British computer scientist Professor Demis Hassabis has been awarded a share of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in recognition of his revolutionary work on proteins, the essential building blocks of life. At 48, Hassabis is celebrated for his role as a co-founder of Google DeepMind, an artificial intelligence (AI) company that has made significant advancements in computational biology.
Professor John Jumper, 39, who collaborated closely with Hassabis on the groundbreaking research, shares the honor alongside US-based Professor David Baker, 60. Their collective efforts have dramatically improved the understanding of proteins, leading to advancements in various medical fields, including antibiotic resistance solutions and imaging enzymes that can break down plastics.
In a press conference held on Wednesday, Prof Hassabis expressed his gratitude, stating that receiving the Nobel Prize was the “honor of a lifetime.” He shared his passion for AI, emphasizing its transformative potential for the world. The Nobel committee’s initial attempt to contact him was met with a humorous twist; they called his wife, who, unaware of its significance, ignored the call several times before realizing it was important.
Hassabis encouraged young people to not only engage with computer games but also to create them, highlighting how his early gaming experiences sparked his interest in AI.
Prof Jumper described the award as feeling “so unreal,” adding that it represents the promise of computational biology. The duo utilized AI to predict the structures of nearly all known proteins, creating a groundbreaking tool called AlphaFold2. For decades, scientists faced challenges in predicting the unique shapes of proteins, which are made up of chains of amino acids. The shape of a protein determines its function in the human body, making structural understanding essential for medical advancements.
The Nobel committee praised AlphaFold2 as a “complete revolution,” noting that it is currently used for 200 million proteins globally. Prior to their work, only a small fraction of protein structures had been deciphered.
The prize was divided, with half awarded to Hassabis and Jumper, while the other half recognized Prof Baker for what the committee termed the “almost impossible feat” of designing new proteins. Prof Baker, who developed the Rosetta program in the 1990s, expressed his excitement upon learning of the award. He recounted waking up to the ringing phone, leading to a joyous reaction from his wife upon hearing the news.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the winners at a press conference in Stockholm, revealing that the total prize fund is worth 11 million Swedish kronor (£810,000). Prof Baker will receive half of the award, while Hassabis and Jumper will share the other half, marking a significant milestone in the field of chemistry and computational biology.
