Our First Nobel: Rosetta Members Celebrate in Stockholm

“Scientific breakthroughs do not happen in isolation; progress depends on the collective contributions of many.” — David Baker, 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

David Baker has always believed in community. This was deeply felt last week as more than 100 professors, current trainees, and other members of the Rosetta community joined him in Stockholm as he received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for computational protein design. 

This gathering, to our knowledge, was the largest professional group ever to participate in Nobel Week, a tradition ongoing since 1901. The sheer number of attendees showcased the Rosetta community’s commitment to both creating and celebrating scientific achievements together, underlining the deep sense of unity that defines our members.

Nobel Week

Members of the Rosetta community came together to not only celebrate David’s achievements but also explore what comes next. Among the travelers were at least 55 professors, 31 industry scientists, 10 current trainees from Rosetta Commons, 38 from the IPD, and 48 from David’s family. The excitement among attendees during Nobel Week was electric, reflecting the historic significance of the event.

“This was the second event I attended that was organized by the Rosetta Commons, the first being  last year’s Winter RosettaCon. As a PhD student just starting out, it was a very memorable experience for me to get to know the Rosetta community beyond just our shared scientific interests. Meeting and speaking in person with leaders in the field and senior graduate students, whose work I had previously only read about, was incredibly inspiring. The Nobel Prize lectures and the scientific sessions gave me a lot of insight into the numerous possible applications of protein design and prediction. Thanks to the organizing committee for putting together such an amazing event!” – Shayana Saravanakumar

Nobel Lectures

On December 8, Stockholm University hosted the Nobel Prize lectures in chemistry, aptly titled “They Cracked the Code for Proteins’ Amazing Structures.” Many travelers from the Rosetta community took the train to the lecture hall together and caught their first in-person glimpse of David on stage. Those who could not attend in person joined a live watch party in central Stockholm. 

The session, now viewable on YouTube, featured 30-minute talks by each laureate:

• “De Novo Protein Design” by David Baker
• “Accelerating Scientific Discovery with AI” by Demis Hassabis
• “Building Chemical and Biological Intuition into Protein Structure Prediction” by John Jumper

My favorite moment  was the moment when David came to say hello to everybody after the Nobel lectures. It was just such a genuine moment, and he was happy to see us. We were happy to see him, and it was just great. ~ Ajasja Ljubetic

Community Events

December 9 featured a panel on Rosetta membership, led by Colin Smith, which attracted significant attendance and lively discussions.  It was attended by 28 scientists from academia and industry. The panel discussed the redefinition of the membership structure of the Rosetta Commons.

In the evening, a celebratory dinner brought together Rosetta supporters, David’s entourage, and 11 guests from Google DeepMind, including Nobel Laureate John Jumper. The evening was filled with joyous reflections, camaraderie, and, of course, plenty of photos to commemorate the occasion.

On December 10, Ashley Vater and Justin Siegel led a scientific session for Rosetta supporters, diving into recent advancements and future directions in the field. The session drew an enthusiastic crowd and sparked engaging conversations about the path forward for computational protein design.

• Session 1:  “Redefining the Blueprint: Computational Frontiers in Protein Design” – Foundational discoveries and new computational tools driving innovation.
• Session 2: “Designing Solutions: Computational Protein Design for Specific Needs” – Targeted applications of computational tools addressing pressing challenges.
• Session 3: “Unlocking Impact: Computational Protein Design for Better, Faster, Cheaper Solutions” – Advances revolutionizing industry by improving efficiency and accelerating impact.

The Ceremony

The official Nobel Ceremony takes place each year on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death, at the Stockholm Concert Hall. In a grand event steeped in tradition, the King of Sweden presents each laureate with their Nobel diplomas and gold medals. Following the ceremony, a banquet at the Stockholm City Hall honored the prize winners, their families, and distinguished guests, including members of the Swedish Royal Family and government officials.

The Rosetta community in Stockholm organized its own parallel gathering to stream the award ceremony, followed by a celebratory gala that included dinner and dancing. The sense of pride and unity among the community was evident as they marked this monumental occasion in style.

David joined the Rosetta-organized gala just before midnight and was received with thunderous applause. He shared what it was like to dine in between Sweden’s Queen and Crown Princess, how happy he was to see so many familiar faces, and he thanked the organizers who made this extraordinary week possible.

My tears almost fell when I heard David’s banquet address:  “Scientific breakthroughs do not happen in isolation; progress depends on the collective contributions of many. …. The scientists in these communities came and are coming from all over the world, showing how enlightened immigration policies lead to progress that benefits all of us.” – Peilong Lu

At the gala was David’s postdoc advisor Randy Sheckman, himself a Nobel laureate. Randy announced to the crowd that everyone who has ever trained under David is now in a unique position: As David is now a member of a chain Nobelists trained by Nobelists stretching back to the 1905 chemistry laureate Adolf von Baeyer, almost any member of the Rosetta community who wins a Nobel would continue this long legacy.

I am so thankful to have been able to be part of this experience. It proves that science is at its best when done together. – Ora Furman

Looking Ahead

David Baker’s Nobel Prize serves as a testament to the power of collaboration and the collective efforts of the Rosetta Community. Congratulations to everyone who made this possible.