SESSION 3:
HOT TOPICS
Session Chair
Dr Chun-wa CHUNG
GLAXOSMITHKLINE, Stevenage, United Kingdom
09:00
The Use of Dual Targeted Bicycles® to Induce Localised CD137 Agonism (OC04)
Dr Peter BROWN
BICYCLE THERAPEUTICS, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Peter got his Degree and PhD at the University of Edinburgh, after which he had a postdoc in Colorado.
Once he returned to the UK he transitioned to more industry like roles as a biophysicist for the Drug Discovery Unit (DDU) at CRUK Beatson Institute in Glasgow where he worked on hard to drug targets such as KRas. From hard to drug targets Peter moved to the Membrane protein field working on GPCRs at SoseiHeptares primarily supporting SPR. Recently, Peter started a role as the Biophysics Team leader at Bicycle Therapeutics working across the portfolio to deliver early screening validation biophysics support to generate a new class of therapeutics.
09:15
Biophysical Methods Enabling Structure-Based Drug Discovery on Membrane Protein Targets (OC05)
Dr Michael HENNIG
LEADXPRO AG, Villigen, Switzerland
Michael Hennig studied Physics and Biochemistry, received the Ph.D. in structural biology at EMBL Hamburg, and the Charité, Humboldt University Berlin, Germany.
It followed two years postdoc work at the Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland. He is author of more than 100 scientific peer reviewed paper and, since 2011, guest professor in structural biology at the University of Basel.
Michael worked 20 years at Roche, Basel, Switzerland in various positions in drug discovery pioneering structure-based drug discovery. As Global Head and Principle Leader of discovery technologies he assumed global responsibility for structure-based drug discovery, protein science, assay development and HTS, Roche corporate compound library, stem cell platform and analytical physical methods.
In 2015, he co-founded leadXpro, a Biotech company dedicated to enable structure-based drug discovery for membrane protein targets (GPCR’s, Ion-channels, Transporter) and utilizing most advanced biophysical and structure determination technologies such as the X-ray free electron laser and cryo-electron microscopy.
09:30
Exhibitor Short Presentation by Refeyn
Dr James WILKINSON
REFEYN, Oxford, United Kingdom
09:40
Applying Biophysical Interaction Methods to Characterize Binary and Ternary Complex Formation (OC06)
Dr Daniel SCHWARZ
MERCK KGAA, Darmstadt, Germany
Daniel Schwarz earned his PhD from Goethe University Frankfurt/Main, Germany in Biophysical Chemistry for his work on the structural and functional characterization of membrane embedded proteins. In 2010 Daniel joined Merck Healthcare KGaA as a bench scientist in the department of Molecular Interactions and Biophysics. He currently holds a Principal Scientist position within the Discovery & Development Technology unit and leads a team in the department of Discovery Pharmacology.
His actual Drug Discovery research concentrates on the characterization of molecular interactions by various biophysical methods in a cell free environment. It covers a broad range of activities: fragment screening, analysis of binding kinetics of small molecules as well as of biologics/ADCs and species/isoform selectivity of drug-target interactions. Since a few years ternary complex formation assays for the analysis of small molecules, inhibiting DNA or RNA modifying enzymes or triggering protein degradation, as well as various assay formats providing insights into the molecular mode of drug/target binding complement Daniels Discovery research activities.
