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Austrodrugs Speed-Dating links the community

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On March 7th 2014 more than 90 researchers interested in using and developing small molecules as biological probes and potential new drugs met at CeMM for the 4th Austrodrugs meeting organized by Stefan Kubicek and Giulio Superti-Furga. In a “scientific speed dating” 19 chemical biologists from academia and industry gave short 10-minute presentations. The well-balanced mix of speakers from different scientific backgrounds covered topics such as drug discovery, using and developing chemical probes to understand the biology of diseases, as well as virtual screening and modeling as a means of revealing drug interactions and drug targets. The keynote lecture given by Prof. Andrew Hopkins (University of Dundee), undeniably one of the leading experts in the field of developing novel informatics and experimental methods to enable more effective ways of drug discovery, topped off the successful 4th gathering of the Austrodrugs community. In his lecture “Big Data meets Darwin: the future of drug design” Prof. Hopkins presented his latest research and bold approaches for fully automated design and synthesis of novel lead molecules. The following reception allowed an informal discussion about opportunities for future collaborations and strengthened the interaction of academic and industrial drug discovery. The success story will be continued: The 5th Austrodrugs anniversary will take place in March 2015.