Protein Sciences in Drug Discovery 2026

Free-to-attend!

Date

10 – 11 November 2026

Location

GSK Stevenage, UK

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Event Overview

ELRIG’s Protein Sciences in Drug Discovery 2026 meeting will be held at GSK Stevenage (UK) on November 10th-11th 2026. The meeting will focus on the application of emerging areas of Protein Science to the challenges of modern drug discovery with a strong focus on how advances in AI and the underlying data is driving drug discovery. The program will cover AI and machine learning methods to perform predictive protein design and the development in silico workflows to support protein science. This will be followed by advanced protein and antibody QC techniques and approaches for developing protocols for challenging targets including membrane proteins and protein complexes. Novel therapeutic protein formats such as antibody drug conjugates and therapeutic proteins will be explored. We welcome you, join scientists from academia, pharma, biotech and CROs to hear the latest research, network and visit the exhibition.

Track Information

Day 1 – Tuesday 10 November

Sponsored by:

Day 1 – AM

AI and ML in protein sciences

Track Chairs: Nicola Burgess Brown

Machine learning models that predict protein behaviour (from biophysical properties to expression and binding) are rapidly transforming how Protein Sciences teams operate and how drug discovery projects are delivered. This session will explore the critical data generation that underpins these models, how they are being applied to address key unmet needs, and what the future of model-driven protein science may look like.

Day 1 – PM

Challenging targets and complexes

Track Chairs: Rick Davies (Sygnature Discovery)

Target proteins are critical components of drug discovery programmes. Expressing and purifying proteins in a relevant form sets the path for the discovery of therapeutic agents. Increasingly modern drug discovery is focused on targets which are increasingly challenging to produce, including multi-protein complexes, disordered proteins, membrane proteins and proteins in particular states of activation/repression. All these types of proteins need to be produced and formatted to enable structural and functional studies to drive projects forward. In this track, we will look at examples of novel approaches to producing these challenging targets.

Day 2 – Wednesday 20 November

Day 2 – AM

Developability and quality control for antibodies and alternative biologics

Track Chairs: TBA

This session will explore strategies to ensure antibody and alternative biologic candidates are robust, manufacturable, and fit for late-stage development. It will cover predictive developability assessment, biophysical quality control, and approaches to mitigate liabilities such as aggregation, instability, and heterogeneity. Emphasis will be placed on integrating developability thinking early, across diverse modalities, to accelerate translation from discovery to clinic.

Day 2 – PM

Non-standard binding proteins: tackling the production challenges

Track Chairs: TBA

Drug discovery is embracing a growing range of binding proteins beyond conventional antibodies, including new scaffold proteins, single-domain antibodies and AI-designed proteins. These molecules all offer distinct advantages for engaging difficult biological targets, but also represent unique challenges related to expression, purification and characterisation. This session will explore the strategies researchers are using to address the design and production of non-standard binder formats and highlight how creative protein science can enable next-generation therapeutic candidates.

Science Committee

Conference Directors – TBA

Speakers

Find out more about the bright minds speaking at this event.

Activities

Celebrating the innovation, scientific successes and personal achievements of our community is extremely important to us. We are proud to be able to recognise talent and valuable research through the giving of awards at this conference.

Awards available at this conference:

What's an ECP?

We define Early Career Professionals (ECP) as someone who is:

  • Undergraduate student
  • Postgraduate student (including PhD)
  • Starting their career in life sciences and drug discovery

Career breaks will be recognised, as will individuals whose career has spanned a break due to caring responsibilities or personal circumstances e.g. a period of parental/adoption leave, family commitments, illness, or other exceptional circumstances.

ECP Poster Award

The Early Career Professional Poster Award recognises the research and fresh ideas that the next generation of scientists bring to drug discovery.

Posters are judged on relevance, innovation, impact, and presentation quality, with the winner receiving:

  • £250 (which you can keep, donate to your lab, or give to charity).
  • A prestigious glass trophy.
  • Industry exposure & networking opportunities.

We define an ECP as an undergrad, postgrad (including PhD), or someone early in their career.

If you’re interested in applying for this award, please register for this conference and follow the instructions in your confirmation email.

Posters

Discover numerous posters and innovative research from across the drug discovery community, aligned to our track themes. Hear from our Flash Poster Presenters and find out who has won the coveted Early Career Professional Poster Award!

PLEASE NOTE: Poster submissions are now closed

How to submit a poster

To submit a poster application you must first register forthis conference. A link to the poster portal will be available in your registration confirmation email. The poster abstract submitted must not exceed 300 words.

PLEASE NOTE: Only one poster can be submitted per delegate, we only need your title and abstract, you do not need to upload your PDF and only Early Career Posters will be considered for a flash presentation at this event.

