[Prof. David Baker, the 2024 Nobel Prize laureate visits POSTECH to reunite with his former postdoctoral researcher, Prof. Sangmin Lee…
lecture, meeting, and commemorative tree-planting]
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of its founding, POSTECH welcomed Prof. David Baker of the University of Washington, a Nobel Prize laureate in Chemistry, to its campus.
On April 10th, as part of the “POSTECH 40th Anniversary Lecture Series,” POSTECH hosted a meeting, a commemorative tree-planting ceremony, and lectures featuring Prof. David Baker and his wife, Prof. Hannele Ruohola-Baker. Prof. Baker delivered a lecture titled “Protein Design Using Deep Learning,” where he introduced current trends and future possibilities in protein design research using deep learning. Prof. Ruohola-Baker also shared research achievements in the life sciences through a keynote address.
The visit stemmed from an academic connection. Prof. Sangmin Lee of the Department of Chemical Engineering at POSTECH worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Prof. Baker’s laboratory for two years and nine months beginning in February 2021. Prof. Baker is a pioneering scientist in the field of “protein design,” using computers and AI to create novel proteins not found in nature. In recognition of these contributions, he received the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. In December of the same year, Prof. Baker and Prof. Sangmin Lee published their joint research in the prestigious journal Nature.
A POSTECH official said, “The visit by Prof. Baker and his wife provided great inspiration to our students and community members,” adding, “We hope this lecture series will become a meaningful program in celebration of POSTECH’s 40th anniversary.”