SEATTLE — A professor of biochemistry at the University of Washington School of Medicine has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Professor David Baker won the prize for his work on computational protein design.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Baker described proteins as "miniature machines that carry out all the important jobs in our bodies and all living things." Before his work, the only proteins scientists knew about were ones that occurred naturally. Baker was awarded for his work designing and creating brand-new proteins that don't exist in nature, with the potential to be used to address a wide array of issues facing people and the environment.
"The idea that you could make new (proteins) was kind of a crazy idea," Baker said. "Because proteins solve all the problems that living things have to deal with so well, if you could make new proteins, you could potentially solve a lot of current problems for which there aren't proteins to deal with."
With Baker's work on protein design, scientists have figured out how to configure completely new proteins with new functions - for example, attacking cancers in a more precise way to develop treatments that are more safe and effective than chemotherapy. Outside the world of biology, researchers are also investigating proteins that can catalyze chemical reactions to help break down plastic and other pollutants that are contributing to the current ecological crisis.
Baker has also been recognized for his work's influence on other scientists, according to the release. He has published more than 640 peer-reviewed papers, been awarded over 100 patents and co-founded 21 biotechnology companies. He was recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential People in health by Time Magazine, named a Clarivate Citation Laureate and listed among the 50 most influential leaders and changemakers in the life sciences in 2024 by STAT News.
“I am thrilled that David Baker has been named a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry,” said Dr. Timothy Dellit, CEO of UW Medicine and dean of the UW School of Medicine. “His relentless pursuit of excellence and visionary approach to protein science has helped crack the code for understanding protein structure."