Nobelprijs scheikunde voor onderzoek naar eiwitstructuren.

·24 min·2 clips

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry goes to David Baker for computational protein design and DeepMind's Demis Hassabis and John Jumper for AI protein structure prediction.

This special episode of NRC's Onbehaarde Apen focuses on the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, awarded for breakthroughs in protein structure prediction and design. Host Gemma Venhuizen is joined by science editors Laura Wismans and Niki Korteweg to analyze the prize. The award is split between David Baker of the University of Washington for computational protein design and Demis Hassabis and John Jumper of Google DeepMind for protein structure prediction using AI. The hosts note that this marks the second Nobel Prize this week involving AI, following the natural sciences prize. They discuss the significance of proteins as the building blocks of life, composed of chains of 20 amino acids that fold into specific shapes to perform functions like muscle movement, immune response, and hormone regulation. The episode contrasts traditional protein crystallography, a slow and labor-intensive method awarded a Nobel in 1962, with modern AI approaches. Laura explains that AlphaFold is a neural network that iteratively predicts protein structures by comparing amino acid sequences to a database of known folds. The hosts trace the development of protein prediction tools, from Baker's RosettaFold in the 1990s to Hassabis and Jumper's AlphaFold, which entered the protein folding competition in 2018 and improved accuracy. They highlight how AlphaFold 2 and 3 have further refined the process, making it faster and more flexible. The conversation explores the individual contributions: Baker engineered synthetic proteins like Top Seven, while Hassabis and Jumper leveraged DeepMind's AI capabilities. Practical applications are discussed, including drug development, biomolecules for cosmetics and food, plastic degradation, and agricultural pesticides. The hosts note the role of start-ups like Cradle in making protein design accessible. They reflect on the unprecedented award to corporate researchers and the computational resources required, contrasting Google's deep pockets with university constraints. The episode wraps up by emphasizing the ongoing nature of this research and its potential to revolutionize multiple industries.

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