UW protein institute run by Nobel winner lands giant AI cloud grant from Nvidia CEO’s foundation
The University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design (IPD) received a major computing grant from the Jen-Hsun and Lori Huang Foundation to accelerate its AI-driven protein research. The grant provides nearly 7 million hours of graphics processing unit (GPU) computing power, giving the Seattle-based institute additional resources to develop proteins with potential applications in medicine and environmental science.
Led by 2024 Nobel Prize winner David Baker, the IPD uses AI to design proteins that do not exist in nature, including those with potential to treat difficult diseases. The new computing capacity will allow researchers to test more ideas and improve their AI models without the limitations of their previous computing resources. Baker described the new capabilities as “transformational,” opening up more possibilities for the institute’s research.
This investment gives UW researchers greater capacity to advance AI-driven discoveries, strengthening the work being done at the intersection of technology and life sciences in Washington.