Scientists David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper have won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their groundbreaking work on the structure of proteins. The award, announced by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, is one of the most prestigious in the scientific community and is valued at 11 million Swedish crowns (approximately $1.1 million).
The academy’s statement highlighted two key discoveries: the construction of remarkable proteins and the fulfillment of a 50-year-old dream to predict protein structures from their amino acid sequences. Half of the prize was awarded to Baker for “computational protein design,” while Hassabis and Jumper shared the other half for their contributions to protein structure prediction.
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The chemistry prize, one of three annual awards, follows the announcements for medicine and physics earlier in the week. Nobel prizes were established in the will of Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, and are given to those who have made significant contributions to humanity.
First awarded in 1901, the Nobel Prizes recognize achievements in medicine, physics, chemistry, literature, and peace, with the economics prize added later and funded by the Swedish central bank. While chemistry may not always attract as much attention as other fields, it has seen illustrious recipients, including radioactivity pioneers like Ernest Rutherford and Marie Curie.
Last year’s chemistry award went to Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus, and Aleksey Ekimov for their discovery of quantum dots, which have widespread applications in modern technology, including flat screens and medical devices.
Alongside the cash prize, this year’s winners will receive a medal presented by the Swedish king on December 10, followed by a grand banquet in Stockholm City Hall.
The Nobel Prize is recognized worldwide for honoring significant contributions across six categories: Peace, Literature, Chemistry, Physics, Physiology or Medicine, and Economic Sciences. The awards are presented annually in Stockholm, Sweden, with the Peace Prize awarded in Oslo, Norway. Each laureate receives a medal, a diploma, and a cash prize.
