Conference Overview - 2012

ELRIG (European Laboratory Robotics Interest Group) and SLAS the (Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening) are now preparing for the 6th Annual Drug Discovery Conference to be held at Manchester Central on 5th & 6th September 2012.

As in previous years the objective of this conference is to provide a communication, education and networking opportunity for scientists engaged in early-phase drug discovery whether in academia, biotech or industry.  As with our highly successful meeting in 2011, attendees will hear world class speakers discussing the challenges and opportunities facing the drug discovery scientist.  The scientific sessions will be complemented by a large poster session, a growing vendor exhibition with over 100 exhibitors including the Innovation Zone, a Media Area, Careers Zone and a number of training sessions.   This year we are featuring a Lunchtime Session sponsored by SLAS – Informatics: Making Knowledge from Laboratory Data

Delegates - To Register for FREE, please click here.

Exhibitors - To see a Floorplan and Book a Stand, click here.

Posters  -    If you would like to submit a Poster please send your Abstracts to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

In 2012 the Drug Discovery Symposium will encompass eight Scientific Sessions.

Hover over the Sessions listed to read the Synopsis of each one.

•    Assay Development and Screening
•    Fragment Discovery for Enzyme & Membrane Targets
•    Primary Cells & Stem Cells in Discovery
•    The Ubiquitin Cascade: Biology & Drug Discovery

Informatics: Making Knowledge from Laboratory Data

•    Advances in Liquid Handling & Detection Technologies
•    Compound Collection Management & Enhancement
•    Epigenetic Drug Discovery
•    Biophysics & Label Free Detection Technologies

SPEAKER PROGRAMME

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:

Chris Moxham, Lilly

The Evolving Landscape for Discovery Research       -           Steve Rees, AstraZeneca

Day 1 - 5^th September 2012

Sponsors	Cisbio		Beckman Coulter
	Assay Development & Screening	Fragment Discovery for Enzyme & Membrane Targets	Primary Cells & Stem Cells in Discovery	Ubiquitin Cascade: Biology & Drug Discovery
Session Chairs	Uli Schopfer, Novartis Catherine Kettleborough, MRC	Andrew Leach, GSK Tom Heightman, Astex	Del Trezise, Essenbio Darren Cawkill, Pfizer	Jason Brown, Ubiquigent Trevor Ray, Caltag Medsystems
Session Keynote	Biologically active chemistry space and the limits of druggability Chris Lipinski, Massechusetts University	Current Perspectives in Fragment Based Drug Discovery Rod Hubbard, Vernalis /York University	Pathway Dissection in Cardiac Muscle Cell Death: MAP4K4 as a Therapeutic Target Micheal Schneider, Imperial College	Ubiquitous ubiquitin: From reticulocyte lysates to cell physiology and disease John Mayer, Nottingham University
	Alan Harvey, Strathclyde University	David Hepworth, Pfizer	High content analysis for detection of drug induced structural cardiotoxicity James Sidaway, AstraZeneca	Ubiquitin Proteasome Pathway: Assay development, platform technologies and HTS Paul Hales, Millennium
	Taking “one step backwards” to accelerate malaria drug discovery Matthias Rottmann, Tropical Institute	Fragment Based Approaches to GPCRs Greg Osbourne, Heptares	Human stem cell models of Alzheimer's disease Rick Livesey, Cambs University	Dysfunction of ubiquitin receptors and ubiquitin-mediated processes in human disease Rob Layfield, Nittingham University
	Use of phenotypic assays in academic drug discovery: challenges in identifying the funding, the compounds and the target Phil Gribbon, Euroscreening Port	Dundee, Drug Discovery Unit: Using a fragment approach to partially validate novel drug discovery targets Paul Wyatt, Dundee University	Functional characterisation of hES derived nociceptive sensory neurones James Bilsland, Neusentis	Insight into Parkin E3 ligase activity using small molecules Jennifer Johnston, Elan Pharma
	Power to the People! Using crowd sourcing to enhance research Justin Bryans, MRCT	Pick and mix : optimizing the choice of biophysical and biochemical for fragment screening Chun-Wa Chung, GSK	Live image based chemical screens using glioma stem cells Davide Danovi, University College, London	DUBs: Therapeutic challenges and opportunities Xavier Jacq, Mission Therapeutics
	Academic screening at GNF Ed Ainscow, GNF	Fragment-Based Screening and Structure-Based Design at ICR: discovering high quality leads in cancer drug discovery Rob van Montfort, ICR	Modulating sphingosine phosphate signaling in recombinant, primary and stem cells – promises and challenges      Wolfgang Fecke, Sienna Biotech	Novel tools for DUB inhibitor specificity profiling in cancer cells Benedikt Kessler, Oxford University
	Peter Simpson, AstraZeneca	Andrew Woodhead, Astex	3D cell culture for High-Content Drug Screening Patrick Steigemann, Bayer	The Small Ubiquitin-like Modifiers: Established and emerging roles in diseases Mike Tatham, Dundee University