09:55
Discovery and Characterization of Active Small Molecule Ligands Targeting the Function of Ubiquitin Specific Protease USP7 by a Catalytic Site Independent Mechanism (OC07)
Prof. Till MAURER
IDEAYA BIOSCIENCES, South San Francisco, United States
Current title and positions: Senior Principal Research Scientist in Biophysics, Lead Discovery, Ideaya Bioscience, South San Francisco, Adjunct Professor, Fakultät für Biologie und Vorklinische Medizin Lehrstuhl Biophysik II, Regensburg University
Research field: Using the Biophysics toolchest in observing and understanding molecular interaction, and its application in drug discovery
Past Positions: 2019-2022: Director and Principal Scientist, MSD, Rahway and West Point
2009-2018: Senior Scientist, Genentech, South San Francisco
2008-2009: Principal Scientist, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt
2001-2008: Senior Scientist Boehringer Ingelheim, Biberach/Ingelheim
1995-2001: Assistant professor, Regensburg University
10:10
Coffee Break
10:40
The Biophysics in the Discovery of Potent cGAS Inhibitors (OC08)
Dr Manuel HILBERT
F. HOFFMANN-LA ROCHE LTD, Basel, Switzerland
Molecular Interaction Scientist at pRED Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche;
Since 2014 focus on “Doing now what patients need next”
PostDoc in Biophysical Interactions and Structural Biology, Paul Scherrer Institute Villigen (Prof. Michel Steinmetz) 2010-2014 focus on molecular understanding of centriole duplication
PhD, Department of Biophysical Chemistry, Biozentrum Basel (Prof. Klostermeier) 2010 focus on conformational dynamics of RNA helicases and Topoisomerases with smFRET
10:55
Exhibitor Short Presentation by Collaborative Drug Discovery
Mr Mark HARDING
COLLABORATIVE DRUG DISCOVERY, Toulouse, France
11:05
Positioning Biophysics on the Drug Discovery Map (IL05)
Dr Christine GENICK
NOVARTIS PHARMA AG, Basel, Switzerland
Dr. Christine Genick has been working since 2000 in the field of biophysics, not only on the development of technologies for screening, but also in the utilization of these approaches for lead finding in drug discovery. In 2009, Chris joined the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research as a laboratory head in charge of designing biophysical strategies for HTS, FBS, and focused screen follow-up. Later she became the Core Biophysics Technology Representative, which entails designing new applications, evaluating technologies, and establishing approaches to detect small molecule binding interactions with target proteins. Currently she is a co-lead on the Advancing Structural Biophysics Infrastructure Project in the Protein Sciences department. In her spare time, she serves as a Scientific Advisory Board member of the MOlecular-Scale Biophysics Research Infrastructure (MOSBRI).
ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION 1
11:35
Roundtable set-up
11:40
Big Data Management in Biophysics
moderated by
Dr Engi HASSAAN
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, Berlin, Germany
with the participation of
Dr Chun-wa CHUNG
GLAXOSMITHKLINE, Stevenage, United Kingdom
Dr Matthias FRECH
MERCK, Darmstadt, Germany
Dr Christine GENICK
NOVARTIS PHARMA AG, Basel, Switzerland
Dr. Christine Genick has been working since 2000 in the field of biophysics, not only on the development of technologies for screening, but also in the utilization of these approaches for lead finding in drug discovery. In 2009, Chris joined the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research as a laboratory head in charge of designing biophysical strategies for HTS, FBS, and focused screen follow-up. Later she became the Core Biophysics Technology Representative, which entails designing new applications, evaluating technologies, and establishing approaches to detect small molecule binding interactions with target proteins. Currently she is a co-lead on the Advancing Structural Biophysics Infrastructure Project in the Protein Sciences department. In her spare time, she serves as a Scientific Advisory Board member of the MOlecular-Scale Biophysics Research Infrastructure (MOSBRI).
Dr Stefan GESCHWINDNER
ASTRAZENECA, Mölndal, Sweden
Dr. Stefan Geschwindner is currently a Director at AstraZeneca R&D Gothenburg in Sweden where he is heading the Biophysics department within Discovery Sciences. He obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Frankfurt working predominantly with NMR to elucidate protein structures. After his Ph.D. he joined the Astra Structural Chemistry Laboratory with focus on protein engineering and characterization and helped to implement a variety of different biophysical methods. Before moving into his current role, he had different roles as Team leader in Protein Engineering and as Principal Scientist in Biophysics. During the last two decades, he has frequently applied biophysical methods to facilitate the mechanistic understanding of protein-ligand interactions and to enable fragment-based lead generation approaches. Furthermore, he has authored/co-authored over 50 publications, book chapters and patents dealing with biophysical approaches in drug discovery.
