MolES professor David Baker receives Nobel Prize

David Baker in front of a white board.

Computational biologist David Baker, professor of biochemistry at the University of Washington School of Medicine, director of the UW Medicine Institute for Protein Design, and member of the Molecular Engineering and Science Institute, has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for computational protein design.

He shares the Nobel Prize with Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper of DeepMind, who were honored for protein structure prediction.

The award, announced today, Oct. 9, by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, will be presented in a ceremony Dec. Read More

Using computers to design proteins allows researchers to make tunable hydrogels that can form both inside and outside of cells

images of two cells. The cell on the right contains hydrogels decorated with Green Fluorescent Protein (green blobs), whereas the cell on the left does not because it is missing one of the hydrogel building blocks
images of two cells. The cell on the right contains hydrogels decorated with Green Fluorescent Protein (green blobs), whereas the cell on the left does not because it is missing one of the hydrogel building blocks
New research led by the University of Washington demonstrates a new class of hydrogels that can form not just outside cells, but also inside of them. Hydrogels are made up of protein building blocks linked together. Shown here are images of two cells. The cell on the right contains hydrogels decorated with Green Fluorescent Protein (green blobs), whereas the cell on the left does not because it is missing one of the hydrogel building blocks (green is everywhere in the cell).Mout
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Six MolES faculty among world's most influential researchers

Six researchers affiliated with the Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute are among the most influential in the world, according to the annual Highly Cited Researchers list published by the Web of Science, the world's largest publisher-neutral citation index.

COVID-19 Research at MolES

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, MolES faculty have pivoted their research to address the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. They are leveraging molecular engineering approaches and tools to develop improved diagnostics, targeted treatment strategies, and a better understanding of the virus. We highlight a few of these projects here.

Computer-designed vaccine elicits potent antibodies to RSV

A recent publication from the Institute for Protein Design, located in the MolES building, describes a nanoparticle platform developed for a respiratory syncytial virus study that will also be applied to vaccine research on flu, HIV, and more. Seattle startup Icosavax will advance related clinical trials.

Scientists design protein filaments that snap themselves together like Lego blocks

Hao Shen, a molecular engineering PhD candidate in the lab of biochemistry Professor David Baker, was a lead author of a study published in Science describing the creation of self-assembling protein filaments from scratch. The filaments were built from identical protein subunits that snap together spontaneously to form long, helical, thread-like structures which could be used to create new materials for a range of applications, from diagnostics to nano-electronics. Learn more in a related Geekwire story!

MolES Faculty among the World's Most Influential Researchers

Six faculty members of the Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute are included on a list of the world's most influential scientific researchers of the last decade. The 2014 list of Highly Cited Researchers, developed by Thompson Reuters, includes research scientists whose published papers rank in the top 1% of citations for their respective fields. In total, 31 UW affiliated faculty members in sciences and social sciences are listed in the report that includes more than 3,200 influential researchers around the globe. Read More