27 April 2026
Donostia Aquarium
The Aquarium in Donostia-San Sebastián is hosting the 8th Biennial Meeting of the Chemical Biology Group of the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry from 27 to 29 April. The ChemBio’26 conference, organised by CIC biomaGUNE, Polymat and the University of Deusto, brings together around 130 early-career researchers and internationally renowned specialists in the field of chemical biology.
Over the course of the three-day event, participants will have the opportunity to explore some of the most fascinating developments at the interface between chemistry and biology, “driven by the conviction that innovation emerges from the convergence of chemistry and biology,” say Natalia Baranova (CIC biomaGUNE), Ana Beloqui (Polymat) and Ganeko Bernardo (University of Deusto), the conference organisers.
The ChemBio’2026 conference will examine the latest scientific advances in synthetic biology, structural and computational biology, nanobiotechnology, medicinal chemistry and biomaterials, thanks to an extensive programme of talks delivered by experts from leading Basque, Spanish and international institutions. The Aquarium in San Sebastian will provide a unique setting in which to learn from those leading the way in a new era at the interface between chemistry and biology, in an environment that encourages scientific exchange and international collaboration, as endorsed by the event’s hosts themselves:
Ganeko Bernardo is a researcher at the University of Deusto. He is leading a new line of research focused on the biophysical and structural characterisation of proteins associated with ALS, with the aim of developing theranostic chaperones to combat pathological aggregation.
Natalia Baranova is a Ramón y Cajal researcher and an Ikerbasque Fellow at CIC biomaGUNE. She leads a research group focused on investigating bacterial infections through the reverse engineering of molecular assemblies, with the aim of uncovering the principles that govern their function and developing new strategies to combat antibiotic resistance.
Ana Beloqui is an Ikerbasque Associate Professor at Polymat. She leads a research group that explores the combination of functional polymers and enzymes to develop sustainable, biocompatible and efficient devices for advanced applications, particularly in the fields of sensing and biomedicine.
Among the wide-ranging programme of presentations, several particularly engaging and noteworthy topics can be highlighted. Dr Marc Güell (ICREA) uses artificial evolution and ancestral sequence reconstruction to create new systems that enable more efficient and safer modification of the human genome and metagenome, as well as to develop new biological functions with biotechnological relevance. Dr Andreas Walther focuses on the development of materials and systems that mimic living organisms and integrate dynamic processes and principles of chemical intelligence inspired by the fundamental principles of life.
The event organisers are deeply committed to promoting equality and aim to foster a strong spirit of collaboration at this conference. “Particular attention has been paid to ensuring broad representation of early-career researchers, providing them with the opportunity to present their work and take an active role,” they note. They also hope that this year’s ChemBio meeting will serve as an inspiration for future events to be characterised by the same inclusive and collaborative spirit.