12:25
Lunch & Networking on-site
13:25
Poster Session for on-site delegates
Virtual Meet & Greet for online delegates
SESSION 4:
BIOPHYSICS IN COVALENT DRUG DISCOVERY
14:25
Session Chair
Dr Sandra JACOB
NOVARTIS INSTITUTES FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH, Basel, Switzerland
14:25
Reactive Fragment Platforms for Covalent Hit ID (IL06)
Dr Emma GRANT
GLAXOSMITHKLINE, Stevenage, United Kingdom
Emma conducted her PhD studies on the collaborative programme between the University of Strathclyde and GlaxoSmithKline. Her research primarily focussed on photoaffinity labelling and the development of a reactive fragment screening platform, known as the PhABits, to identify tool compounds for target validation. Since graduating in 2020 and being awarded the SCI Young Chemist in Industry Prize, Emma’s work has focussed on the expansion of reactive fragment screening platforms for covalent drug discovery. She now leads the application of these technologies in covalent hit ID and to assess target tractability in the Chemical Biology group within GSK.
14:55
Exhibitor Short Presentation by Thermo Fisher Scientific
Dr Igor NEDERLOF
THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
15:05
Functionalizing Covalent Binders (IL07)
Dr Nir LONDON
THE WEIZMANN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE, Rehovot, Israel
Dr. Nir London completed his PhD in computational structural biology at the Hebrew University in 2012. He then pursued a post-doctoral fellowship with Brian Shoichet at UCSF where he developed a pioneering virtual screening platform for covalent inhibitor discovery. In 2015 Dr. London joined the Weizmann Institute of Science, where he is currently the Alan and Laraine Fischer Career Development Chair in the Dept. of Chemical and Structural Biology. Dr. London’s lab is focused on covalent chemical biology and drug discovery and is developing new technologies to discover and functionalize covalently acting compounds. His honors include amongst others the Alon fellowship, the EFMC award for young medicinal chemist in academia and the ISCB award for young chemical biologist.
15:35
Coffee Break
16:05
Dynamic Biosensors workshop:
switchSENSE® heliX®: Measuring Interactions from Small Molecules to Cells
Dr Daisy PAIVA
DYNAMIC BIOSENSORS GMBH, Planegg, Germany
Dr Alice SOLDA
DYNAMIC BIOSENSORS GMBH, Planegg, Germany
16:35
Exhibitor Short Presentation by Crelux, a WuXi AppTec Company
Dr Tobias DEIMLING
CRELUX, A WUXI APPTEC COMPANY, Martinsried, Germany
16:45
Structure-Based Design of a Phosphotyrosine-Masked, Cell Penetrant Small Molecule Covalently Targeting the E3 Ligase SOCS2 (IL08)
Dr Sarath RAMACHANDRAN
UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE, Scotland, United Kingdom
Sarat recently joined as a senior drug discovery scientist (structural biology/biophysics) in CeTPD-Boehringer-Ingelheim (ACBI) collaboration team which is working on tackling challenging cancer targets using targeted protein degradation. Prior to joining the ACBI team, he was leading the EUbOPEN collaboration from Alessio’s lab and was involved with developing chemical probes targeting novel E3 ligases and expanding the current arsenal of E3 ligase recruiting PROTAC handles. He joined Alessio’s lab in 2017 after completion of his Ph.D. under the supervision of Prof. Sivaraman Jayaraman at the National University of Singapore, where he worked on understanding the allosteric inhibition mechanism of a key cancer target - glutaminase. Sarat did his Master’s in Biotechnology from Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati, and bachelor's in Biotechnology from Visveswaraiah Technological University, Karnataka (India).
17:15
Poster Session 2 for on-site delegates
Virtual Meet & Greet for online delegates
18:15
End of the Day
20:00
Conference Dinner at the Paulaner am Nockherberg
sponsored by Dynamic Biosensors