Description:

Chemoproteomics-Enabled Target Identification and Degrader Discovery

Abstract:
Historically, the cumbersome identification of molecular targets of phenotypic screen hits has hindered their development into high-potential drug candidates. However, recent advances in chemoproteomics have made target identification significantly more manageable. Broadly speaking, the Adibekian laboratory aims to develop chemoproteomic strategies for target identification and drug discovery, with a particular focus on discovering small molecules for proteins of high therapeutic promise that are currently considered “undruggable.” In this seminar, I will describe our group’s most recent efforts to leverage our chemoproteomic platforms for the discovery of novel chemical probes for proteasomal and lysosomal targeted protein degradation

Bio:
Alex Adibekian received his PhD from ETH Zürich, Switzerland and conducted his postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Prof. Ben Cravatt at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA. In 2012, Alex started his independent career at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. In 2017, he relocated to The Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Florida as tenure-track Associate Professor. In 2022, he was hired by the University of Illinois Chicago as tenured Professor and LAS Endowed Chair. His laboratory works at the interface of synthetic chemistry, biochemistry and proteomics and seeks to develop chemical tools and mass spectrometry-based platforms for chemoproteomics-enabled target identification as well as drug and degrader discovery, with a specific focus on proteins of high therapeutic promise that are currently considered undruggable.