He Won the Nobel Prize for Protein Design. Now He Uses AI to Create Molecules Not Found in Nature

AI BioDesign, a collaboration among the Allen Institute, University of Washington, and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, employs AI and large-scale experiments to create novel molecules and biological functions absent in nature. The initiative builds databases, models, and tools for future therapeutics, including cancer and neurodegenerative disease drugs. It also develops enzymes capable of degrading ocean plastics. David Baker, 2024 Nobel laureate in chemistry, emphasizes that computational screening can detect unintended biological interactions, environmental impacts, or misuse risks before synthesis.