"[...]I also strongly believe in the SCI value of collaboration and the sharing of knowledge to advance scientific projects, and would encourage others to join and get involved too!"
My research lies within the field of targeted protein degradation (TPD), an emerging therapeutic modality with the potential to revolutionise the treatment of diseases with severely unmet medical needs. In comparison to classic small molecule inhibitors, TPD has the advantage of degrading and completely removing disease causing proteins.
How did you first get involved with SCI?
I first got involved with SCI during the first six months of my PhD, where I was a finalist at the RSC/SCI National Retrosynthesis Competition and also represented SCI at the Voice of the Future event in March 2024. The broad scope of SCI’s scientific activities, exemplified by these two events, made me want to get more involved and raise awareness of such events and opportunities.
I also strongly believe in the SCI value of collaboration and the sharing of knowledge to advance scientific projects, and would encourage others to join and get involved too!
SCI aims to be ‘where science meets business’. What is the potential commercial application of your research?
The revolutionary transformation TPD could have on global health is reflected in the market size of the field, worth $507 million globally in 2022 and expected to grow to $3,300 million by 2030. For example, the molecular glue degrader fulvestrant, a treatment for breast cancer, has a market size valued at $100 million.
Molecular glue degraders are catalytic in nature so are released after degradation of the protein, therefore, could be administered in lower doses than traditional inhibitor drugs. Many TPD programmes aim to market oral cancer drugs, which would allow gruelling in-patient chemotherapy treatments to be replaced by tablets, with less regular need for medication.
What do you hope to gain from your involvement with SCI?
I hope to raise awareness of SCI’s events and opportunities to my network in both academia and industry, to encourage the spirit of collaborative science and share my passion for drug discovery. I would also relish the opportunity to get involved with the organisation of events.
From a personal perspective, I hope to build connections and relationships within the SCI and wider scientific community, which would be beneficial throughout my career.
Alex Bentley
GSK / University of Strathclyde, Medicinal Chemistry
External Links