This talk will be online as a Teams Webinar (note the change from previous events which were via Zoom). The speaker is Valerie Pye from Sygnature Discovery.

Registration is free but required - click here to register!

Title: Introduction to Cryo-EM for Computational Chemists

Abstract: Understanding macromolecular structure is fundamental to modern drug discovery. Structural insights reveal how proteins and/or nucleic acids interact with ligands, and/or other proteins enabling rational design of therapeutics with improved potency and selectivity. Electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM) has emerged as a transformative technique, complementing traditional X-ray crystallography by providing high-resolution structures of complex and dynamic systems that can often defy crystallisation.

This presentation will introduce the use of cryo-EM for single particle analysis, outline the workflow from sample preparation to 3D reconstruction and interpretation, and highlight key considerations when using cryo-EM data for drug development—such as local vs global resolution, conformational variability, and ligand validation. The application of cryo-EM to challenging targets, including membrane proteins and large assemblies, showcases its growing importance in structure-based drug design.