ChemBioParis 2025: Approaching Biology Through Chemistry in the City of Light

Abstract

Ten years after the last edition in Europe (Berlin 2015), Paris hosted ChemBioParis 2025, which united the International Chemical Biology Society (ICBS) annual conference and the European Chemical Biology Symposium (ECBS). Nearly 500 researchers from around the globe gathered to participate in a vibrant programme featuring keynote lectures, selected communications, two poster sessions, a trainee symposium for early‐career researchers, and several social events. Researchers showcased the breadth of ongoing research in chemical biology and addressed the current challenges in the field.

ChemBioParis 2025 brought chemical biology back to Europe 10 years after the last ICBS meeting in Berlin. Held in Paris, the joint ICBS annual conference and ECBS symposium gathered nearly 500 international researchers for keynote lectures, selected talks, poster sessions, a trainee symposium, and networking events, highlighting current advances and challenges in the field.

1. Introduction

From October 6th to 9th, 2025, ChemBioParis 2025 took place at Sorbonne University in Paris, France. This combined edition united the 14th annual conference of the International Chemical Biology Society (ICBS) with the 9th European Chemical Biology Symposium (ECBS). To organise the event, the ICBS collaborated with the European Chemical Society (EuChemS) Division of Chemical Biology and Chemistry in Life Sciences, EU‐OPENSCREEN, and the Chemical Biology Division of the French Chemical Society (SCF‐ChemBio). Additionally, ChemBioParis 2025 received certification from the European Federation of Medicinal Chemistry and Chemical Biology (EFMC). Since its inception in 2011, the ICBS annual conference alternates between North America and other continents.

The last and only time it was hosted in Europe was in 2015, when the event was held in Berlin, also as a joint ICBS/ECBS conference [1]. A decade later, ChemBioParis 2025 marked the long‐anticipated return of the ICBS meeting to Europe, once again as a joint ICBS/ECBS event, making it a major event for European and worldwide chemical biology. With close to 500 participants from around the world (as shown in Figure 1), the conference was driven by a shared commitment to promote collaboration, innovation, and the exchange of knowledge at the intersection of chemistry, biology, and medicine.

FIGURE 1.

ChemBioParis 2025 group picture.

The talks were split into 15 sessions, highlighting both the successes and the challenges in the field of chemical biology. In this conference report, we summarise the conference outline: an interplay of science and networking in the City of Light.

2. Highlighting the Broad Diversity of Research in Chemical Biology

The ChemBioParis 2025 conference featured a scientific programme that addressed key challenges and emerging frontiers in the field of chemical biology. Leading experts in the field presented the latest advances, spanning topics from harnessing nature’s chemical diversity to developing next‐generation probes and therapies. In the following subsections, we present an overview of each session and its highlights, collectively demonstrating how the field continues to advance and broaden its scope in 2025 and beyond.

2.1. The Contribution of Natural Products to Chemical Biology

This session shed light on innovative research in natural products and their derivatives, which continues to drive significant advancements in chemical biology. Herbert Waldmann (MPI Dortmund, Germany) kicked off the session with a talk on pseudonatural products (PNPs), demonstrating how combining fragments derived from known natural compounds can yield new scaffolds that surpass what nature alone offers [2]. The search for bioactive molecules is also expanding to extreme environments. Jeanette Andersen (University of Tromsø, Norway) presented Arctic marine organisms as promising sources for drug discovery [3], while Francisco Castillo (MEDINA, Granada, Spain) described the high‐throughput screening of microbial metabolites to identify host‐targeting antivirals, such as hTOM70 [4]. On the synthetic side, Olivier Loiseleur (Syngenta, Switzerland) introduced artificial internalising receptors. These designed molecules bind extracellular targets and bring them into cells, offering a novel approach to modulating biological pathways. Lixin Zhang (East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China), recipient of the 2025 ICBS Global Lectureship Award, then discussed how synthetic biology can unlock previously silent secondary metabolites in Streptomyces [5]. Altogether, the session illustrated the innovative potential of tapping into natural diversity and redesigning chemical structures, which remain central to developing new tools and therapeutic leads.