Poster deadlines

  • to be considered for a flash poster presentation – your title and abstract need to be uploaded by 13 October 2026
  • to be considered for general display – your title and abstract need to by uploaded by 20 October 2026

We have limited space at site and late entries will not be accepted. Submissions may also close early if we reach capacity.

If you have any questions regarding your submission, please contact events@elrig.org

 

During the event

Your poster should be displayed for the duration of the full event.

A board will be available with your poster number and Velcro strips to affix your poster (your poster must be A0 portrait).

Poster sessions will take place during the lunch refreshment break on Day 1 & Day 2.  You will be expected to be at your poster during these times to answer questions from delegates.

All posters will need to be collected at the end of the event and removed from the site; any posters left at the end of the event will be disposed of.

ECP Poster Award

The Early Career Professional Poster Award celebrates the fresh ideas and groundbreaking research shaping the future of drug discovery. The posters will be judged during Research & Innovation 2025 based on its relevance, innovation and impact. You will not need to be at your poster during judging.

If you’re an undergrad, postgrad (including PhD), or early in your career*, this is your chance to showcase your work and get the recognition you deserve.

The winner will receive:

  • £250 (which you can keep, donate to your lab, or give to charity).
  • A prestigious glass trophy.
  • Industry exposure & networking opportunities.

The prize is awarded during the opening session on day 2 of the event.

To apply for this award, please register for Research & Innovation 2025. A link to the Poster Portal will be available in your confirmation email where you can submit a 300 word poster abstract.

    *Career breaks will be recognised, as will individuals whose career has spanned a break due to caring responsibilities or personal circumstances.

     

    During registration you will be asked if you identify as an ECP – An Early Career Professional (ECP) can be a student in higher education undertaking an undergraduate or postgraduate degree (including PhD), or within 5 years of finishing higher education and starting their career in life sciences and drug discovery.

    Exhibitors

    Click below for exhibition floor plan and exhibitor list

    Conference Partner

    Agenda

    View our digital agenda to find our upcoming talks and speakers.

    Venue & Accommodation

    GSK – Stevenage

    Gunnels Wood Road
    Stevenage
    SG1 2NFX

    Google Map Venue Entrance

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    Parking for the first 60 cars will be available in the fitness centre car park. Once full, overflow parking will be in the North visitors’ car park. Parking permits are not required.

    Anyone parking in the fitness centre car park must use the designated pedestrian walkway around the fitness centre once on foot. For safety reasons, walking along the vehicle access road is not permitted.

    There is a GSK shuttle bus service between the train station and the site, which delegates are welcome to use. An App is required to access the service, but it is free of charge – access the app details here 

    Book your accommodation with ELRIG’s Registration & Accommodation Partner MICE Concierge Ltd

    Resources

    Social Media

    Download our useful social media images to share that you’ll be attending this conference with your network.

    Sponsorship Opportunites

    We have several sponsorship opportunities available to our vendors that can provide a wide range of new and exciting benefits for your organisation. We are also happy to discuss a tailored package to suit your budget. Contact us on info@elrig.org.

    FAQs

    Are ELRIG events really FREE to attend?

    Yes ELRIG events are FREE to attend.

    We are a not-for-profit organisation hosting events for the drug discovery community. We believe that access to high quality science should be accessible to all. Find out more here.

    We’re grateful for the support from our exhibitors who help us cover the costs of our events from sponsorship and stand sales. If you come to our events, please take the time to visit our exhibition and meet our exhibitors.

    Or if you’re interested in exhibiting at an event, check out our sponsorship page.

    How do I change / cancel my registration?

    As a non-profit organisation, we aim to reduce food waste, and your cancellation helps support our sustainability efforts.

    If your circumstances change and you can no longer attend, please cancel your ticket. Your confirmation email includes a link to the cancellation site.

    Delegates: What do I need to bring with me?

    Please save your ticket to your smart device or print a copy. Upon arrival at the venue visit the ELRIG registration and scan the QR Code. Your badge will be automatically printed. If you forget or lose your QR Code you can enter your email address to print your badge.

    Refreshments will be provided, please bring your own reusable cups to help us reduce plastic waste at our events.

    Can I register on arrival?

    ELRIG events are often sold out and we are unable to cater to drop-ins. If you haven’t pre-registered we may be unable to let you in.

    How do I download the event app?

    Our attendee app is available for all of our events. It contains a variety of useful information, including networking information, agendas, exhibitor searches, messaging and notifications.

    Information on accessing the app will be sent to you 2 weeks before the event!

    Download the app for iPhone here

    Download the app for androids here

    Conference Partners & Sponsors

    Become an exhibitor or sponsor