Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024: David Baker, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper for work on proteins
On 9 October 2024, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024 half to David Baker for computational protein design and half jointly to Demis Hassabis and John Jumper for protein structure prediction.
Summary
On 9 October 2024, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024 with one half to David Baker (University of Washington, Seattle, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, USA) 'for computational protein design' and the other half jointly to Demis Hassabis and John Jumper of Google DeepMind, London, 'for protein structure prediction'. Baker designed an entirely new protein in 2003. In 2020, Hassabis and Jumper presented the AI model AlphaFold2, which has helped predict the structure of virtually all the 200 million proteins researchers have identified and has been used by more than two million people from 190 countries. The prize amount is 11 million Swedish kronor.
Key facts
- Announced
- 9 Oct 2024, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
- Half
- David Baker: computational protein design
- Other half
- Demis Hassabis & John Jumper (Google DeepMind): protein structure prediction
- AI model
- AlphaFold2 (2020)
- Prize amount
- SEK 11 million
Practice MCQs 4 questions
David Baker received half of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024 for what?
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Correct answer: A — Computational protein design
Nobel press release (9 Oct 2024): one half to David Baker 'for computational protein design'.
Which AI model, presented in 2020 by Demis Hassabis and John Jumper, was recognised by the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024?
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Correct answer: D — AlphaFold2
Nobel press release (9 Oct 2024): in 2020, Demis Hassabis and John Jumper presented an AI model called AlphaFold2.
Demis Hassabis and John Jumper, Nobel Chemistry 2024 laureates, are affiliated with which organisation?
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Correct answer: B — Google DeepMind
Nobel press release (9 Oct 2024): Demis Hassabis and John Jumper are listed with Google DeepMind, London, UK.
Consider the following statements about the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024: 1. It was awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. 2. AlphaFold2 has been used by more than two million people from 190 countries. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both statements are correct. Nobel press release (9 Oct 2024): the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences decided to award the prize, and AlphaFold2 has been used by more than two million people from 190 countries.