The Washington Research Foundation (WRF) has awarded $7 million to the University of Washington Institute for Protein Design (IPD) to accelerate the creation of novel catalytic enzymes and protein-based technologies with applications spanning medicine, technology, and sustainability.
The multi-year grant aims to cement Washington state’s position as a global leader in protein science while translating discoveries into real-world tools, companies, and solutions.
The initiative will be led by David Baker, 2024 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry, IPD director, professor of biochemistry, and HHMI Investigator at the University of Washington. Last year, WRF provided the IPD with a $199,314 planning grant to lay the groundwork for this ambitious program.
At the core of the project is the IPD’s deep learning-enabled enzyme design pipeline. The team will refine its "design-build-test-learn" approach, using computational modeling, gene synthesis, and lab validation to develop predictive AI tools capable of forecasting protein properties for practical use. The IPD will focus on creating enzymes and sensors for therapeutics, diagnostics, molecular electronics, renewable energy, greenhouse gas mitigation, and waste degradation.
By improving speed and reliability, the program seeks to make it easier for scientists to convert concepts into fully functional proteins, accelerating both scientific discovery and product development.
The grant also expands the IPD’s collaborations to new fields beyond life sciences, including waste management, advanced materials, and renewable energy, linking cutting-edge science with practical industry challenges and fostering startup creation.
Training the next generation of innovators is central to the initiative. Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers will work in interdisciplinary teams, receiving mentorship in translational science and entrepreneurship to boost regional innovation.
"Many global industries — including pharma, agriculture, energy, and manufacturing — depend on catalysts to drive essential chemical reactions. With AI, we can now design these molecules from scratch, tailored precisely to the task at hand. This grant from WRF will help us push this technology further and train a new generation of scientists to bring designed enzymes from the computer to the lab to the market," said Baker.
The $7 million grant will be distributed over four years starting in mid-2026. Additional support will come from philanthropist Sanford Weill, the Fund for Science and Technology (FFST), and the IPD Breakthrough Fund. The University of Washington will provide extra office and lab space in Seattle’s South Lake Union to support the program.
This marks the fourth award from WRF’s BioInnovation Grants program, launched in 2025 to fund large-scale opportunities that advance Washington’s life sciences ecosystem. WRF’s total commitments through the program now exceed $32 million across five institutions.
"The IPD has been a cornerstone of Seattle's innovation ecosystem for many years, helping establish this region as a global hub for protein design research. Their groundbreaking science has led to the formation of many successful companies that translate discovery into real-world impact.
"WRF has been proud to support the Institute's work in the past, and we are excited to back this new chapter, which expands their capabilities beyond medicine and brings protein design solutions to pressing challenges in areas like sustainability, electronics and agriculture," said Meher Antia, WRF’s director of grant programs.
