Laupheim biochemist enthusiastic about Nobel Prize Research in Seattle

Laupheim biochemist enthusiastic about Nobel Prize Research in Seattle

In the early morning hours of October 9, Thomas Schlichthärle, a 37-year-old biochemist from the tranquil Bihlafingen, experienced an unforgettable moment. At three in the morning, while the west coast of the United States was still slept, his smartphone illuminated with goodwill messages from Europe. The reason? His boss, the renowned biochemist David Baker, was awarded the Chemical Nobel Prize! Together with Demis Hassabis and John Jumper, Baker is honored for his groundbreaking research to predict protein structures by artificial intelligence.

In the Baker laboratory at the University of Washington there was a state of emergency! "We celebrated all day," says Schnellhärle. Since September 2020 he has been researching this innovative environment, which is considered one of the best in the world. His way there was anything but straightforward: from the Friedrich Adler Realschule to the Technical High School in Ulm to his doctorate at the Max Planck Institute in Munich-Schlichthärle has worked hard in science. "I never thought that I would end up in Seattle," he admits.

Revolution through artificial intelligence

in the Baker laboratory, where one of 120 scientists works, everything revolves around computer-aided protein design. This revolutionary technique enables new proteins to be developed on the computer, which can then be used in biomedicine. "AI missed this research area an incredible boost," he explains. It is convinced that Seattle is the hotspot for such innovations.

But not only research inspires him. The pioneering spirit in the United States is incomparable for simple fainters. "Three to four start-ups from our research work are founded here every year," he reports. A recent start-up has even collected one billion dollars of investor funds-a sum that would be necessary for entire research areas in Germany. "I miss this pioneering spirit in Germany," he emphasizes. Despite his enthusiasm for the United States, he plans to return to a large German university next year to start a professorship. "I am happy to return to Germany next summer"-and that with the innovative spirit of the Nobel Prize laboratory in my luggage!