The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded to researchers who have deciphered protein structures

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced on Wednesday (9) that researchers David Becker, from the University of Washington, Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper, from Google DeepMind, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

The three researchers made discoveries related to proteins. Becker was able to construct entirely new types of proteins, while Hassabis and Jumper developed an artificial intelligence model to predict complex protein structures.

“The diversity of life bears witness to the amazing ability of proteins as chemical tools. They control and direct all the chemical reactions that together form the basis of life. Proteins also function as hormones, signaling substances, antibodies, and building blocks for tissues,” the award organization said in a statement on social media. different.

The three will share a prize of 11 million Swedish krona (5.79 million Brazilian reals). David Becker was born in Seattle in 1962. He holds a doctorate from the University of California and works as a professor at the University of Washington. Demis Hassabis, 1976, from London, UK, PhD from University College London and CEO of Google DeepMind. John Jumper is the youngest of the three, born in 1985 in Little Rock, USA. He received his PhD from the University of Chicago and is a senior research scientist at Googe DeepMind.