Portugal has joined the EU-OPENSCREEN ERIC as a new member country. The National Infrastructure for Chemical Biology and Genetics in Portugal (PT-OPENSCREEN) was recently included in the 2020 Portuguese Roadmap of Research Infrastructures.
PT-OPENSCREEN is a nationwide network that brings together national chemistry and biology research institutions bridging chemistry-based research areas (organic and medicinal chemistry) and molecular and structural biology. It aims to identify new molecular probes/tools for discovering new chemical and biological compounds that can be further explored as therapeutics.
Through sample miniaturization and state of the art technologies, hundreds of thousands of compounds are cost and time effective screened in biological assays. Including target discovery and medicinal chemistry for optimization of compounds, PT-OPENSCREEN aims to provide high quality candidate compounds to clinics.
PT-OPENSCREEN coordinates the participation of Portugal in the Pan‐European ESFRI infrastructure EU‐OPENSCREEN, accessing the European Chemical Biology Library. It is is coordinated by the Institute for Health Research and Innovation of the University of Porto (i3S) and brings together the main research centers in the areas of chemistry and biology across the country, including iMed.ULisboa.
The representing entity is the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, I.P.). Portugal will be represented in the Assembly of Members by Marta Abrantes (FCT) and Prof. António Pombinho (i3S).
More information about the national infrastructure PT-OPENSCREEN here.