14:15
15:15
Welcome and Opening
Dr Maja BEUS
DUKE UNIVERSITY, Durham, United States
Dr Hrvoje RIMAC
SELVITA, Zagreb, Croatia
15:30
KL01 - Druggability Beyond the Rule of Five
Dr Sanja KOSTRUN
SELVITA LTD., Zagreb, Croatia
Highlights of professional background
10 years of academic experience with PhD and PostDoc in computational chemistry and 23 years in pharmaceutical companies (big pharma, biotech and CROs). Published 44 scientific papers and two patents.
Medicinal chemistry expertise:
Experience in anti-inflammatory, anti-infective, CNS and oncology therapeutic areas from hit finding to lead-optimization stage. Range of biological targets from kinases, GPCRs, transporters, epigenetic targets to protein-protein interactions.
Computational chemistry expertise:
Structure-based drug design - homology modelling, virtual screening and docking studies, molecular dynamics, de-novo design, QM and QM/MM calculations
Ligand-based drug design - virtual library design, field-based analysis, pharmacophore searches, scaffold hopping, bioisosteric replacement, conformational analysis, FBDD
Cheminformatics - data mining, data analysis, 2D/3D QSAR/QSPR, R-group analysis, activity cliffs analysis, multivariate statistics, ADME predictions
Beyond the rule of 5 molecules:
Design, conformational analysis and ADME/PK predictions for the natural products, macrocycles, PROTACS and peptides. Studies of chameleonic properties and disruption of protein-protein interactions.
Leading projects and teams:
Experience in leading integrated drug discovery projects, managing medicinal chemistry teams, mentoring and coaching diploma and PhD students.
EFMC-YMCS Competition Presentation Session I
Session Chair
Dr Hrvoje RIMAC
SELVITA, Zagreb, Croatia
16:00
OC01 - Shedding Light on L-Type Calcium Channels with Novel Far-Red Fluorescent Ligands
Winner of the young medicinal chemist meeting in Belgium (KVCV)
Mrs Carlotta BORGARELLI
KU LEUVEN, Heverlee, Belgium
Carlotta Borgarelli graduated from the University of Turin in 2019 with a degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology. Thanks to two Erasmus scholarships, she joined the group of Prof. Dr. De Borggraeve as Erasmus Master's thesis student and later as postgraduate intern to bring forward the research started during her master's thesis. Funded by the FWO Strategic Basic Research scholarship, she began her Ph.D. in the same group in October 2020. Her doctorate embraces organic synthesis, chemical biology and imaging techniques. Currently, she is working on the development of imaging tools for voltage-gated ion channels. In particular, her scientific interest resides in fluorescence and PET imaging techniques.
16:15
OC02 - Biophysical Screening for the Identification of Small Molecules as Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDHS)’s Oligomeric State Disruptors
Winner of the young medicinal chemist meeting in Belgium (SRC)
Mrs Chiara BRUSTENGA
UCL/LDRI, Bruxelles, Belgium
Chiara Brustenga obtained her master degree (2019) in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology at La Sapienza University of Rome. She began her journey in medicinal chemistry by joining, as a master student, the laboratory of Prof. Raphael Frédérick in 2018. The year after, she started her PhD thesis founded by FNRS-Télévie, in the laboratories of Prof. Raphael Frédérick and Prof. Pierre Sonveaux, two renowned experts in cancer metabolism. Through the use of biophysical methods and chemical biology during her works, she acquired extensive knowledge and skills in the medicinal chemistry field. She is currently interested on identifying small molecules inhibitors of Lactate dehydrogenases (LDHs), proteins involved in cancer metabolic adaptations.
16:30
OC03 - Discovery of Allosteric Modulators of A2A Receptors
Winner of the young medicinal chemist meeting in Croatia
Ms Tana TANDARIC
RUDER BOSKOVIC INSTITUTE, Zagreb, Croatia
Tana Tandarić is currently working as a postdoc at Uppsala University (Uppsala, Sweden). During her PhD at the Ruđer Bošković Institute (Zagreb, Croatia), she was engaged in computational modeling of enzymatic reactions, mainly inhibition of MAO B enzyme by propargylamine inhibitors. In 2019 Tana won French Gouvermet Bursary and she spent one month at the Sorbonne University (Paris). Also, she spent one month as a visiting scientist at the Institute of Chemistry in Ljubljana (Slovenia). She successfully defended her PhD thesis in February 2021 in the field of computational medicinal chemistry at the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb. After receiving her PhD, she won a JESH scholarship from the Austrian Academy of Sciences and spent 6 months in the Žagrović group at Max Perutz Labs (University of Vienna). There she worked on tRNA modeling and research on allosteric interactions within aminoacylated tRNA molecules. As a postdoc at the University of Uppsala, she deals with the computational identification of allosteric sites within the family of adenosine receptors and the design of allosteric ligands of A2A adenosine receptors. Her main research interests include computational drug design, modeling of protein drug targets, and identification of allosteric interactions within proteins using a wide variety of computational methods.
