The Department of Chemistry welcomed Professor Stuart Schreiber, who discussed molecular glues and their transformative potential in drug discovery.
The Department of Chemistry launched the annual Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson Lecture in 2022, named in honour of Professor Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson FRS, a distinguished English chemist whose academic and professional career at Imperial College spanned six decades. His significant contributions to inorganic chemistry and homogeneous transition metal catalysis have had a lasting impact on the field. Through this prestigious lecture series, distinguished speakers are invited each year to share cutting-edge developments in chemistry. The aim of the lecture is to foster innovation and excellence in the chemical sciences by providing a platform for the latest research and insights.
This year, the Department invited Professor Stuart Schreiber, Morris Loeb Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University and Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Professor Schreiber, often regarded as the father of chemical biology, has made numerous contributions that have helped reshape scientific approaches to drug discovery. Additionally, he is a prolific entrepreneur who has founded over a dozen biotech companies, including Vertex and Ariad Pharmaceuticals. His latest venture, Arena BioWorks, is focused on revolutionising drug discovery.
Molecular Glues and Bifunctional Compounds
The lecture, held at the White City Deep Tech Campus, located at the heart of Imperial’s WestTech Corridor, began with a warm introduction by Dr Louise Walport. She shared insights into the life and legacy of Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson, highlighting the profound impact his work in organometallic chemistry has had on the field. Dr Walport also emphasised the vital role of The Wilkinson Charitable Foundation, whose support enables the university to celebrate Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson’s legacy and inspire future generations of exceptional minds.
Professor Schreiber’s keynote lecture, titled “Molecular Glues and Bifunctional Compounds”, explored how these molecules are transforming drug development, offering new strategies for treating complex diseases like cancer and neurodegenerative disorders.
He explained that molecular glues are small molecules that induce protein–protein interactions by bringing proteins together in new ways. This mechanism creates opportunities for targeting diseases by stabilising or modifying protein complexes that regulate essential cellular processes, paving the way for the development of highly specific therapies.
Bifunctional compounds work by inducing interactions between proteins and other cellular targets, such as enzymes or substrates, which can alter the target’s cellular lifespan, activity or localisation. These compounds have the potential to revolutionise treatments in areas like cancer, immunology and rare diseases, offering solutions for conditions where effective therapies are currently lacking.
The lecture concluded with a lively Q&A session, where attendees explored the technical aspects of Professor Schreiber’s work and its clinical implications. The event underscored the significant role chemistry plays in addressing today's complex health challenges and set a high standard for future lectures in the Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson series.
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Saida Mahamed
Department of Chemistry
