In celebration of this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry, we’ve made an infographic detailing Dr. David Baker's achievements in computational protein design. Dr. Baker shares the prize with Demis Hassabis and John M. Jumper of DeepMind, honored for their advancements in protein structure prediction. Check out the free, fully editable templates below. 

A special thanks to Ian C. Haydon, Head of Communications at the University of Washington and communications liaison for Dr. David Baker & the Baker Lab for collaborating with us on this infographic!

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The Science of Custom Protein Design

David Baker’s journey into custom protein design began with a simple yet powerful question: how can we predict and control protein folding? Proteins fold into complex 3D shapes, determining their function, but designing proteins with specific functions—ones not found in nature—is challenging¹.

Baker’s lab first tackled the problem of predicting protein structures by creating the Rosetta program, which allows researchers to predict protein shapes from amino acid sequences. As computing power grew, Baker’s team incorporated AI to improve speed and accuracy. Building on this, Baker’s lab shifted focus to designing entirely new proteins from scratch^1,2, using tools like RFdiffusion to create novel sequences with functions never seen in nature.

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RFdiffusion in Action

RFdiffusion is a state-of-the-art model used to design new proteins. It builds on  RoseTTAFold, a tool developed for structure prediction, by adapting it for denoising, a process that refines protein predictions³. RoseTTAFold helps guide RFdiffusion by gradually nudging the initial model to eventually converge on newly designed protein shapes³. 

The versatility and effectiveness of RFdiffusion have been proven by its success in designing a wide range of proteins, including symmetrical assemblies, metal-binding proteins, and targeted binders⁴. The process involves three key steps: random noise, iterative denoising, and final assembly.

A Timeline of David Baker’s Groundbreaking Protein Designs

David Baker's pioneering work in de novo protein design has led to several groundbreaking innovations:

• Top7 (2003): The first de novo-designed protein, Top7, created in David Baker's lab in 2003, marked a breakthrough in protein design⁵. This fully synthetic protein had a unique structure not found in nature, showcasing the potential of computational design and paving the way for future custom protein innovations in science and medicine.
• Antiviral Protein Against Influenza (2011): Baker's team designed a protein that binds to the hemagglutinin of the 1918 influenza virus, showcasing the potential of engineered proteins in combating viral infections⁶.
• Self-Assembling Protein Nanoparticle (2016): The creation of a self-assembling icosahedral protein cage demonstrated the ability to design complex nanostructures with specific geometries and functionalities⁷.
• SARS-CoV-2 Mini-Protein Inhibitors (2020): In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Baker's lab developed mini-proteins that inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, highlighting the rapid adaptability of protein design in addressing emerging health threats⁸.‍
• Extendable Protein Nanofibers (2023): The design of extendable repeat proteins capable of forming hexameric assemblies with controllable geometries offers new possibilities in materials science and nanotechnology⁹.

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These breakthroughs show how protein design is transforming medicine, biotech, and materials science. David Baker's pioneering innovations, together with the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded to Dr. Demis Hassabis and Dr. John M. Jumper for AlphaFold, highlight the power of deep learning and diverse approaches in advancing protein research.

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Inspired to create your own infographic? Keep reading! We'll take you behind the ‘canvas’ of how we designed this one, giving you tips and tricks to easily craft your own stunning infographic in BioRender.

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Behind-the-Infographic: Crafting Visual Stories That Shine

When it comes to designing infographics in BioRender, we aim to both 1) accurately showcase the science and 2) make it visually engaging and easy to understand. Achieving both can be challenging, especially when there’s a lot of information to include (like with the infographic above). But with the right approach, you can master it too.

Here’s how we brought the Nobel infographic to life—and how you can do the same.

Building a Clear, Dynamic Layout

For complex figures like infographics, a well-thought-out layout is especially important, as it keeps things organized and easy to read instead of overwhelming or confusing. To create a clear, dynamic layout for our Nobel Prize infographic about custom protein design, we followed three key principles:

1. Puzzle together the story pieces. To craft a compelling infographic about the Nobel-winning protein design technology, we included the following story pieces: an eye-catching title; a breakdown of the RFdiffusion computational tool; future cutting-edge applications, and a timeline outlining the evolution of protein design. With these components in mind, we assembled them in a clear reading order that flows naturally.
   
2. Emphasize the key visual element. We gave center stage to the protein visualization of Top7—the first-ever designed protein—by reserving ample room around it and making it much larger than the other visual components. We also positioned the Top7 visual where it compositionally pulls together the mechanisms section and the timeline.‍
3. Balance density with open space. Given that we had multiple text-dense areas (such as the ‘RFdiffusion in Action’ section), or with a lot of vibrant colors (such as the timeline), we fine-tuned the layout to ensure each key story piece had enough breathing room.

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Like this layout? We’ve turned it into a BioRender template - try it out for yourself! Click here to use the template.

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Adding That Extra Punch to the Visuals

Scientific infographics feature big stories and are content-dense by design. What sets them apart from other content-dense formats (e.g. research posters) is visual contrast as a guiding theme.

Visual contrast permeates all aspects of an effective infographic design, such as scale (large vs. small), rendering (realistic vs. schematic), space (open vs. dense sections), and color/tone (choices in hue, saturation, and tonal levels). For our Chemistry Nobel Prize infographic, we leveraged this theme when crafting the centerpiece of the infographic: an eye-catching 3D visualization of the first de novo protein design - Top7:

• Rendering and color: We wanted the readers to gaze into the molecular structure of the Top7 protein. To achieve this, we used BioRender’s PDB Plugin to easily generate multiple 3D renders of Top7 in the same perspective, in both cartoon and surface protein representations. We then styled these renders (using BioRender functionalities like color overlay, glow and transparency) and layered them together to achieve the final “x-ray” effect.
  
• Scale and composition: The Top7 graphic, was sized up to be much larger in scale compared to the other synthetic proteins in the timeline. This added contrast in size, along with its vibrant colors contrasting against the dark background, naturally draws the audience's attention.‍
• Connecting it to the rest: We then visually associated the Top7 image with the other elements of the infographic by adding specific graphic design motifs around it - i.e lines that connect it to the timeline below and a black circle that surrounds the protein structure. This way, while the Top7 serves as the visual centerpiece, it is also seamlessly integrated with the overall design.

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Not sure where to start when creating your key graphic? Try out one of our BioRender icon packs as a starting point! Here’s a collection of our protein structure icon to help with your figure creation. 

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Every figure is a story waiting to be told. Start by asking: What’s the key message I want to share? This will shape your design choices—from the key graphics you include to how you organize your information. With tools like BioRender and a thoughtful approach, you can bring your scientific story to life.

Keep reading: 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

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