SMASH 2024: Previewing the Tuesday Sessions

Next week, the SMASH NMR 2024 Conference will take place (1). The conference is set to focus on the development of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to small molecules (1). The conference will feature symposia, user meetings, mixers, networking sessions, and oral sessions. In this article, we preview the oral sessions that will take place on Tuesday September 17th.

Burlington, Vermont, USA | Image Credit: © SeanPavonePhoto - stock.adobe.com

On Tuesday September 17th, there are two oral sessions that will take place, one in the morning from 9:00 am to 10:20 am and one in the late morning from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm.

The morning session is titled, “Unveiling the Potential of Benchtop NMR Spectroscopy: Applications and Advancements.” It will be moderated by Jose Napolitano. This session highlights the growing impact of benchtop nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy as a versatile and cost-effective analytical tool (2).

Over the course of three talks, the session covers recent advancements and applications in fields such as chemistry, materials science, food science, and pharmaceuticals (2). Benchtop NMR has proven valuable in chemical analysis for structural elucidation, quantification, and reaction monitoring. In materials science, it aids in analyzing polymers, composites, and nanomaterials, focusing on quality control and process optimization. In food science, it's used to verify authenticity, composition, and detect contaminants (2). In pharmaceuticals, benchtop NMR supports drug discovery, formulation, and quality assurance, particularly in identifying impurities and degradation products (2).

The three speakers that will talk during this session include Andre Simpson, a Professor and Director of the Environmental NMR Center of the University of Toronto; Christina Szabo, an Associate Director at Baxter; and Adam Sutton, an Associate Principal Scientist at Merck (2).

The first talk in this session is titled, “The Vast Potential of Benchtop NMR for Environmental Research,” and it will take place from 9:00 to 9:30 am. The second talk is titled, “Benchtop NMR Spectroscopy of an Aqueous Polysaccharide Product,” and it will take place from 9:30 to 10:00 am (2). And finally, the last talk is titled, “Quantification of Small Molecules for Vaccine Development by Benchtop NMR,” and it will conclude the session from 10:00 am to 10:20 am (2).

Later in the morning, an oral session titled “New Modalities in Pharma,” will take place from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm. This oral session will be moderated by Thomas Williamson. This oral session will highlight some of the NMR approaches used to support research in this growing field, such as screening, characterization, and conformational analysis of these small- to medium-sized molecules (2).

This session will feature four speakers: Nichola Davies of AstraZeneca; Marilisa Leon of IBB-CNR Naples Italy; Kaitlyn Doolittle Catlin of Genetech; and Nirmalya Pradham of Texas A&M University. The first talk, titled “Potent and Bioavailable Beyond Rule of Five Drugs: Insights from NMR,” will take place from 11:00 am to 11:25 am. The next talk after that is titled, “Hunting for Original Anticancer Peptides: A Key Role for NMR Within Multidisciplinary Approaches,” and it will take place from 11:25 to 11:50 am. The third talk of the oral session is titled, “Single-Use Technologies and Gamma Irradiation: Tracking Down a Biopharma Leachables Issue with NMR,” and it will take place from 11:50 to 12:10 pm. The oral session will then conclude with a talk titled “NMR Sensitivity Enhancement of Small Biomolecules Using Hyperpolarized Water,” that will take place from 12:10 to 12:30 pm.

References

1. Wetzel, W. An Inside Look at the Upcoming SMASH Conference. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/an-inside-look-at-the-upcoming-smash-conference (accessed 2024-09-10).
2. SMASH – Small Molecule NMR Conference, Program. SMASH NMR Conference. Available at: https://smashnmr.org/program/ (accessed 2024-09-10).