RSC-BMCS 3rd Conformational Design in Drug Discovery 2026
Event
RSC-BMCS 3rd Conformational Design in Drug Discovery
Dates
Monday 2nd March, 2026
Place
GSK Conference Centre, Stevenage, UK
Gunnels Wood Road
Stevenage
Hertfordshire
SG1 2FX
Downloads and Links
Social media hashtag – #ConformationalDesign26
To register, click here
To Sponsor, click here
To apply for a bursary, click here
Synopsis
Conformational Design plays a key role in the medicinal chemistry of small molecule drug candidates. The emergence of generative AI models to assist molecular design and free-energy-perturbation techniques critically depend on accurate prediction of 3D ligand conformations. Here we bring together cutting-edge computational methods with experimental free ligand NMR solution conformations and protein-ligand X-ray and CryoEM structures to craft the medicines of tomorrow. We will discuss ligand rigidification and physicochemical optimisation strategies for protein-protein interaction inhibitors, PROTACs, molecular glues, antibody-drug-conjugate payloads and other new modalities. This RSC-BMCS event aims at building a community that shares conformational design strategies, technologies, and successful case studies. It will complement other rational drug design events and promote more successful research into future medicines.
Who should attend?
This symposium will provide great learnings for medicinal chemists, computational chemists, structural biologists, biophysicists and NMR analytical chemists with an academic or industry interest in drug discovery. Prior knowledge in conformational design will not be required.
Want to become a member?
To join the RSC in order to qualify for discounted registration fees at all RSC events, please follow this RSC link.
Bursaries
The RSC-BMCS are offering a small number of bursaries to attend the meeting in person. Applications are open to PhD and post-doctoral applicants studying at academic institutions or non-profit institutions. Preference will be given to members of the RSC-BMCS. Bursary applications are also invited from RSC or EFMC members who are of working age, but currently unemployed and from those who may have difficulty in funding their attendance. The deadline for applications is Friday 30th January 2026.
To apply for a BMCS bursary, please click here. All applications form should be sent to events@hg3.co.uk.
Registration
Please click here to register.
RSC Member: £125.00
Non-Member: £175.00
RSC Student Member: £50.00
Student Non-Member: £70.00
Abstracts
Abstract submission is now closed.
Programme
| 08.45 | Registration and Welcome Coffee |
| 09.15 | Welcome: Tim Barrett, GSK |
| 09.20 – 11.10 | Session Chair: Alison Stewart, Pharmaron UK |
| 09.20 – 09.50 | Gilles Ouvry, NRG Therapeutics Torsions in action: finding inspiration in the CCDC and PDB |
| 09.50 – 10.20 | Hongtao Zhao, AstraZeneca The Role of Allylic Strain for Conformational Control in Medicinal Chemistry |
| 10.20 – 10.50 | Henrik Moebitz, Novartis Nonclassical Zwitterions as a Design Principle to Reduce Lipophilicity without Impacting Permeability |
| 10.50 – 11.10 | Poster Flash Talks Part 1 |
| 11.10 – 11.30 | Refreshment Break |
| 11.30 – 12.50 | Session Chair: Lisa Sloan, GSK |
| 11.30 – 12.00 | Leen Kalash, GSK Optimizing PROTAC Efficiency via Free Energy Perturbation and Conformational Analysis Approaches |
| 12.00 – 12.30 | Markus Schade, AstraZeneca Conformational Design of PROTACs for the clinic |
| 12.30 – 12.50 | Poster Flash Talks Part 2 |
| 12.50 – 14.00 | Lunch and Poster Session |
| 14.00 – 15.30 | Session Chair: Irina Cornaciu-Hoffman, ALPX |
| 14.00– 14.30 | Lars Burgdorf, Merck Group Nucleases, a novel DDR target class: From fragment screen and SBDD to the first orally available FEN1 and EXO1 inhibitors |
| 14.30 – 15.00 | George Randall, University of Oxford A Pipeline Towards Rational Design of Molecular Glue Degraders |
| 15.00– 15.30 | Mia Urem, Leiden University Medical Center A Unique Inhibitor Conformation Selectively Targets the DNA Polymerase PolC of Gram-Positive Priority Pathogens |
| 15.30 – 15.50 | Refreshment Break |
| 15.50 – 17.30 | Session Chair: Hannah Bruce, Isomorphic Labs |
| 15.50 – 16.00 | Poster Prizes |
| 16.00– 16.30 | Tobias Morawietz, Bayer Accelerating Accurate Small Molecule Conformational Searches via Machine Learning Potentials |
| 16.30 – 17.00 | Catarina Santos, Isomorphic Labs An AI-first Approach to Rational Drug Design at Isomorphic Labs |
| 17.00 – 17:30 | Angelo Sanzone, Evotec The conformational drug design toolkit: what, when and how |
| 17.30 | Closing remarks: Luca Carlino, AstraZeneca |
| 17.35 | Close of conference |
Confirmed Speakers
Leen Kalash, GSK
Optimizing PROTAC Efficiency via Free Energy Perturbation and Conformational Analysis Approaches
Catarina Santos, Isomorphic Labs
An AI-first Approach to Rational Drug Design at Isomorphic Labs
Markus Schade, AstraZeneca
Conformational Design of PROTACs for the clinic
Lars Burgdorf, Merck Group
Nucleases, a novel DDR target class: From fragment screen and SBDD to the first orally available FEN1 and EXO1 inhibitors
Tobias Morawietz, Bayer
Accelerating Accurate Small Molecule Conformational Searches via Machine Learning Potentials
Henrik Moebitz, Novartis
Nonclassical Zwitterions as a Design Principle to Reduce Lipophilicity without Impacting Permeability
Mia Urem, Leiden University Medical Center
A Unique Inhibitor Conformation Selectively Targets the DNA Polymerase PolC of Gram-Positive Priority Pathogens
Gilles Ouvry, NRG Therapeutics
Torsions in action: finding inspiration in the CCDC and the PDB
Sponsorship/Exhibition Opportunities
Bookings to sponsor or exhibit at the meeting are now open, please click here to book.
*FULLY BOOKED* The exhibition stand package includes (£900):
– A table and chairs
– Logo inclusion in the delegate handbook and rolling slides
– Exhibitors promotional page in the pdf delegate handbook
– Access to the Scientific talks
– Two stand personnel
Confirmed Exhibitors
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Sponsors
Organising Committee
Markus Schade, AstraZeneca (Chair)
Martin Swarbrick, Pharmaron (Treasurer)
Luca Carlino, AstraZeneca
Tim Barrett, GSK
A. Ganesan, Liverpool John Moore’s University
Hannah Bruce Macdonald, Isomorphic Labs
Secretariat Contact and Further Information
Hg3 Conferences Ltd
+44 (0)1423 529333
E-mail
