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David Baker
Jun 28, 2026 1:51 PM

  David Baker American biochemist and computational biologist Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/David-Baker-biochemist Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/David-Baker-biochemist Written by Kara Rogers Kara Rogers is the senior editor of biomedical sciences at Encyclopædia Britannica, where she oversees a range of content from medicine and genetics to microorganisms. She joined Britannica in 2006 and... Kara Rogers Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Oct 10, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Quick Facts Born: 1962, Seattle, Washington, U.S. (Show more) Ask the Chatbot a Question Ask the Chatbot a Question David Baker (born 1962, Seattle, Washington, U.S.) is an American biochemist and computational biologist who developed computerized methods for the de novo (from scratch) design of proteins with entirely new functions. Baker’s work on protein structure prediction and design fueled advances in synthetic biology and in the development of novel drugs and proteins for industrial applications. He was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry (shared with English computer scientist Demis Hassabis and American researcher John M. Jumper) for his breakthroughs in computational protein design. Baker grew up in Seattle. As an undergraduate, he attended Harvard University, where he studied ...(100 of 607 words)

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