Their work used advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, and holds the potential to transform how new drugs are made.

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three scientists today — two of which are significant figures at Google DeepMind — for their work around proteins, which the Nobel Prize committee describes as the “chemical tools of life.”

Sir Demis Hassabis, the chief executive and co-founder of the artificial intelligence giant Google DeepMind, won the Nobel Prize for chemistry for his work on the AI programme AlphaFold. The programme can accurately predict the 3D shape and structure of proteins and help scientists try to treat medical conditions such as Parkinson’s.