30 presentations[1] gave an overview of innovative research techniques, including Diamond’s XChem fragment screening facility, novel drug discovery pipelines, the latest cryo-EM technology, computational modelling, systems approach to Structural Biology, training and education, and Structural Biology techniques.
Scientific research highlights focused on themes pertinent to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, from health and wellbeing to climate change, industrial processes, agriculture, and the environment:
- SARS-CoV-2 research for vaccine targets and therapeutics, including ‘Moonshot’ drug discovery.
- HIV and AIDS vaccine/inhibitor research.
- Rotavirus vaccine development and therapeutics.
- Drug discovery for a range of cancers.
- Investigating vaccine targets to tackle Enterotoxigenic Esherichia Coli.
- Countering antimicrobial resistance.
- Therapeutic approaches to African Horse Sickness Virus.
- Novel therapeutic applications for metabolic disorders, musculoskeletal development, and other conditions.
- Rationally guided antivenom development.
- New inhibitors for hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
- Shedding light on Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB).
- Artificial lactone yields an understanding of keratinases to address biomass waste and save trees.
- Investigating enzymes to produce high-value fine chemicals for bioremediation in industrial use/waste management.
- Enzymes as biocatalysts for ‘green’ pesticides, and new compounds to combat anti-fungal drug-resistance.
The meeting ended with a round table discussion on the way forward for Structural Biology in South Africa. The latter has demonstrated significant successes and opportunities which must be sustained and developed with urgency, but there are some significant gaps, challenges, and threats to overcome. In the rest of Africa, there is some movement in Structural Biology in Kenya and Egypt, but it is difficult to assess the actual situation.
Attendees considered how to strategically progress funding, capacity building, infrastructure, and memberships of international organisations; and how best to position and support Structural Biology locally and internationally.
[1] See Appendices for a full list of speakers, affiliations, and presentation topics.