2.2. Targeting RNA Mechanisms

This session underscored the significant potential of RNA in chemical biology, with researchers addressing the long‐standing challenge of developing small molecules to target RNA. Matthew Disney (Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, USA) presented a sequence‐based design strategy for small molecules that bind to complex RNA secondary structures, creating selective chemical tools for RNA modulation [6, 7]. Amanda Hargrove (University of Toronto, Canada) followed with approaches to influence RNA conformation and function, demonstrating how carefully designed compounds can affect RNA folding and protein interactions [8, 9]. Katlin Massirer (University of Campinas, Brazil) used fragment‐based screening, via weak‐affinity chromatography, to identify new ligands for RNA‐binding proteins, providing a promising route for early‐stage discovery [10]. Sébastien Campagne (INSERM Bordeaux, France) discussed small molecules that can correct splicing errors, including a compound that repairs a bulged 5′‐splice site [11]. Liang Cheng (ICCAS, Beijing, China) concluded the session with a method for light‐based control of RNA, using photochemical switches to activate or deactivate RNA with spatial and temporal precision [12]. These talks reflected the growing momentum and significant potential in RNA‐targeted chemical biology, from rational design and screening to innovative tools for dynamic control.

2.3. Chemical Inducers of Proximity (Hybrigenics Session)

Induced proximity has evolved into an established and rapidly advancing strategy in chemical biology and drug discovery. Alessio Ciulli (University of Dundee, UK) provided an overview of the latest advances in this area, covering PROTACs, molecular glues and related strategies [13]. Continuing this theme, Ivan Đikić (Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany) explored how proximity‐inducing compounds can be used to manipulate the ubiquitin and autophagy pathways, enabling the targeted degradation of disease‐related proteins or infectious agents [14]. Agnieszka Konopacka (The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK) presented new therapeutic approaches in cancer, where proximity‐based drugs recruit cellular machinery to degrade proteins that are difficult to target by conventional means [15]. Giorgia Kidd (University of Dundee, UK) concluded the session with a case study on a PROTAC developed to selectively degrade KRAS in its active, GTP‐bound state, overcoming a long‐standing challenge in oncology [16]. Together, the talks highlighted significant progress in induced proximity strategies, offering powerful, increasingly versatile approaches to address previously intractable targets in drug discovery.

2.4. Genome Base Editing and Precision Chemistry for Therapy (EFMC Session)

Technologies at the interface of chemistry and genome editing, including Genome Base Editing, featured prominently in this session. It opened with a keynote by Sir Shankar Balasubramanian (University of Cambridge, UK), who explored the chemical biology of the genome. He highlighted emerging chemistries for decoding and manipulating DNA, from novel sequencing methods to chemical tags that map epigenetic modifications, emphasising that understanding the genome at a chemical level creates new opportunities for precision medicine [17]. Following this broader perspective, Claudia Höbartner (University of Würzburg, Germany) described engineered alkyltransferase ribozymes that can site‐specifically modify RNA bases. This approach utilises RNA enzymes to perform chemical transformations on other RNAs, providing alternative strategies to protein‐based editing tools [18]. Turning to DNA, Chase Beisel (Helmholtz Institute for RNA‐based Infection Research, Würzburg, Germany) presented a method for programmable gene editing that involves attaching chemical groups to DNA. By introducing these modifications during CRISPR/Cas processes, his team can fine‐tune editing outcomes or modulate gene expression [19]. Angela Steinauer (EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland) concluded the session with a presentation on engineered protein cages for RNA delivery. These nanoscale assemblies encapsulate RNA therapeutics and release them within target cells, addressing a key challenge in gene therapy delivery [20]. Taken together, the talks showed that combining chemical tools with gene and nucleic acid editing technologies is advancing a new generation of therapeutic strategies, with growing potential for targeted, controlled genetic intervention.

