Shubham Vishnoi was awarded a Fine Chemicals Group Conference Bursary to attend the 8th SCI / RSC Symposium on GPCRs in Medicinal Chemistry in Verona, Italy. Shubham won the Judges’ Second Prize for his poster. Read his report below.
"The Eighth RSC/SCI symposium on GPCRs in Medicinal Chemistry was the latest milestone in a series of the symposium held in the field of researching the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) as therapeutic targets. The key role of GPCRs in human disease underpins their importance to modern medicine. The theme of this GPCR drug discovery meeting combined cutting-edge medicinal chemistry with innovative structural biology and novel drug design approaches ranging from computational to experimental.
"Hundreds of GPCRs act as landing sites for medications and biological molecules on the surface of cells. About one third of all medications act on a GPCR, making them of great interest to scientists. The purpose of the symposium was to provide a space and the opportunity for researchers working on GPCRs to come together from different scientific fields, and to share, analyse, and provide feedback on the ongoing top-notch research and development in the field of GPCRs that contribute towards the development of novel therapeutics.
"The informal evening dinner was a great time to come together to enjoy a traditional Italian meal which took place at Ristorante Trisapori on the first evening. A vineyard visit followed by a fantastic dinner with wine sampling in the Locanda del Borgo was held on the second day of the symposium. The visit to Rocca Sveva consisted of a guided tour of the underground cellars of Cantina Soave, an explanation of the wines to be served at dinner, and an aperitivo outside the restaurant.
"The conference provided me with a wealth of knowledge, increased knowledge of GPCRs which is the main focus of my PhD and provided me with new research contacts and a new drive towards my research.
"I met many fellows who are highly acclaimed experts and professionals working in the field of GPCR drug discovery. I got the opportunity to meet my collaborator’s colleague Dr Michael Lo (one of the speakers at this GPCR symposium) from MSD Kenilworth, New Jersey (USA), and also met my master’s senior who is now working in Cresset, Cambridge (UK), overwhelmed with his guidance and experience in the field of drug design and modelling. Thank you so much, SCI"
Shubham Vishnoi
PhD Student
Synthesis and Solid State Pharmaceutical Centre (SSPC), Department of Physics, Bernal Institute
University College Limerick, Ireland
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