Computational protein design with experimental validation.
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“I have this idea of a communal brain.” David Baker, PhD, told me as I sat in his office at the University of Washington (UW) surrounded by colorful and complex figurines of protein structures. It was the one-year anniversary of his Nobel Prize in Chemistry win. Just outside his doors, a lab of more than 100 researchers was united by the shared ambition to design proteins from scratch (or de novo) for powerful applic
Croonian Prize Lecture: Advances in computational protein design Join us for the Croonian Prize Lecture delivered by Dr David Baker. The Croonian Medal and Lecture 2026 is awarded to Dr David Baker for pioneering the design of completely new proteins as well as playing key roles in the development of protein structure prediction and protein engineering tools. Proteins mediate the critical processes of life and beauti
That enormous potential is what attracted Christina Savvides, ’29, to the IPD. She’s working toward a UW medical degree and a doctorate in molecular engineering, thanks in part to the Oren Traub Endowed Fellowship, which supports students enrolled in the UW School of Medicine’s Medical Scientist Training Program. “I want to be what is called a physician scientist,”says Savvides, who chose the UW for its top-notch pro
Today we are releasing RFdiffusion3 as open-source software. This state-of-the-art AI model for biodesign is capable of generating new proteins that interact with any type of molecule commonly found inside living cells. “We built this as a general model and are sharing it freely so the scientific community can create things we haven’t even imagined yet.” Lead developer Rohith Krishna, PhD RFdiffusion3 tackles researc
A new study led by the Baker Lab shows for the first time that functional, full-length antibodies can be developed entirely on computers — no animal immunizations or extensive screening required. This breakthrough could reshape the $200 billion antibody drug industry and open pathways to treatments for diseases currently considered undruggable. The work builds on a preprint we posted in March 2024 showing AI could ge
SEATTLE — In celebration of Nobel Prize announcement week, Fay Lin, PhD, Senior Editor, Technology at GEN, sat down with Nobel Laureate, David Baker, PhD, to unpack the hype vs. reality surrounding designing proteins from scratch (de novo) and explore what’s needed for the AI revolution to truly transform medicine. Baker, who is also the director of the Institute for Protein Design (IPD) at the University of Washingt