Molecules to Probe Life

Aug 24-25, 2009

NOW the Final Schedule is available! See below.

Chemical Biology is a scientific discipline encompassing chemistry and biology with many applications in molecular medicine, industrial biotechnology, tissue engineering, drug development, and environmental science. The goal of chemical biology is to answer fundamental questions in biology by developing and using chemical techniques and tools to study and manipulate biological systems. The tools are typically small molecules, produced through synthetic chemistry or derived from natural compounds, which are then used as inhibitors, modulators, and probes. The field complements and extends the range of methods in molecular genetics, cell biology, physiology, bioengineering, drug discovery and development. The upcoming conference will present prominent examples of how chemical biology provides answers to new biological questions.
Although chemical biology does not have drug development as a direct objective, findings obtained through chemical biology can often be helpful in the drug discovery and development process. The field of chemical biology brings together scientists from medicinal chemistry, molecular and cell biology, pharmacology, genetics, structural biology, control engineering, physics, systems biology and many other disciplines. It holds great promise for new and established industries as well as for development in academic science, and we look forward to host investors as well as entrepreneurs and innovators at the conference.

The meeting will take place in Göteborg (Gothenburg), Sweden, offering an exciting program with leading international speakers in the field. Distinguished international speakers are:

Guri Giaever (Univ. Toronto), Kip Guy (St. Jude’s Hospital, Memphis), Corey Nislow (Univ. Toronto), Carsten Schultz (EMBL), Laura Kiessling (Univ. Wisconsin), Anton Simeonov (NIH), Ronald Raines (Univ. Wisconsin), Michael Famulok (Univ. Bonn), Anton Simeonov (NIH), Ronald Raines (Univ. Wisconsin), Sonia Lain (Univ. Dundee), and Kevan Shokat (UCSF).

The Functional Genomics meetings in Göteborg started as early as 1998 and have since been held yearly featuring different topics, such as “From Birth to Death” and “Visualising the Complexity”. The meetings attract large audiences of scientists from academia and small start-up companies, as well as industry representatives and students. Most participants come from the Scandinavian countries, but there is always a sizable group of delegates from the other European countries and a smaller group from overseas.

Both the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers have several activities related to Chemical Biology. Furthermore, AstraZeneca, with its nearby site in Mölndal, has a well-established interest in chemical biology. Recently, a Chemical Biology Platform was formed at the University of Gothenburg to organize collaborative activities in this field. Therefore we expect lively discussions around these topics.

We look forward to welcoming delegates from many disciplines in academia and industry, such as molecular biology, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, structural chemistry, drug development, biomedicine, systems biology, biotechnology, genetics, physics, environmental science, etc.