A virtual celebration honoring David Baker’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry

• The photo from left to right, top row: Ingo Ruczinski, Ed Thayer, David Shortle (visiting Professor from Johns Hopkins), Lab technician (?), Jed Santiago, Christopher Bystroff, Kevin Plaxco, David Riddle, Michelle Scalley
• Left to right, bottom row: David Kim, Hongdi Gu (crouched, first student to receive PhD in Baker lab), Kim Simons (front, second student to receive PhD in Baker lab), David Baker (back), Viara Grantcharova, Qian Yi, Karen Butner, and Sharon Gladwin (?).

In a heartfelt virtual event just days after the 2024 Nobel Prizes were announced, over 300 members of the Rosetta community — colleagues, scientists, past lab members, and PIs — gathered with David Baker to celebrate his recent Nobel Prize “for computational protein design.” The event was a reflection on the journey and impact of his pioneering work as a scientist and community-builder.. Many shared stories that highlighted David’s remarkable contributions and leadership.

David Baker expressed gratitude for the collective work of his lab and the community he has fostered, noting that 

“This prize is really a prize for everyone on the line. It’s for the whole community; protein design has come just this amazing way. And I think we really can, are, and will change the world. So for all the people in the Rosetta community, all the people in the IPD, this prize is really for you.”

The celebration began with a nostalgic look back at the early days. Some of David’s first graduate students and postdocs shared a photo and memories from the late 1990s and early 2000s when the foundations of protein design were laid. David spoke warmly about the evolution of the field that he contemplated during a five-hour bike ride a few days after the Nobel announcement, where he reflected on the collaborative milestones that shaped today’s achievements in computational protein design.

Former trainees shared memories of their time in the Baker Lab, underscoring the community’s collaborative spirit and David’s unwavering support. 

Brian Kuhlman revisited the Top7 project—foundational work that pioneered flexible backbone protein design by bringing together fundamental methods developed by various scientists in the lab at the time. Tanja Kortemme and others recalled the unique atmosphere David fostered, marked by ambitious goals and a shared vision of advancing science for the greater good.

Sarel Fleishman reflected on a time when de novo protein function was ineffective—what he described as the dark age of protein design—and quoted David, highlighting a life-changing insight from that period: “Yes, it’s true that the de novo design function doesn’t work, but that only means that the problem is huge, and when we solve it, we will have learned something very, very important.” 

Minkyung Baek shared that being in David’s lab was the first time she saw a PI actually work on his own project while having discussion with 100 people. While on vacation with his family, he called Minkhung on a Sunday because he had an idea and wanted to discuss it right then. That taught her how deeply David loves research. 

Jeff Gray shared that “I think of you as a coach, and you inspired me in how I train my lab and even coach my soccer team—building on each other’s creativity.” 

Anastassia Vorobieva shared that she became a mother while she was a postdoc in David’s lab. She explained that her family was on the other side of the world and that she wouldn’t have been able to achieve as much as she has without David’s support. He has pushed her to do things she didn’t dare to do.

Possu Huang shared that he almost quit, but David reminded him how valuable his skillset was. 

Neil King shared that David can build and visualize a future that doesn’t exist. “Tech builds on tech builds on tech—the speed and openness with which things build comes from David’s setting the culture of openness and sharing. David lifts everyone around him up and makes them better.” 

The event concluded with a Q&A, where David shared insights on the future of protein design, encouraging new Ph.D. students to pursue their passion and “just try and do whatever you’re most excited about at the time and don’t worry too much about the future.”

The virtual event was a powerful reminder of the community’s bond, which David fostered through an ethos of openness, collaboration, and relentless pursuit of excellence and scientific discovery.

As the Nobel celebration drew to a close, messages of congratulations and gratitude poured in, solidifying a shared belief in the transformative power of science and the enduring impact of David Baker’s legacy.