Fiocruz participates in a course on rational drug design in Argentina
From the 2nd to the 6th of December 2024, postgraduate students from various Argentine universities took part in the "Computer-assisted rational drug design course," held at the Department of Physics of the National University of the South, located in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The event was organised by the department director and professor, Marcelo Costabel, during the LII Meeting of the Argentine Biophysical Society.
The initiative was supported by The Global Health Network Latin America and the Caribbean (TGHN LAC) in partnership with the Vice Presidency of Education, Information and Communication (VPEIC) at Fiocruz.
Ana Carolina Guimarães, a researcher from the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC), and Ernesto Caffarena, a researcher and coordinator of the Scientific Computing Program (PROCC), represented Fiocruz as lecturers at the event. They shared specialised knowledge on computational methods applied to the planning of new compounds with pharmacological potential.
According to Costabel, the course provided a space for interaction with researchers. "The impact is extremely positive, firstly due to the opportunity for exchange with prominent international researchers who may enable future collaboration on joint projects, and secondly, for the training of our students," explained the professor.
The course programme focused on the application of computational techniques and tools in the process of discovering and developing new drugs, such as molecular modelling and docking, virtual screening, and in silico methods for calculating ligand affinity. "It was a very rewarding experience to share our expertise in computational methods for drug development with Argentine students," commented Caffarena.
For the PROCC coordinator, the course facilitated valuable exchanges for those beginning in this field. "The participants' enthusiasm and Costabel's excellent organisation contributed to the success of this initiative," said Ernesto.
Ana Carolina Guimarães also emphasised the importance of the event. "This course represented a unique opportunity to strengthen scientific ties between the two countries. The partnership with the National University of the South and the support of TGHN LAC were fundamental in making this important training initiative possible," concluded the Fiocruz researcher.
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Written by Luisa Picanço (Fiocruz)