16:45
OC04 - Molecular Sensing and Imaging of Carbon Dioxide Incomplex Environments
Winner of the young medicinal chemist meeting in Israel
Dr Ori GREEN
ETH ZURICH, Zürich, Switzerland
Dr Ori Green completed his undergraduate studies at Tel-Aviv University in 2014, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. Continuing his academic journey, Dr Green pursued both his Master of Science and PhD degrees in Organic Chemistry at Tel-Aviv University, working under the guidance of Professor Doron Shabat (2014-2020). In April 2020, Dr Green started a postdoctoral position at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, under the mentorship of Professor Bill Marandi, where he explored new horizons in reaction development and chemical methodologies.
He was honored with the "Jortner Prize" award and was granted the International Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) postdoctoral fellowship and the Rothschild Fellowship (Yad Hanadiv).
With a strong interest in the interface of chemistry with biology, Dr Green's research program focuses on developing strategies for visualizing and sensing elusive analytes and developing techniques for chemical post-transitional modification. In October 2023, he will start his independent career as a tenure-track assistant professor at the Technion, Haifa, Israel (Israel Institute of Technology).
17:00
Flash Poster Presentations (Part I)
FP01 – In Silico-Aided Optimization of Metallo Beta-Lactamase Inhibitors Active against Clinically Relevant Carbapenemases
Dr Matteo BERSANI
UNIVERSITŔ DEGLI STUDI DI TORINO, Torino, Italy
FP02 – Voc’s Art: Voc-Based Probes for Exploration, Detection and Monitoring of Pathologies
Ms Estelle BLOCHOUSE
IC2MP CNRS, Poitiers, France
FP03 – Using Chemical Modification of Anticancer Drug Scaffolds to Study Efflux Mediated Chemoresistance in Cancer Cells
Mrs Madiha CHOWDHURY
KINGS COLLEGE LONDON, London, United Kingdom
FP04 – Semi-Synthesis of Thioglycoside Derivatives of the Natural Product Antibiotic Fidaxomicin
Ms Isabella FERRARA
UNIVERSITY OF ZURICH, Zurich, Switzerland
FP05 – Carbamates as Potential New Drugs in the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
Dr Ana MATOSEVIC
INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH (IMI), Zagreb, Croatia
FP06 – GPR84 Structural-Functional Selectivity Relationship (SFSR) Reveals Distinct Responses Induced by Biased Agonists
Mr Wang PINQI
UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, Oxford, United Kingdom
FP07 – Design, Synthesis and in vitro Evaluation of New Peptide-Based Inhibitors Targeting Sars-Cov-2 Main Protease, Focusing on the Exploration of Heterocyclic Systems for the S3/S4 Sub-Pockets
Dr Sara ROSSI
UNIVERSITY OF SIENA, Grosseto, Italy
FP08 – A Multistep High-Throughput Chemistry Platform to Take Protac Synthesis and Testing to a New Level
Ms Rebecca STEVENS
GSK/UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE, SHEFFORD, United Kingdom
FP09 – Development of Dual-Functionalized Fluorophores to Monitor Antibody Delivery Systems
Ms Tracey LUU
MONASH UNIVERSITY, Parkville, Australia
FP10 – Discovery of Potent Tetrazole Free Fatty Acid Receptor 2 Antagonists
Ms Alice VALENTINI
UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN, Copenhagen, Denmark
FP13 – Photoswitching HDAC Inhibitors for the Spatiotemporal Targeting of Cancer Cells with Light
Dr Laia JOSA CULLERE
INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED CHEMISTRY OF CATALONIA (IQAC-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
17:25
Coffee Break & Exhibition
EFMC-YMCS Competition Presentation Session II
Session Chair
Dr Michele MARI
UNIVERSITY OF URBINO, Urbino, Italy
17:45
OC05 - Optimization of a Pyridylpiperazine Series as a Novel Class of Efflux Pump Inhibitors in E. Coli to Fight Antimicrobial Resistance
Winner of the young medicinal chemist meeting in France (SCT)
Ms Nina COMPAGNE
INSERM U1177 DRUGS AND MOLECULES FOR LIVING SYSTEMS, Lille, France
Nina Compagne studied pharmacy at the University of Lille (France) from 2015. At the same time, she obtained a master's degree in Pharmaceuticals Sciences and her Doctorate in Pharmacy in 2022. She is currently in the 3rd year of her thesis under the supervision of Doctor Marion Flipo, in the “Drugs and Molecules for Living Systems” laboratory headed by Prof. Benoit Deprez (Lille, France). She is currently working on the design, synthesis and evaluation of bacterial efflux pump inhibitors, with the aim of boosting existing antibiotics and thus combating bacterial resistance. She is co-author of five publications in the field of antimicrobial resistance.
18:00
OC06 - Ga(III) Siderophore Complexes - A Metallo-Trojan Horse Strategy to Tackle Antimicrobial Resistance
Winner of the young medicinal chemist meeting in Ireland
Mr Lewis MORE O'FERRALL
ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS, Dublin, Ireland
Lewis More O’Ferrall is a final year PhD student based in the Department of Chemistry at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Lewis graduated from the Technological University Dublin in 2018 with a BSc in Pharmaceutical Healthcare. Lewis commenced his PhD in Medicinal Inorganic Chemistry in 2019 with Dr. Darren Giffith at the Department of Chemistry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Prof. Christine O’Connor at the School of Food Science and Environmental Health, Technological University Dublin. His research has focused on the generation of novel bismuth and gallium siderophore complexes to tackle the global rise in antimicrobial resistance. Lewis is an associate member of the SSPC which is the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Pharmaceuticals. This has afforded him the opportunity to collaborate with other world leading researchers in his field.
18:15
OC07 - Discovery of Isoquinoline Sulfonamides as Gyrase Inhibitors Active against Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Bacteria
Winner of the young medicinal chemist meeting in The Netherlands
Dr Alexander BAKKER
LEIDEN UNIVERSITY, 's-Gravenhage, The Netherlands
Alexander Bakker, born in the Hague, the Netherlands, obtained his bachelor's degree in Molecular Science and Technology at Leiden University and TU Delft in 2014, followed by a master’s degree in Chemistry from Leiden University in 2017. He completed two master internships: one in the Bio-organic Synthesis group under supervision of prof. dr. H.S. Overkleeft at Leiden University, and the other under supervision of prof. dr. E.W. Tate at Imperial College.
Subsequently, Alexander commenced his doctoral studies in the Molecular Physiology group at Leiden University under supervision of prof. dr. M. van der Stelt and prof. dr. N. I. Martin, where he led two major antibiotic drug discovery projects in which antibiotic candidates were found for the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria respectively. His thesis ‘Discovery of Antibiotics and Their Targets in Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria’ (defended December 2022) has been awarded the biannual KNCV-MCCB PhD Thesis Prize 2021/2022, and as a result he will proudly represent the Netherlands at the EFMC-YMCS 2023 in Zagreb.
In a surprising turn of events, Alexander is currently continuing his professional development as a software engineer at Sogyo in the Netherlands.
18:30
OC08 - Design Principles for Cyclin K Molecular Glue Degraders
Winner of the 2023 EFMC-YSN PhD Prize
Mrs Zuzanna KOZICKA
FRIEDRICH MIESCHER INSTITUTE FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH, Basel, Switzerland
Zuzanna Kozicka graduated from the University of Edinburgh and conducted research projects e.g. at ETH Zürich (Prof. Ban) and the University of Dundee (Prof. Ciulli). In her graduate studies at FMI Basel, Zuzanna focused on molecular glue degraders, discovering degraders of cyclin K and uncovering novel molecular glue modes of action.
18:45
EFMC-YSN Soft Skills Training (1) - Reaxys Workshop: A Tandem Tour to Unveil the Profile of An Active Molecule
Dr Giulia MONCELSI
ELSEVIER LIFE SCIENCES, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
19:30
EFMC-YMCS Poster Presentation Session 1
20:45
EFMC-YSN Networking Event
22:00