2.5. Chemoproteomics‐Enabled Drug Discovery

As chemical biology broadens the definition of ‘druggable’, this session showed how chemoproteomics is helping to facilitate this goal by uncovering new therapeutically relevant targets. Daniel Nomura (University of California, Berkeley, USA) opened with a keynote on redifining druggability through chemoproteomic platforms. By combining covalent small‐molecule libraries with proteomic mapping, his work identifies proteins that can bind drug‐like fragments even if they are not traditional drug targets, broadening the landscape of possible interventions [21]. Massimiliano Gaetani (Karolinska Institute, Sweden) presented a complementary strategy using a multimodal mass spectrometry‐based pipeline to uncover drug targets and mechanisms of action. By integrating global drug‐binding data with protein identification and computational tools, he demonstrated how to trace the downstream effects of compounds in an unbiased and systematic way [22]. Debojit Bhattacherjee (Moffitt Cancer Centre, USA) concluded by presenting a high‐throughput fragment‐based approach to profile ligandability across various cancer cell types. His work revealed proteins with previously unrecognised binding pockets in lung cancer subtypes, offering new directions for therapeutic development. Kevin Renault (Institut Curie, France) introduced a set of near‐infrared (NIR) fluorophores designed for two‐photon excitation, a method that enables deeper tissue imaging with minimal damage. These dyes retain brightness and stability under two‐photon conditions and are suited for imaging biological activity in live animals, including enzyme function in the brain. Collectively, the presentations illustrated how chemoproteomics is becoming an essential part of drug discovery by enabling a detailed view of protein‐small molecule interactions within native cellular environments.

2.6. Compound Profiling for Drug Discovery

Moving from targets to phenotypes, this session highlighted innovative methods for profiling compounds in complex biological systems. Christopher Schmied (EU‐OPENSCREEN, Germany) presented findings from a large Cell Painting dataset used to predict compound properties. Cell Painting is a high‐content imaging technique that captures morphological and subcellular changes in cells exposed to small molecules. Using machine learning, his team demonstrated that images from thousands of compounds can be used to predict chemical properties and potential mechanisms of action, creating a morphological fingerprint for each compound [23]. Jess Ewald (EMBL‐EBI, UK) extended this approach to liver‐derived cell lines to assess cytotoxicity and mode of action earlier in the drug discovery pipeline. Her work helps to flag toxic compounds and clarify how drugs behave in a tissue‐relevant setting before advancing to animal studies [24]. In a complementary approach, Päivi Tammela (University of Helsinki, Finland) introduced functional precision‐medicine methods based on ex vivo drug‐sensitivity testing. By applying drug panels directly to patient‐derived cells or tumour samples, her group can identify effective treatments and uncover potential new uses for existing drugs in specific patient subgroups. Together, these talks demonstrated how high‐dimensional profiling, through both imaging and patient‐focused assays, is helping to understand compound effects better and inform more personalised therapeutic strategies.

2.7. Computational and AI Methods in Chemical Biology

This session explored how computational methods and artificial intelligence (AI) are shaping the future of chemical biology. Sereina Riniker (ETH Zürich, Switzerland) described how combining experimental data with computational modelling can reveal the conformational flexibility of biomolecules. Instead of relying on static views of proteins or ligands, her work uses molecular dynamics simulations, refined by experimental inputs, to map the range of conformations a molecule can adopt. This provides a more accurate understanding of how biomolecules and drugs behave in realistic conditions [25]. Zoe Cournia (Academy of Athens, Greece) expanded on this by demonstrating how AI can support molecular simulations to predict complex interactions, such as those between proteins or between proteins and membranes. By integrating machine learning with physics‐based approaches, her team is identifying modulators for targets that are otherwise difficult to study [26]. Sandip Paul (Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India) contributed a computational study of molecular tweezers, host molecules that bind to and disrupt protein assemblies. He demonstrated how simulations can be utilised to evaluate their therapeutic potential, for example, in preventing protein aggregation associated with disease. Taken together, the talks showed that computational tools, ranging from molecular simulations to AI‐driven prediction, are playing an increasingly significant role in guiding chemical biology research and drug development.

