Experienced computational medicinal chemist with a background extending from organic synthesis to computational chemistry and cheminformatics. Previously @ University of Cambridge, AstraZeneca
AlphaFold
The other day, while driving to work, I listened to a podcast featuring Fei-Fei Li, who recently launched World Labs, a company focused on developing spatial intelligence by building large world models. For those outside the field of AI, Fei-Fei Li is a powerhouse, widely regarded as one of the
molecular interactions
In structure-based drug design, it's easy to be misled by the static image of a crystal structure. When aiming to improve the binding between a protein and a synthetic molecule, our natural instinct is often to increase as many hydrogen-bond interactions as possible by adding additional H-bond donors
Coding for Scientists
Coding for Scientists
Whether you're working with data from lab experiments or just curious about coding, this blog series is here to help. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking, “I’m a synthetic chemist or a cell biologist; I’ll never need to code.” The truth is, learning to code will only benefit your career.
molecular glues
Molecular glues are making headlines, with millions of dollars pouring into deals that promise groundbreaking advancements in drug discovery. Companies like VantAI, Neomorph, and Monte Rosa are leading the charge, securing major partnerships with large pharmaceutical firms. But what exactly are molecular glues, how are they discovered, and why are
medicinal chemistry
In the field of medicinal chemistry, change comes slowly. Every few years, someone with access to vast pharmaceutical data conducts a statistical analysis, aiming to identify new rules for drug-likeness. Yet, ironically, these rules seem to evolve more than the field itself. As a medicinal chemist, I've observed
coding
Generative AI has made remarkable strides in recent years, revolutionising fields like image, text, and even video generation. These advancements are largely due to the vast amounts of data available for training these models. However, in the realm of generative chemistry, there isn't the same volume of data
In my previous post, I promised a follow-up article about targeting non-protein biomolecules. Today, we'll focus on targeting RNA. If you work in drug discovery, you're likely familiar with the current buzz around targeting RNA with small molecules. RNA is an appealing target due to its
You've identified a biomolecule you want to target (for a refresher on target identification, see our previous article), and now you're ready to launch a hit identification campaign. In this article, we'll focus primarily on small molecule hits for protein targets, while addressing non-small
coding
Have you ever considered learning to code but felt unsure where to begin? In this article, I'll share my coding journey and offer recommendations to help you get started. Learning to code has significantly helped in my career, and I hope the lessons from my experience will benefit
Target identification
How do you start a drug discovery program? I've been asked this question countless times by family, friends, and experts from other fields, prompting me to write this article. While not intended as a comprehensive scientific review of drug discovery, this piece aims to provide an informative overview.