Discovery & Development Europe 2026
ELRIG track: Target innovation & novel screening technologies
Part of Oxford Global’s Drug Discovery Europe 2026 conference.
Date
15 June 2026
Location
Berlin, DE
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We’re partnering with Oxford Global to host an ELRIG scientific track as part of their Drug Discovery Europe 2026 conference.
Track overview
Join us on Day 1 (15 June) for the Target Identification & Validation track.
spotlighting technological advancements in new target discovery, the power of functional genomics and CRISPR, AI-driven approaches for drug repurposing and validation, strategies to assay and compute novel compounds, and the integration of multi-omics technologies to accelerate early-stage drug discovery.
Conference overview
Pushing traditional boundaries in pharmaceutical science by accelerating the discovery of novel therapeutics
Young Scientist Award
(Sponsored by ELRIG)
The Young Scientist Award gives PhD students, postdoctoral researchers and early career scientists the chance to present their work to over 1,000 senior scientists and R&D leaders from pharma, biotech and AI-driven platforms — alongside the event’s keynote speakers. Sponsored by ELRIG.
How to Apply
Submit your abstract by Friday 15th May 2026. Register via the link on this page to access the submission form. Bring your poster on the day. Winners notified during the week of 8th June 2026.
What you could win
The top three winners in each category receive:
- A trophy and recognition at the awards ceremony on 15th June
- £1,000 towards travel costs
- A ten-minute presentation slot on the main programme
- A 12-month LifeScienceXchange Pass
What are the categories?
Drug Discovery
Target Discovery and Validation Technologies.
Medicinal, Computational Chemistry and Drug Design.
Emerging Modalities: RNA, ADC, Rule of 4, Proteins and Antibodies.
Neuroscience, Immuno-based Therapies, Oncology, Metabolic and Rare Diseases.
Drug Screening Technologies.
Organoids, Organ-on-a-Chip and Micro-Physiological Systems.
Targeted Protein Degradation.
AI in Drug Discovery and Development.
Automation, Digital Labs and Robotics.
Formulation and Delivery
Drug Formulation.
Drug Delivery and Devices.
How is this award judged?
Abstracts are scored by speakers and key opinion leaders attending this event. Scoring is based on scientific quality, methodology, results and strong conclusions.
Science Committee
Forum Directors
Saman Honarnejad
Evotec
Rr. Honarnejad is a biotechnologist with >15 years of experience in high-throughput biomolecular and cellular screening and currently serves as Director of Business Development at Evotec. Prior to joining Evotec, he was Chief Scientific Officer at Pivot Park Screening Centre in the Netherlands. During this time, he was involved in a broad range of commercial, academic, and shared-risk lead discovery programs. He carried out his doctorate in biotechnology jointly at the University of Heidelberg and Harvard University.
Susanne Müller-Knapp
Structural Genomics Consortium
Susanne Müller-Knapp is Chief Operating Officer at the Structural Genomics Consortium, SGC, Frankfurt and Director of Operations of the Chemical Probes Portal.
She earned her PhD at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, where she developed a passion for understanding the molecular mechanisms that drive disease. After several years of postdoctoral research on inflammation and gene regulation at both the Karolinska Institute and the DIBIT San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, Italy, she joined the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) at the University of Oxford in 2004. There, she led the Epigenetic Probe Project in a public–private partnership to advance chemical biology — and headed a research group dedicated to exploring novel chemical probes, studying their cellular targets, and uncovering their biological significance.
Since 2016, she has been based at Goethe University Frankfurt, where her research employs chemical biology approaches to elucidate the roles of specific molecular targets in biological processes and disease, with a primary focus on cancer. In addition to her research, she serves as an Associate Editor for RSC Medicinal Chemistry and holds an Honorary Appointment at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR).
In her capacity as Director of Operations for the Chemical Probes Portal, she is dedicated to advancing the quality and accessibility of chemical tools for the global scientific community. Her work centers on establishing rigorous standards for chemical probe validation, curating high-quality data, and promoting best practices through training materials, webinars, and direct engagement with researchers. Through these efforts, she plays a key role in empowering scientists worldwide to make informed, effective use of chemical probes in their research.
Sponsorship Opportunites
Please get in touch with Oxford Global if you’re interested in attending this event. Email: help@oxfordglobal.com