 Seminar:  Informatics:  Making Knowledge from Laboratory Data    (see below for more details)

Day 2 - 6^th September 2012

Sponsors	Tecan		GSK
	Advances in Liquid Handling & Detection Technologies	Compound Collection Management & Enghancement	Epigenetic Drug Discovery	Biophysics & Label Free Detection Technologies
Session Chairs	David Cronk, BioFocus Kevin Moore, Tecan	Jin Li, AstraZeneca Mark Wigglesworth, GSK Terry Wood, ELRIG	Dave Wilson, GSK Paul Brennan, Oxford University	Lance Laing, ACEA Adrian Gill, AstraZeneca
Session Keynote	Automating Biology using Robot Scientists Ross King, Manchester	The European Lead Factory- An emerging project from the Innovative Medicine Initiative Joerg Heuser, Bayer	The challenges in turning epigenetic hope into clinical utility Nessa Carey, Pfizer	Tagged One-Bead One-Compound libraries as core of a biophysics driven process to discover small molecular modulators Manfred Auer, Edinburgh University
	Understanding Error Contribution of Liquid Handling and Analytical Equipment to Overall Assay Performance John Bradshaw, Artel	Current thinking in compound collection enhancement Steffan Renner, Novartis	Inhibiting Epigenetic Oxygenases Chris Schofield, Oxford University	Single molecule bioanalytics by counting molecules Gerhard Schuetz, Vienna University
	Application of High-Content Analysis for Phenotypic Drug Discovery Bev Isherwood, AstraZeneca	MRC-T, an academic perspective on collection enhancement and/or utilising pharmaceutical collaboration to increase collection diversity Andy Merritt, MRCT	Bromodomains: A new class of epigenetic targets ripe for small molecule drug discovery Jason Witherington, GSK	Real-time protein interaction assays on living cells Karl Andersson, Sweden University
	CompacT SelecT cell culture automation of human pluripotent stem cells and their progenies Yacine Laabi, I/Stem	Genetic selection of cyclic peptide inhibitors of protein-protein interactions Ali Tavassoli, Southampton University	Drug Discovery based on Chemoproteomics of Target Protein Families Gerard Drewes, Cellzome	The application of ligand conformational preferences in drug discovery Barrie Martin, Conformetrix
	Implementation of Digital Titration to enable high resolution dose-response generation and simplified experimental design Dan Thomas, GSK	The issue of chemical quality in chemical biology and drug discovery: What should one test - a discussion Chris Lipinski, Massechusetts University Logistics of preparing a screening deck: Nanolitre assay ready plates and Primary by cherry pick. Current practice and future dispensing Kevin Cross, AstraZeneca	Reducing histone methyl transferase biology to practice: development of physiologically relevant in vitro assays to identify hits and successfully develop leads into candidate molecules Margaret Porter-Scott, Epizyme	Analytical Tools for affinity-based label free drug discovery Tim Fagge, GE
	Simplification of Lead Discovery Using RapidFire™ High-Throughput Mass Spectrometry; Addressing the Challenges of Attrition and Cost Reduction Melanie Leveridge, GSK	Current thinking in ensuring the quality of compound collections Zoe Blaxill, GSK	Epigenetic protein targets: Computational approaches and new assay technologies for efficient hit finding against G9a and LSD1 Doris Hafenbradl, BioFocus	The potential of novel label-free technologies for Drug Discovery applications: experiences with optical waveguide grating and back-scattering interferometry Stefan Geschwindner, AstraZeneca

Seminar:  Informatics: Making Knowledge from Laboratory Data      In Collaboration with SLAS

Day 1 – How best to enable Externalisation of Drug Discovery

The last few years have seen an increasing trend out outsource screening, initially chemistry and selected assays but increasingly entire integrated hit to lead programs with entire research areas being “virtualised”. This poses several challenges to “traditional” Pharma screening IT environments which were often not designed to allow and coordinate inter-company screening activities.

