RCSI was recently the venue for Advances in Synthesis and Chemical Biology VIII, the annual Centre for Synthesis and Chemical Biology (CSCB) symposium.

The meeting was attended by 250 delegates who heard plenary lectures from internationally renowned speakers describing current research at the interface between chemistry and biology, including single molecule chemistry in a protein nanoreactor; recent advances in the total synthesis of bioactive natural products; peptides for target-selective drug delivery; natural products as a driving force for discovery in organic chemistry; and bioactive metal complexes.

In his opening remarks Professor Frank Keane, President of RCSI, welcomed the speakers and the delegates and congratulated the CSCB on its success. This is a collaborative venture between chemistry and biomedical researchers in UCD, RCSI and TCD, established in 2001 under PRTLI Cycle 3, which has resulted in new inter-institutional and interdisciplinary programmes of research in the area of chemical biology and in the sharing of resources. In all three institutions the CSCB has had a major impact on graduate and undergraduate teaching.  The President thanked all those involved in the organisation of the meeting including Ann Mooney, Patricia Whyte, Rosemary Donohue and John Howard.