An Inside Look at the Upcoming SMASH Conference

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is the spectroscopic technique of choice when scientists want to examine chemical structures (1). It uses NMR phenomena to study the chemical and biological properties of matter (1). It is a technique that, when used in the right context, can unveil certain information about the molecular structure of matter. Therefore, it is a popular technique in the medical field.

NMR also has the ability to capture dynamic molecular behavior (2). This is an important attribute for the technique because it helps discern many other processes. These processes include real-time structural rearrangements, reaction kinetics, and substrate catalysis (2).

Because of the benefits of NMR spectroscopy and its applicability across several burgeoning industries, it is a technique that is growing in popularity. In a few weeks, an upcoming conference, titled SMASH (also known as “Small Molecule NMR Conference”), will spotlight the latest NMR methods, applications, and technologies.

The SMASH NMR conference, established in 1999, focuses on the development and application of NMR spectroscopy to small molecules. Initially created by leading industrial practitioners to highlight the neglected work in this area, the conference now attracts participants from various scientific sectors (3). Its core objectives include advancing the knowledge of small molecule NMR spectroscopy, recognizing scientific contributions, and fostering collaboration through discussion and exchange (3). The conference maintains a non-partisan, international approach, alternating between the U.S. and Europe since 2003 (3). Although the structure remains consistent, SMASH progresses to meet the changing scientific landscape, including the rise of entrepreneurial ventures.

SMASH 2024 is taking place this year in the small city of Burlington, Vermont, at the Hotel Champlain Vermont. Because of its proximity to Lake Champlain, conference attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy the introduction of the New England fall season while listening to various talks and engaging with other attendees (3).

Burlington, Vermont, USA autumn town skyline. | Image Credit: © Designpics - stock.adobe.com.

The heart of the program lies in its various talks, which will feature many important speakers in the field. On Monday September 16th for instance, there will be a 90-minute oral session on NMR crystallography that will be led by Leonard Mueller of University of California Riverside and Nina Gonnella of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals Inc. The session will also feature talks from Hironori Kaji of Kyoto University and Jonathan Hau of Genentech, Inc. Monday afternoon focuses on the computational methods and analytical techniques to interpret anisotropic and isotropic NMR parameters in small molecules (3). In this session, Stefan Immel of the Technical University of Darmstadt, Gianluigi Lauro of the University of Salerno, Jochen Junker of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, and Bene Honore of the University of Bristol will deliver talks.

On Tuesday September 17th, a morning oral session will take place on benchtop NMR spectroscopy. In this session, Andre Simpson of the University of Toronto, Christina Szabo of Baxter Healthcare, and Adam Sutton of Merck will deliver talks (3). The morning will also feature a session titled, “New Modalities in Pharma,” which will focus on the role of NMR in pharmaceuticals. Here, Nichola Davies of AstraZeneca, Marilisa Leone of IBB-CNR Naples, Kaitlyn Doolittle Catlin of Genentech, and Nirmalya Pradhan of Texas A&M University will deliver talks (3).

And finally, there will be two oral sessions on Wednesday: one will take place in the morning, and the other will take place in the afternoon. The Wednesday morning session is titled, “Clinician Impossible: The Role of NMR in Solving Complex Clinical Problems,” and will detail the role of NMR spectroscopy in the clinical field. Here, four speakers—Fay Probert of the University of Oxford, David Cistola of T2YourHealth and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, Istvan Pelczer of Princeton University, and Alessia Tirmigno of Olaris, Inc.—will give talks that show how NMR spectroscopy can be used to help treat neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, and more (3).

Wednesday afternoon concludes the conferences with two important oral sessions. The first oral session, which starts at 2:00 pm EST, focuses on the regulatory and forensic side of NMR. Here, Charlotte Corbett of the U. S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Marcos Batisttel of the U. S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA), Jennifer Janovick of the University of Maryland, and Ryan Cohen of Merck will deliver talks (3)..

And finally, at 4:00 pm EST, the last oral session will focus on industrial applications of NMR. Here, Jacqueline Thomas of Proctor & Gamble, Debra Sysyn of ExxonMobil, Jose Napolitano of Genentech Inc., and Kevin Robbins of AstraZeneca, will deliver talks (3).

There are several benefits for conference attendees who go to SMASH. First, they have a golden opportunity to network in the pursuit of new employment opportunities. According to the SMASH website, many companies who use NMR technology will be attending the conference, including GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, ExxonMobil, Merck, Johnson & Johnson, and many others (3). Second, conference attendees will have access to learning about the latest challenges in using NMR spectroscopy, including information on how the experts in the field are solving these critical issues, which can help them advance their own research (3). And finally, SMASH serves as a gathering place for individuals across all career fields. Academics, industry professionals, and student researchers all attend SMASH, which allows attendees to interact with and engage with professionals from different walks of life, allowing them to broaden their intellects and be introduced to other career avenues.

References

(1) American Chemical Society, NMR and MRI: Applications in Chemistry and Medicine. ACS.org. Available at: https://www.acs.org/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/mri.html#:~:text=What%20is%20NMR?,determine%20molecular%20identity%20and%20structure. (accessed 2024-08-26).

(2) Covalent Metrology, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. Covalent Metrology. Available at: https://covalentmetrology.com/service/nuclear-magnetic-resonance-nmr/#:~:text=Magnetic%20Resonance%20Spectroscopy-,Nuclear%20magnetic%20resonance%20spectroscopy%20(NMR)%20is%20a%20chemical%20analytical%20technique,catalysis%2C%20and%20many%20other%20processes. (accessed 2024-08-26).

(3) SMASH Conference, SMASH 2024. SMASH NMR. Available at: https://smashnmr.org/ (accessed 2024-08-26).