Nordic Life Science 1
56 “I now plan to focus more on what matters the
most to me, like collaborating closely with my students and postdocs and dedicating myself to the most meaningful and exciting research projects. I hope to use the Nobel Prize to elevate my research even further.” H David Baker has always been interested in big questions and realized that biology offered endless opportunities for exploration and discovery. OW DID YOU initially react to winning a Nobel Prize and how has it influenced your life and your work so far? “I was thrilled! Honestly, I think I was too sleepy to fully process it when I got the call, but I was absolutely excited. Things have become incredibly busy. On the bright side, I’ve reconnected with many people I hadn’t heard from in years.” “The downside is I haven’t had time for proper conversations with them. Professionally, it’s made things a bit more hectic. I already lead a very active research group with a lot going on, so adding the Nobel Prize on top has increased our workload.” “I now plan to focus more on what matters the most to me, like collaborating closely with my students and postdocs and dedicating myself to the most meaningful and exciting research projects. I hope to use the Nobel Prize to elevate my research even further.” How did your career path to becoming a scientist begin? “I started to study philosophy. I guess I've always been interested in big questions. When there’s not a lot of new things being discovered, there’s a new territory to explore. Then I came across biology and realized it offered endless opportunities for exploration and discovery, which truly fuels my passion.” “Initially, in college, I only took introductory classes, but then I decided to pursue graduate studies in biology, focusing on understanding how cells function. At that time, I wasn’t working with proteins at all. I didn’t start tackling the kinds of problems I work on now until I became a professor.” How did you first become interested in protein structures? “Proteins are fascinating because they perform virtually every function in living organisms, yet they’re essentially just large molecules made up of atoms and bonds. At first glance, they might not seem “alive”, but they exhibit remarkable behaviors that make them feel almost life-like. My interest in proteins grew from this paradox – they represent one of the simplest forms of biological self-organization. In nature, proteins accomplish incredible feats, and now, with modern techniques, we can design proteins to achieve equally amazing outcomes, which I find incredibly exciting.” Describe the applications of protein design? “We create new proteins to break down plastic, treat cancer, treat autoimmune diseases, protect against viruses, or capture solar energy. Additionally, we are designing proteins that can block the key components of snake venom. This means that if someone is bitten by a snake, these proteins could effectively neutralize the venom. The applications for protein design span across fields like medicine, sustainability, and advanced nanotechnology.” THE NOBEL PRIZE // CHEMISTRY PHOTO UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON