PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS
Workshop A
9:30am - 12:00pm
Biophysics 101: Harnessing the Biophysics Toolbox to Apply the Most Appropriate & Effective Techniques for Drug Discovery
Holly Souter
Director, Biophysics & Biochemistry
The Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard
Qing Chen
Director
Biophysics
This workshop provides a foundational understanding and an in-depth recap of biophysics and its applications in drug discovery. Explore key biophysical techniques, their principles, and their role in elucidating molecular interactions crucial for the drug development process.
This workshop will aid in:
• Understand the application of biophysical methods - for example, SPR, NMR, Mass Spec - in identifying potential drug candidates
• Explore how biophysical methods elucidate and optimize molecular interactions crucial for lead compounds
• Share best practices for interpreting data from biophysical techniques in drug discovery
12:00 pm Lunch & Networking
Workshop B
01:00pm - 03:30pm
Pushing Biophysics to the Limits: Unlocking Maximum Insights from Biophysical Techniques to Optimize Drug Discovery
Oliver Durrant
Principal Scientist, Protein Biophysics, Structural Biology
UCB
Rittik Ghosh
Senior Scientist
Boehringer Ingelheim
Haihong Zhou
Senior Principal Scientist, Mass Spectrometry & Biophysics, Quantitative Biosciences
Merck
Delve into cutting-edge applications of biophysical techniques to elevate the success of drug discovery programs. Uncover innovative strategies that push these techniques to
their limits, providing unprecedented insights into molecular interactions, dynamics, and structural intricacies.
Highlights include:
• Learn from industry experts with technological expertise, extracting the full potential of biophysical techniques for improved utilization in drug discovery
• Discover a hands-on session challenging the boundaries of what biophysical techniques can unveil, revolutionizing approaches to early-stage drug development
• Overcome nuanced challenges encountered in biophysics, addressing intricate obstacles in setting up assays for specific systems and tackling instances of false positives in SPR
3.00 pm Afternoon Break
Workshop C
4:00pm - 6:30pm
Biophysics Troubleshooting: Lessons Learned from Challenges & Failures to Prevent You Making the Same Mistakes
Pooja Sharma
Principal Scientist
Amgen
Lisa Merklinger
Senior Scientist
Amgen
Success stories are great but sometimes, especially in complex biological systems, things don’t go as expected…
Join this workshop designed for biophysicists to gain insights from not only success stories but unexpected challenges and failure when working with complex biological systems.
Enhance your biophysical troubleshooting skills and build knowledge and confidence to address issues and ensure optimal performance in drug discovery.
• Explore a series of case studies, analyze data, identify issues, and discuss a step-by-step troubleshooting process to navigate common pitfalls including input parameters skewing read outs
• Delve into challenges with biophysical instrumentation and learn how to address issues
• Uncover the complexities of data interpretation in biophysics and discuss strategies for resolving discrepancies, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of experimental results
6.30 pm End of Workshop Day