2.8. Chemical Glycobiology

This session focused on the challenges and progress in chemical glycobiology, an area known for its complexity and biological importance. Barbara Imperiali (MIT, USA) delivered a keynote on glycan assembly, examining how contrasting biosynthetic topologies orchestrate the construction and transfer of complex carbohydrates. By dissecting the enzymatic logic of glycosylation pathways, her work provides new tools to engineer protein glycosylation and probe biological function. Ben Schumann (Technische Universität Dresden, Germany) followed with chemical tools to study protein glycosylation, including metabolic labelling strategies that incorporate clickable sugar tags into glycans and enzymatic methods for modifying glycan structures. These techniques help identify where sugars are attached to proteins and clarify their biological roles [27]. Sébastien Gouin (Nantes University, France) introduced a novel electrochemical approach to install sugars onto proteins and living cells. By applying a voltage in the presence of specially designed reagents, his team can selectively attach carbohydrate groups at defined sites, offering a way to control glycosylation in real time [28]. Arnaud Lehner (University of Rouen, France) concluded with a plant biology perspective, presenting metabolic click probes that plants incorporate into their pectic polysaccharides. These tools allow imaging of the plant cell wall as it changes over time, providing insight into polysaccharide deposition and remodelling in vivo [29]. Together, the presentations demonstrated how chemical biology is enabling new ways to study and manipulate glycans across systems, from microbes and mammals to plants, shedding light on the essential functions of carbohydrates in biology.

2.9. Chemistry In Vivo

This session explored how chemical biology tools are being applied directly in living systems to study and influence biological processes in real time. Yimon Aye (University of Oxford, UK) began with a presentation on reactive metabolite signalling, focusing on short‐lived chemical species, such as electrophiles and radicals, that play crucial roles in cellular stress responses and signalling pathways. She introduced methods to detect and manipulate these transient metabolites inside cells, helping to uncover how reactive chemistry contributes to biological regulation and how it might be harnessed for therapeutic purposes [30]. In the area of imaging, Marc Vendrell (University of Edinburgh, UK) illustrated how mass‐spectrometry‐based approaches enable the spatially resolved analysis of metabolites and chemical information directly within biological systems. Offering a different application, Bengang Xing (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong) presented orthogonal molecular systems for precision imaging and treatment. Among these was ENCTACs, a strategy in which enzyme‐activated chemical components assemble into active therapeutic molecules only in specific tissues, such as tumours. This enables highly targeted drug activity with minimal effects on healthy tissue [31]. Swathi Vanaja Chandrasekharan (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Hyderabad, India) closed the session by focusing on neurobiology, describing G protein‐coupled receptor‐targeted probes for imaging and modulating microglial cells in living animals. Her work offers a means to monitor and influence microglial activity in the brain, with potential implications for understanding neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases [32]. Taken together, the presentations demonstrated how in vivo chemical biology is enabling researchers to observe and influence biological functions with spatial and temporal precision, expanding the reach of chemistry into the most complex settings.

