British computer scientist Professor Demis Hassabis has been awarded a share of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his groundbreaking work on proteins, essential components of life. Prof Hassabis, 48, co-founded the AI company that evolved into Google DeepMind, which played a key role in this scientific advancement.
He shares the prestigious award with Professor John Jumper, 39, who collaborated with him on the project, and US-based Professor David Baker, 60. Their work focuses on proteins, which are vital for every cell in the human body and play a critical role in medical innovations, such as combating antibiotic resistance and developing enzymes that can break down plastics.
Prof Hassabis expressed his gratitude, calling it “the honour of a lifetime” during a press conference. He mentioned his lifelong passion for AI and its potential to transform the world. Humorously, he shared how the Nobel committee struggled to contact him, eventually reaching out to his wife after multiple missed calls.
Professor Jumper, equally thrilled, described the award as “unreal,” emphasizing the potential of computational biology to revolutionize scientific research. Both scientists and the Nobel committee highlighted their breakthrough tool, AlphaFold2, an AI system that predicts the structures of nearly all known proteins. This advancement has been hailed as a “complete revolution” by the Nobel committee, significantly expanding scientists’ understanding of protein structures, crucial for medical research.
Before the development of AlphaFold2, determining protein structures was a painstaking process, with only a small fraction identified. Now, their work provides insights into 200 million proteins globally. While Profs Hassabis and Jumper received half of the prize, the other half went to Prof Baker, recognized for his pioneering work in creating new proteins using amino acids, opening new frontiers in pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and beyond.
Prof Baker, who developed a key protein prediction software in the 1990s, was also honored for his contributions. He expressed humility when asked about his achievement, attributing his success to “standing on the shoulders of giants.”
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced at a press conference in Stockholm, Sweden. The winners will share a prize fund of 11 million Swedish kronor (£810,000), with half going to Prof Baker and the remainder split between Profs Hassabis and Jumper.
Who is Demis Hassabis?
Born to Greek-Cypriot and Singaporean parents, Demis Hassabis was a chess prodigy, reaching master status at the age of 13. After completing his A-levels at 16, he was asked to take a gap year before attending Cambridge University due to his young age. His early career involved designing award-winning computer games before earning a PhD at University College London.
In 2010, he co-founded DeepMind, a machine-learning company acquired by Google in 2014. DeepMind’s mission is to combine neuroscience and AI to solve complex problems, leading to this Nobel-winning breakthrough. Prof Hassabis’ contributions to AI and science have earned him numerous accolades, including the Nobel Prize for Chemistry.
