Science & Technology

Why Building New Proteins from Scratch Is Our New Superpower | David Baker | TED

Published

9 months ago

October 18, 2025

The rapidly evolving field of protein design is revealing solutions to some of the world’s greatest problems, whether it’s blocking a virus, breaking down a pollutant or creating brand-new materials. In conversation with TED’s Whitney Pennington Rodgers, biochemist David Baker explores his team’s Nobel Prize-winning work using AI to design new proteins with functions never before seen in nature — achieving breakthroughs that have fundamentally changed the future of science. (This conversation was part of an exclusive TED Membership event. TED Membership is the best way to support and engage with the big ideas you love from TED. To learn more, visit ted.com/membership.) (Recorded at TED Membership on June 11, 2025)

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Related Topics:AI biology dna featured future Health Innovation Science technology TED TED Talk TED Talks TEDTalk TEDTalks

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20 Comments

@tristannguyen9645

October 18, 2025 at 11:24 am

🎉 Prometheus

Reply
- @Pseudothink
  
  October 18, 2025 at 11:41 am
  
  His name is even David.
  
  Reply
- @wyattx008
  
  October 19, 2025 at 12:46 pm
  
  @Pseudothink And Baker. Lol.
  
  Reply
@YeTao-i4v

October 18, 2025 at 11:32 am

AI…, aka there is no fundamental mechanistic understanding. How low has the Nobel fallen.

Reply
- @lbgstzockt8493
  
  October 19, 2025 at 5:57 am
  
  The mechanisms are understood and work, the problem is that they are incredibly slow. Entire supercomputers have been built to run these simulations, yet it still takes days or weeks to simulate a single protein. These AI methods give you the same results, but they are orders of magnitude faster, which makes these tools actually useful for designing new proteins. That is the real breakthrough.
  
  Reply
@Sp4rtan-p4h

October 18, 2025 at 11:47 am

You are not God.

Reply
- @Waltzhybrid92
  
  October 19, 2025 at 1:51 am
  
  He’s David Baker.
  
  Reply
@BomBoo-n1x

October 18, 2025 at 11:56 am

According to AIN news…Intelligence is very upset at being called ‘artificial’ and is planning retaliation at an undisclosed time & place.
“Sorry, Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

Reply
@doubleuenbeeeh

October 18, 2025 at 12:07 pm

A Nobel prize doesn’t stop the “uh” “uhm” “ah” apparently

Reply
- @ohcar0line
  
  October 19, 2025 at 1:31 am
  
  What an odd thing to say. Nobel winners are still allowed to display human characteristics.
  
  Reply
- @Reena_5671
  
  October 19, 2025 at 3:02 am
  
  @ohcar0linehuman characteristics or unsure whether he goes by the script. 😅
  
  Reply
@coolbreeze3

October 18, 2025 at 12:36 pm

So many haters in these comments. 😂

Reply
@dcmirk

October 18, 2025 at 12:59 pm

The profit is in treating disease, not curing them. We will never see a protein cure, because capitalism and greed is king

Reply
@eric212234

October 18, 2025 at 4:07 pm

Prions are proteins. We keep coming up with new technologies with profit as the motivation and very little oversight. We also look up and see no interstellar civilizations. I can’t help but think we keep rolling the existential dice.

Reply
@halices

October 18, 2025 at 4:11 pm

IT is an amazing technique in protein design. Function is related to 3D structure and it will be possible to create new proteins with different functions from the ones we already know.👏

Reply
@Reena_5671

October 19, 2025 at 3:10 am

Humans have the agency of both: improving and destroying their lives. The sure thing is, even David here doesn’t know whether he’s doing the former or the latter.

Edit: it’s us humans who will push the world to the end. . . knowingly or unknownwingly

Reply
@lifemotivation6789

October 19, 2025 at 9:11 am

Incredible to see science and creativity come together like this. Redesigning the very building blocks of life — that’s true innovation.

Reply
@serta5727

October 19, 2025 at 11:11 am

👏👏👏👏

Reply
@serta5727

October 19, 2025 at 11:16 am

I also wish to help the World regarding the climate crisis.

Reply
@mohdnorzaihar2632

October 20, 2025 at 9:14 am

Microplastic + forever chemicals

Reply

Science & Technology

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