At this session we will hear from industry experts on strategies to enable and support this changing landscape. This session will be an interactive, part presentation, part debate and part open discussion on how best to achieve this.

Nick Lynch –    AstraZeneca and Pistoia Alliance

Anthony Carlo - Integrated Sourcing Lead, Pfizer

Please note: -  The informatics sessions are designed to be of interest and easy to follow by drug discovery scientists of all disciplines. Talks are geared towards showing practical solutions rather than technical details.

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Day 2 – Knowledge at your finger tips

At today’s session you will hear about cutting edge, open tools for use by scientists to share, find and create information and knowledge. In order to effectively locate, interpret, link and cross reference results, information needs to be stored in a rich, standardised, computer friendly formats – these are often human unfriendly to create and use. Now innovative, opensource tools and standards are emerging which hold the promise to deliver these advantages in scientist friendly applications. 

OpenPhacts – Dr Stefan Renner, Novartis.

OpenISA – Dr Susanna-Assunta Sansone, University of Oxford eResearch Centre “Community-standards for reproducible and reusable research: fundamentals and challenges”

Please note: -  The informatics sessions are designed to be of interest and easy to follow by drug discovery scientists of all disciplines. Talks are geared towards showing practical solutions rather than technical details.

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SPONSORS:

Session Sponsors:

   

Networking Drinks Reception:

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We invite all members of the Drug Discovery community to attend the Drug Discovery meeting in 2012.   

There will be over 100 Vendor Trade Stands, set to be the largest UK Drug Discovery Event for 2012, so put the date in your Diary:

5 & 6 September 2012

Posters -      Submit an Abstract to:   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Media Area -     come and talk to the Industry Journals in the Media Area

Careers Zone -     Looking for a change of career or Posting Job Vacancies - talk to the Recruiters

Innovation Zone -     New Companies showing their latest Technologies, make sure you visit them.

                                                              Should your company be in the Innovation Zone? If so apply.

Exhibition Trade Show -     Book your stand at www.elrig.org

8 Scientific Sessions -     Read the Synopsis of the Sessions, Plan your Visit

 

New for 2012  -    Lunchtime Seminar: Informatics: Making Knowledge from Lab Data

Register and Attend FREE OF CHARGE go to: www.elrig.org

 

SLAS  -  Young Scientists Award

At this year’s event, students, graduates and post-docs are invited to compete for the SLAS Young Scientist Award by submitting a poster at the conference. The winner, selected by a panel of judges including scientists, ELRIG and SLAS personnel, will be invited to present and participate in the Student Poster Competition at the 2013 SLAS Conference and Exhibition, in Orlando, Florida, USA - January 12-16 '13.  SLAS Young Scientist Award winners receive a $500 cash prize, roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodation and conference registration for SLAS2013.

Submit a Poster at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

HOTELS IN THE AREA

Conference Hotel:   Premier Inn Manchester City Centre

Talk to Clare Blabey, Administrator:   Tel:   0871 527 8746 (option 3)   If you are booking this hotel then remind them you are attending the ELRIG Drug Discovery event as you get preferential B & B Rates.

Visit Manchester Booking procedure for Delegates:
Allocations of bedrooms are held at each of the hotels as detailed in the chart below. Delegates are able to book
online via the dedicated web link, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Visit Manchester are also happy to take telephone reservations or reservations via e-mail.

Please contact the Client Services Team by calling +44 (0) 161 238 4563 / 4514 or via e-mail - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
The operational hours of the Client Services Team are 08:00 – 20:00 GMT, Monday – Friday.

To book accommodation for this event, please use the following link:   https://www.conferencebookings.co.uk/delegate/MNCELRIG2012

Negotiated delegate rates and rooms will be held up to 7th August 2012, so remember to book early.