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Nobel Chemistry laureate Demis Hassabis has Singapore in his blood
Dr Demis Hassabis founded AI start-up Deepmind that Google acquired for US$650 million (S$848 million). PHOTO: REUTERS

Raul Dancel
Correspondent
Updated
Oct 10, 2024, 01:06 AM
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Dr Demis Hassabis, one of the three winners of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, has Singapore in his blood: His mother is Singaporean, and he credits Singapore – a place he calls “this magical futuristic world” – for kindling his interest in tech.
He was awarded the Nobel prize on Oct 9, along with Dr John Jumper and Dr David Baker.
They were recognised for their work on advanced technology, including artificial intelligence, to predict the complex structures of proteins.
Dr Hassabis and his collaborator at Google DeepMind, Dr Jumper, were credited specifically for creating a technology that can rapidly and reliably predict the physical shape of proteins and enzymes.
That technology has sped up the discovery of medicines and creation of new biological tools.