David Baker, a pioneering researcher who has received financial support from the European Commission, has been named one of the 2024 Nobel Prize winners in Chemistry. Baker received the award for his groundbreaking work in developing new proteins for a wide range of applications, including medicines, vaccines, nanomaterials, and precision sensors. His discovery has the potential to positively impact sectors ranging from medicine to material science.
Throughout his career, Baker has worked extensively with European scholars, and he has received EU funding to advance his studies. He participated in four Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) projects worth nearly €1 million funded by Horizon 2020 and previous EU programmes for research and innovation, allowing him to host, train and supervise MSCA postdoctoral fellows. Two of these projects, focused on protein design, got a total of €425,873.40 in EU funding.
Iliana Ivanova, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said:
“Professor Baker’s work highlights the power of curiosity-driven science and the value of international collaboration. The EU is happy to have funded his work and allowed excellent researchers to develop their skills and career under his guidance through Horizon Europe’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. We are committed to fostering cutting-edge research that benefits both Europe and the global community.”
David Baker is a professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine and director of the Institute for Protein Design. His work focuses on designing proteins and creating unique compounds that do not exist in nature. These synthetic proteins are designed to execute specific roles, ranging from therapeutic interventions to novel materials.
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and is regarded as one of the most prestigious honours in the scientific community. Baker’s pioneering study demonstrates the importance of fundamental science in society, as well as the critical significance of international collaboration in developing revolutionary discoveries.
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) are Horizon Europe’s flagship scheme for the training, skills and career development of researchers. The MSCA help build Europe’s capacity for research and innovation by investing in the long-term careers of excellent researchers. They also fund the development of excellent doctoral and postdoctoral training programmes and collaborative research projects worldwide.
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Learn more about Nobel laureates involved in MSCA
Press release from the Nobel foundation
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