
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the third award to be announced this year following the prizes for medicine and physics, was established under the will of Alfred Nobel. First awarded in 1901, the prize recognises individuals whose work has significantly benefited humankind. It remains a key honor in the scientific world, with past recipients including legends such as Ernest Rutherford and Marie Curie.
The laureates will receive their awards and a medal from the Swedish king on December 10 during a ceremony at Stockholm City Hall, followed by a celebratory banquet. Last year’s award honored Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus, and Aleksey Ekimov for their discovery of quantum dots, highlighting the ongoing contributions of chemistry to technological advancements.
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