Chemical Biology of Nucleosides and Nucleic Acids Towards Human Therapeutics

The Nucleosides, Nucleotides and Oligonucleotides GRC is a premier, international scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages. The conference program includes a diverse range of speakers and discussion leaders from institutions and organizations worldwide, concentrating on the latest developments in the field. The conference is five days long and held in a remote location to increase the sense of camaraderie and create scientific communities, with lasting collaborations and friendships. In addition to premier talks, the conference has designated time for poster sessions from individuals of all career stages, and afternoon free time and communal meals allow for informal networking opportunities with leaders in the field.

For many years, nucleos(t)ide analogues and nucleic acids have served as cornerstones of drug design and development efforts. The Nucleosides, Nucleotides and Oligonucleotides (NNO) Gordon Research Conference is dedicated to understanding the fundamental chemistry, biology, and technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases using nucleos(t)ides and nucleic acid analogues. In recent years nucleic acids have seen wide use in chemical biology investigations as well as in the clinic as therapeutics and diagnostics. Emerging areas like CRISPR gene editing and siRNA have been developed due to the extensive efforts of many in the NNO field.

The 2023 edition will be the 21st NNO GRC and will reflect the evolution of the field and the current explosive growth of NNO based therapeutics, from its original focus on purine and pyrimidine chemistry and biology, to the much broader current scope. The conference will bring together academic, industrial and government scientists to present and discuss the latest research concerning the design, synthesis and characterization of both small molecules and oligomers. Notably, industrial representation at the meeting is typically three times the GRC average, providing collaboration opportunities for established scientists and giving students networking opportunities that could prove beneficial in future job searches. The scientific program will begin with three keynote lectures from three leaders in the NNO field who will focus on where we are today with the cutting-edge science related to NNO therapeutics. The eight subsequent sessions will cover topics including the discovery and development of anticancer, antiparasitic and antiviral drugs, therapeutics for coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-2, structural chemistry investigations of nucleic acids, chemical biology applications, nucleic acids diagnostics, oligonucleoside and nucleic acid-based therapeutics, and the emerging field of RNA targeting and epitranscriptomes.

In addition, several poster presentations will be selected for short talks based on the abstracts submitted. The NNO GRC is further enhanced by a highly social environment with various planned activities such as the annual softball game, sailing trip, and the science/GRC-focused Jeopardy game. Finally, the NNO GRC holds a GRC Power Hour to discuss issues faced by both men and women of all stages and areas of science careers, and a new event - several special “have lunch with industry, government and publishing scientists” for the students and postdocs, as well as a Gordon Research Seminar to promote discussion and networking by students and postdocs.