The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry went half to David Baker and half to Demis Hassabis and John Jumper – all three for their work with artificial intelligence in predicting protein structures.
What are proteins?
Proteins are biological macromolecules built from amino acids. They are present in every cell and perform vital functions: as hormones, signalling substances, antibodies and tissue building blocks.
The protein folding problem
How does a chain of amino acids fold into its three-dimensional shape? That question occupied scientists for decades. With DeepMind's AlphaFold2, AI was able to solve the problem – with enormous implications for medicine and materials research.
What does that mean for the future?
With AI-supported protein prediction, new medicines can be developed considerably faster. Diseases previously considered untreatable come within reach. An impressive example of AI's positive influence on the world.
