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ScienceQuiet 3d · day 6

Nobel laureate Baker launches AI BioDesign to create molecules nature never made

David Baker leads a project combining AI and lab work to design entirely novel proteins for medicine, environmental cleanup, and beyond.

newest coverage 3d agosummary written 3d ago4 pieces NewswiresGoogle NewsMastodon

What to know

  • David Baker, 2024 Nobel laureate in Chemistry, leads AI BioDesign—a project to design molecules and proteins that do not exist in nature but are physically and chemically possible.
  • The initiative targets applications ranging from new cancer and neurodegenerative disease treatments to plastic-degrading enzymes and biological computers.
  • Baker argues that computational design and contained laboratory testing allow the project to evaluate risks before molecules are synthesized or deployed in the real world.

David Baker Chief scientific officer at AI BioDesign; 2024 Nobel laureateAllen Institute Biomedical research nonprofit leading AI BioDesignUniversity of Washington Research partner in AI BioDesignFred Hutchinson Cancer Center Research partner in AI BioDesign

Nobel laureate Baker launches AI BioDesign to create molecules nature never made
wired.com

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

Peak 3 pieces in two hours at Sep 18, 5 AM; 4 pieces over 6 days (3 articles · 1 post) Sep 18, 5 AM — 3 pieces · 3 articles — Google News 2, Newswires 1Sep 18, 7 AM — quietSep 18, 9 AM — quietSep 18, 11 AM — quietSep 18, 1 PM — quietSep 18, 3 PM — quietSep 18, 5 PM — quietSep 18, 7 PM — quietSep 18, 9 PM — quietSep 18, 11 PM — quietSep 19, 1 AM — quietSep 19, 3 AM — quietSep 19, 5 AM — quietSep 19, 7 AM — quietSep 19, 9 AM — quietSep 19, 11 AM — quietSep 19, 1 PM — quietSep 19, 3 PM — quietSep 19, 5 PM — quietSep 19, 7 PM — quietSep 19, 9 PM — quietSep 19, 11 PM — quietSep 20, 1 AM — quietSep 20, 3 AM — quietSep 20, 5 AM — quietSep 20, 7 AM — quietSep 20, 9 AM — quietSep 20, 11 AM — quietSep 20, 1 PM — quietSep 20, 3 PM — quietSep 20, 5 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 20, 7 PM — quietSep 20, 9 PM — quietSep 20, 11 PM — quietSep 21, 1 AM — quietSep 21, 3 AM — quietSep 21, 5 AM — quietSep 21, 7 AM — quietSep 21, 9 AM — quietSep 21, 11 AM — quietSep 21, 1 PM — quietSep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 5 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 9 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 1 AM — quietSep 22, 3 AM — quietSep 22, 5 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 9 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — quietSep 22, 1 PM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 5 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 9 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 1 AM — quiet 1
Sep 19Sep 20Sep 21Sep 22yesterdaynow · 2:56 AM ET
  1. 1

    Baker articulates ambitions for protein design applications

    Baker states the project's goals: developing cures for new diseases in weeks rather than decades, cleaning air and water through pollutant removal, enabling crops to thrive in harsh conditions, and building molecular machines to extract minerals from waste. The project also envisions new drugs for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, and enzymes capable of breaking down ocean plastics.

    “We're working to build a world where a cure for a new disease is created in weeks, not decades. Where our air, water, and soil are clean because we removed pollutants and reimagined the processes that contaminated them.”
    — David Baker
  2. background

    AI BioDesign outlines risk-mitigation approach for novel molecules — Baker describes the primary risks as similar to any new biological technology—unintended interactions with living systems, unexpected environmental effects, or misuse—and explains the project's mitigation strategy: computational screening before synthesis, extensive testing in contained labs, and increasingly realistic validation before real-world application.

  3. background

    WIRED publishes interview with Baker on AI BioDesign initiative — WIRED en Español publishes an interview with David Baker, chief scientific officer at AI BioDesign, discussing a new project that uses artificial intelligence and large-scale laboratory experiments to design molecules and biological functions not found in nature. The initiative is led by the Allen Institute in Seattle, along with the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 2 outlets Nobel Winner Uses AI to Design Molecules Beyond Nature

    first by The Tech Buzz, 5d ago · also WIRED

    1 more headline