Google DeepMind's Hassabis, Jumper Win Chemistry Nobel

This post originally appeared on the Google DeepMind Blog.
This morning, Sir Demis Hassabis, Co-founder and CEO of Google DeepMind and Isomorphic Labs, along with Google DeepMind Director Dr. John Jumper, were awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. They received this prestigious award for their groundbreaking work on AlphaFold, an AI system that predicts the 3D structure of proteins from their amino acid sequences. David Baker was also recognized for his contributions to computational protein design.
Before AlphaFold came along, figuring out a protein's structure was a real headache—it took ages and was super complicated.
Thanks to AlphaFold, over 2 million scientists and researchers from 190 countries now have access to a powerful tool through the AlphaFold Protein Structure Database. The 2021 paper on AlphaFold 2 has become one of the most-cited publications ever.
AlphaFold's impact on science has been huge, earning it accolades like the 2023 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, the 2023 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, the 2023 Canada Gairdner International Award, the 2024 Clarivate Citation Laureate award, and the 2024 Keio Medical Science Prize Award.
AI has always had the potential to revolutionize scientific research, and AlphaFold really showed us what's possible. As more scientists start using AI for everything from gathering data to simulating experiments, designing drugs, modeling complex systems, finding new solutions to old problems, and building on what we already know, we're going to see some amazing breakthroughs in the future.
Sir Demis Hassabis, Co-founder and CEO of Google DeepMind and Isomorphic Labs, and Dr. John Jumper, Google DeepMind Director
After being informed of the news, Demis Hassabis shared his thoughts:
"Receiving the Nobel Prize is the honor of a lifetime. I want to thank the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, John Jumper and the AlphaFold team, the wider DeepMind and Google teams, and all my colleagues past and present who made this possible. I've dedicated my career to advancing AI because of its incredible potential to improve billions of lives. AlphaFold has already helped over two million researchers with critical work, from enzyme design to drug discovery. I hope we'll remember AlphaFold as the first proof that AI can really speed up scientific discovery."
Upon hearing he won the Nobel Prize, John Jumper released the following statement:
"I want to thank the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for this incredible honor. We are thrilled to be recognized for our work in computational biology, which helps us understand proteins and supports the amazing work of experimental biologists. This is a clear demonstration that AI can accelerate science and ultimately help us understand diseases and develop new treatments. This award is a testament to the exceptional team at Google DeepMind and their fantastic work.
Computational biology has always promised to deliver practical insights for real-world experiments, and AlphaFold has made good on that promise. We're on the cusp of a new era of scientific discoveries powered by AI. Thanks to my colleagues over the years for making this recognition possible, as well as for all the discoveries that are yet to come."
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Comments (41)
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ノベル賞受賞おめでとう!😆 AI が化学の基礎をここまで理解できるなんて、科学の進歩は本当にすごい。ハサビス氏とジャンパー博士の功績が称えられるのは当然だけど、今後さらに医療現場でどう活用されるか楽しみだな。🧪✨
Finally, AI gets its due! 🎉 AlphaFold's impact on protein folding is mind-blowing. This Nobel is well-deserved. 🤯
¡Menuda sorpresa ver que un Nobel de Química va a parar a quienes trabajan con IA! Esto muestra claramente cómo la inteligencia artificial ya no es solo una herramienta informática, sino que está transformando disciplinas científicas fundamentales. Me pregunto ¿cuántos más premios así veremos en el futuro para investigaciones impulsadas por IA? 🧪🤖 Emocionante, aunque a la vez da un poco de miedo pensar en la velocidad de estos avances...

This post originally appeared on the Google DeepMind Blog.
This morning, Sir Demis Hassabis, Co-founder and CEO of Google DeepMind and Isomorphic Labs, along with Google DeepMind Director Dr. John Jumper, were awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. They received this prestigious award for their groundbreaking work on AlphaFold, an AI system that predicts the 3D structure of proteins from their amino acid sequences. David Baker was also recognized for his contributions to computational protein design.
Before AlphaFold came along, figuring out a protein's structure was a real headache—it took ages and was super complicated.
Thanks to AlphaFold, over 2 million scientists and researchers from 190 countries now have access to a powerful tool through the AlphaFold Protein Structure Database. The 2021 paper on AlphaFold 2 has become one of the most-cited publications ever.
AlphaFold's impact on science has been huge, earning it accolades like the 2023 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award, the 2023 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, the 2023 Canada Gairdner International Award, the 2024 Clarivate Citation Laureate award, and the 2024 Keio Medical Science Prize Award.
AI has always had the potential to revolutionize scientific research, and AlphaFold really showed us what's possible. As more scientists start using AI for everything from gathering data to simulating experiments, designing drugs, modeling complex systems, finding new solutions to old problems, and building on what we already know, we're going to see some amazing breakthroughs in the future.
"Receiving the Nobel Prize is the honor of a lifetime. I want to thank the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, John Jumper and the AlphaFold team, the wider DeepMind and Google teams, and all my colleagues past and present who made this possible. I've dedicated my career to advancing AI because of its incredible potential to improve billions of lives. AlphaFold has already helped over two million researchers with critical work, from enzyme design to drug discovery. I hope we'll remember AlphaFold as the first proof that AI can really speed up scientific discovery."
Upon hearing he won the Nobel Prize, John Jumper released the following statement:
"I want to thank the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for this incredible honor. We are thrilled to be recognized for our work in computational biology, which helps us understand proteins and supports the amazing work of experimental biologists. This is a clear demonstration that AI can accelerate science and ultimately help us understand diseases and develop new treatments. This award is a testament to the exceptional team at Google DeepMind and their fantastic work.
Computational biology has always promised to deliver practical insights for real-world experiments, and AlphaFold has made good on that promise. We're on the cusp of a new era of scientific discoveries powered by AI. Thanks to my colleagues over the years for making this recognition possible, as well as for all the discoveries that are yet to come."
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Before joining Sequoia Capital in 2020 as chief digital and information officer, Avon Puri spent over a decade running infrastructure at Rubrik and VMware. Three years ago, as large language models began showing their true potential, Puri, alongside
ノベル賞受賞おめでとう!😆 AI が化学の基礎をここまで理解できるなんて、科学の進歩は本当にすごい。ハサビス氏とジャンパー博士の功績が称えられるのは当然だけど、今後さらに医療現場でどう活用されるか楽しみだな。🧪✨
Finally, AI gets its due! 🎉 AlphaFold's impact on protein folding is mind-blowing. This Nobel is well-deserved. 🤯
¡Menuda sorpresa ver que un Nobel de Química va a parar a quienes trabajan con IA! Esto muestra claramente cómo la inteligencia artificial ya no es solo una herramienta informática, sino que está transformando disciplinas científicas fundamentales. Me pregunto ¿cuántos más premios así veremos en el futuro para investigaciones impulsadas por IA? 🧪🤖 Emocionante, aunque a la vez da un poco de miedo pensar en la velocidad de estos avances...





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