University of Washington’s David Baker wins Nobel Prize for designing proteins
University of Washington biochemist David Baker has won a share of this year’s Nobel Prize in chemistry for more than two decades of groundbreaking discoveries about the molecular structure of proteins.
Baker, the director of the UW Medicine Institute for Protein Design in Seattle, has developed numerous new medical therapies, materials and startups. “I think protein design has huge potential to make the world a better place, and I really do think we’re just at the very, very beginning,” Baker said.
Baker holds an impressive portfolio of over 100 patents and has co-founded 21 biotech companies, including Icosavax, which was acquired for $1.1 billion, and PvP Biologics, acquired for $330 million.