Basile Wicky

Basile Wicky applies machine learning to computational protein design for synthetic biology and cellular engineering. He completed a PhD at the University of Cambridge under Jane Clarke and holds an MSc in chemistry from ETH Zurich and a BSc in chemistry and chemical engineering from EPFL; before ETH, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington's Institute for Protein Design. He coauthored a study on de novo protein logic gates and later discussed ProteinMPNN-based protein assemblies that fold as intended. He is a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Design at ETH Zurich's D-BSSE and a project leader for de novo interactome research in NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering.

Now at: ETH Zurich
Works: 51
Citations: 7,062
h-index: 18

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 27 October 2026.

Timeline

2020

Training and protein logic gates

His education includes an MSc in chemistry from ETH Zurich and a BSc in chemistry and chemical engineering from EPFL. In 2020, he coauthors “De novo design of protein logic gates,” which uses de novo-designed proteins to control protein association, including in primary human T cells.
2022

ProteinMPNN and assemblies

In September 2022, he describes ProteinMPNN’s ability to produce complex protein assemblies that fold as intended. The team also observes nanoscale protein rings with electron microscopy.
December 2023

Appointment to ETH Zurich

ETH appoints him in December 2023 as a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Design at D-BSSE, with a June 2024 start. Before joining ETH, he is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design in David Baker’s group, where he develops deep-learning methods for protein assemblies. His PhD at Cambridge, supervised by Jane Clarke, studies protein-protein interactions in disorder and the BCL-2 network.
December 2024

Joining the ETH AI Center

He joins the ETH AI Center’s faculty in December 2024.
Since June 2024

Assistant Professor at ETH Zurich

He is a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Design at ETH Zurich’s D-BSSE and a project leader for “De Novo Interactomes for Biomolecular Computations” in NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering. His lab develops computational protein-design methods for synthetic biology and cellular engineering, with machine learning applied to protein design. In August 2026, he gives the Dahlem Colloquium “Interfacing with biology using protein design” at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics.

Career

Since 2024ETH ZurichTenure-track Assistant Professor of Biomolecular Design
NowETH ZurichProject Leader, De Novo Interactomes for Biomolecular Computations (NCCR Molecular Systems Engineering)
From 2024ETH ZurichFaculty member
University of WashingtonPostdoctoral researcher