# Nobel laureate designs molecules nature never made

> David Baker is using AI to create entirely new proteins and biological functions that could revolutionize medicine and sustainability.
- Title: Nobel laureate designs molecules nature never made · WIRED
- Summary: David Baker is using AI to create entirely new proteins and biological functions that could revolutionize medicine and sustainability. AI now lets scientists…
- Keywords: david baker, ai biodesign, nobel prize chemistry, protein design, artificial intelligence, computational design, allen institute, university of washington, fred hutchinson cancer center, synthetic biology, drug discovery, plastic degradation
- Source: WIRED — https://wired.com/story/nobel-prize-protein-design-now-using-ai-to-create-molecules-beyond-nature
- Author: Jorge Garay
- Published: 2026-09-18T10:30:00+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: david baker, ai biodesign, nobel prize chemistry, protein design, artificial intelligence, computational design, allen institute, university of washington, fred hutchinson cancer center, synthetic biology, drug discovery, plastic degradation
## Nature only scratches the surface
The natural world represents just a fraction of what's physically and chemically possible. AI BioDesign combines artificial intelligence with lab experiments to create molecules and biological functions that don't exist in nature.

> The natural world as we know it represents only a fraction of what might exist.
## Meet the Nobel Prize winner leading the charge
David Baker, who won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for computational protein design, serves as chief scientific officer of AI BioDesign. The project is led by the Allen Institute in Seattle, along with the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center.
## From cancer drugs to plastic-eating enzymes
The researchers aim to create databases and tools for developing future medicines and technologies. Potential applications include new cancer treatments, cures for neurodegenerative diseases, and enzymes that break down ocean plastics.
## A transformation as big as industrialization
Leaders in the field compare the potential of these AI design methods to historic transformations like industrialization, electrification, and the digital revolution. This represents a fundamentally new approach to biology.
## Risks are manageable with the right tools
The main risks of designing new molecules are similar to any new biological technology: unintended interactions with living systems, unexpected environmental effects, or misuse. Computational design lets scientists evaluate risks before synthesis and test extensively in contained labs.
## AI might design what we can't explain
As AI models become more capable, they could eventually design functional molecules that scientists don't fully understand. Baker says strong experimental evidence can justify moving forward, but deeper understanding remains important for advancing the field.
## Some designs should stay off limits
Applications addressing major health, sustainability, or human well-being challenges deserve development. Designs creating significant risks to public safety, security, or the environment need heightened scrutiny and restrictions. Baker advocates monitoring all synthetic DNA manufacturing.
## The vision: cures in weeks, not decades
Baker's team envisions a world where disease cures are created in weeks instead of decades, where pollutants are removed from air and water, where crops thrive in harsh conditions, and where molecular machines extract critical minerals from waste.

> We're working to build a world where a cure for a new disease is created in weeks, not decades.
## Key takeaway

AI now lets scientists design molecules that are physically possible but don't exist in nature, potentially accelerating drug discovery and solving environmental problems.