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Dr. Demis Hassabis (UK) and Dr. John Jumper (USA) - co-winners of the VinFuture Special Prize for Scientists researching new fields 2022 have just been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for its work using artificial intelligence (AI) to "decode" the structure of most proteins has received special attention from the research community because of its great significance. Protein structure is considered a "half-century" problem for the scientific community as well as the whole world , in which the biggest bottleneck is predicting protein structure without experimentation.

Notably, among the three winners of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, two scientists, Dr. Demis Hassabis and Dr. John Jumper, with their groundbreaking work, were soon honored at the VinFuture Special Prize for Scientists Researching New Fields in 2022.

At that time, the VinFuture Prize Council assessed that the pioneering work on the AlphaFold 2 protein decoding artificial intelligence system by the two scientists had created a revolution in protein structure modeling, helping to promote breakthrough developments in the fields of biomedicine, medicine and agriculture .

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Before Dr. Demis Hassabis and Dr. John Jumper, the two winners of the first VinFuture Main Prize, Dr. Katalin Karikó and Prof. Drew Weissman, were also honored with the 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine.

Appreciating the significance of the work that was soon honored at the VinFuture Prize, Vice President of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology - Prof. Dr. Chu Hoang Ha said that the VinFuture Prize Council has shown a far-sighted vision and is on the right track when looking at works that have a great impact on humanity. "These are works that not only contribute to the development of science but also to the lives of millions of people," said Prof. Dr. Chu Hoang Ha.

He also recalled that the two previous winners of the VinFuture Prize, Prof. Kariko and Dr. Weissman, also won the 2023 Nobel Prize in Medicine. According to him, VinFuture's choice of the same Nobel Prize is not a coincidence. In addition to its foresight, what Prof. Dr. Chu Hoang Ha emphasized was VinFuture's ability to stay ahead of the trend when choosing to honor works aimed at areas with great impact such as: artificial intelligence, green energy, food security, public health, etc.

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The VinFuture Prize is considered to have contributed to promoting research in the field of global science and technology, while enhancing Vietnam's position in the world.

Sharing this view, Dr. Nghiem Vu Khai, former Deputy Minister of Science and Technology, said that the early recognition of projects like AlphaFold 2 is the result of VinFuture's correct, humane, and global orientation and mission.

Although the award was born later, according to Dr. Nghiem Vu Khai, VinFuture has gathered the quintessence of human intelligence, with new thinking and perspectives of the times and breakthrough methods. Combined with the foundation and inheriting tradition, the award is creating a great influence on a global scale.

From a scientific perspective, Dr. Le Thi Hong Lan, a biotechnology expert, said that the special feature of VinFuture is that the award not only focuses on projects with clear achievements but also evaluates the potential for future development.

She emphasized the significance of discovering and honoring breakthrough works from VinFuture. “The precise selection of the VinFuture Prize not only creates motivation for the award recipients but also makes an important contribution to promoting breakthrough research,” said Dr. Lan.

Overall, according to her, VinFuture is increasingly affirming its position in the global scientific community, not only in recognizing scientific achievements but also as a bridge between researchers and new opportunities, thereby contributing to promoting the sustainable development of science and technology in the future.

The Dinh