The Nobel Prize in Chemistry: From AlphaFold2 to Protein, a 50-Year-Old Dream of Heiner Linke and John Hassabis

The Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded to three scientists today — two of whom are significant figures at Google DeepMind — for their work around proteins, which the Nobel Prize committee describes as the “chemical tools of life.”

The scientific applications for AlphaFold2 include helping researchers to understand antibiotic resistance and develop plastic degrading enzymes, according to the Nobel committee. The chemistry prizewinners have made work that once took years now take just a few minutes.

The construction of spectacular Protein is one of the discoveries being recognised this year. Heiner Linke, chair of the chemistry committee, said that the other is about fulfilling a 50-year-old dream. “Both of these discoveries open up vast possibilities.”

She isn’t sure if this week’s decisions signify a route or not. She and others think that it will make a difference.

Hassabis said that she had put it down several times and that he and John were going to celebrate the awarding of the prize. I don’t know what happened, but she thought it was a Swedish number and they asked for my number.