2.10. Activity‐Based Probes

This session highlighted recent advances in the design and application of activity‐based probes, which are chemical tools that react in the presence of specific biological activities and are used to study and manipulate protein function. Christopher Chang (Princeton University, USA) opened with a presentation on activity‐based sensing, introducing reactive molecules that detect and report on biochemical processes with high sensitivity. He described probes that respond selectively to particular metal ions or enzyme activities, allowing researchers to pinpoint when and where these events occur within cells [33]. The session continued with examples of how probe design is being adapted to different biological targets. Louise Walport (Francis Crick Institute, London, UK) discussed the use of cyclic peptides as probes to uncover previously inaccessible binding sites on protein surfaces, thereby helping identify new regions suitable for drug development [34]. Mélanie Ethève‐Quelquejeu (University of Paris Cité, France) focused on β‐lactam‐binding proteins, presenting chemical probes that bind irreversibly to these enzymes, which are involved in bacterial cell wall synthesis and antibiotic resistance. Her work allows the visualisation and study of these proteins in living bacteria and infected human cells [35]. Marc Nazaré (FMP, Berlin, Germany) presented chemical probes for visualising the endocannabinoid system, focusing on activity‐based tools targeting enzymes involved in endocannabinoid metabolism [36]. Together, the talks demonstrated the breadth and adaptability of activity‐based probes, from chemical sensors and peptide‐based mapping tools to optical imaging agents, all designed to reveal dynamic biological processes with precision.

3. ICBS Young Chemical Biologist: Rising Stars

The ‘Rising Stars’ session featured the recipients of the 2025 ICBS Young Chemical Biologist awards, each presenting innovative research that reflects the future direction of the field. Chayasith Uttamapinant (Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology, Rayong, Thailand) introduced an approach for engineering multiphase protein condensates for biochemical applications. By designing synthetic multivalent proteins, he created liquid–liquid phase‐separated droplets capable of concentrating molecular components, and demonstrated their use in compartmentalised DNA amplification for highly sensitive disease diagnostics. Fleur M. Ferguson (University of California, San Diego, USA) shared her work on mapping the druggable proteome through proximity pharmacology. Using PROTACs and molecular glues, her team systematically identifies proteins that can be modulated through induced proximity, revealing new therapeutic targets in cancer beyond traditional binding sites [37]. Hannes Mikula (TU Wien, Austria) concluded the session with an overview of advances in bioorthogonal ‘click‐to‐release’ chemistry. He presented chemical reactions that not only label biomolecules but can also release active compounds in response to a specific trigger, for example, locally on the site of a disease. This strategy enables highly localised activation of therapies, helping to reduce off‐target effects [38]. Collectively, this session highlighted the creativity and ambition of the next generation of chemical biologists, who are bringing forward new concepts and tools that will shape the field in the years to come.

4. EuChemS ChemBioLife and SCF‐ChemBio Awards

This award session, jointly organised by EuChemS ChemBioLife and SCF‐ChemBio, celebrated outstanding early‐career contributions to chemical biology. Nadja A. Simeth‐Crespi (Georg‐August‐University of Göttingen, Germany) opened the session with work on light‐responsive systems for manipulating peptides and proteins. Her research focused on photochemical tools that enable precise, reversible control of biomolecular function, offering spatiotemporal resolution for studying protein behaviour in complex environments [39]. Julie Karpenko (LIT, University of Strasbourg, France) presented the synthesis and application of fluorescent antimicrobial peptides. Her talk highlighted how chemical modifications can improve both the imaging capabilities and therapeutic potential of these peptides, particularly against resistant pathogens [40]. Arnaud Chevalier (CNRS‐ICSN, Gif‐sur‐Yvette, France) concluded the session with work on fluorogenic probes designed to visualise mitochondrial reductase activity in real time. His approach uses smart chemical reporters to track enzyme‐mediated transformations within mitochondria, providing new tools for studying redox biology in living cells [41]. This session showcased the depth and creativity of emerging researchers developing molecular tools to illuminate and modulate biological systems with precision and accuracy.

Across the sessions at ChemBioParis 2025, a clear message emerged: chemical biology continues to advance across all levels, from molecular design to systems‐level insight. Natural product‐inspired chemistry is generating new leads and therapeutic modalities, while innovative probes and computational approaches are offering fresh perspectives on dynamic biological processes. The integration of chemistry with areas such as omics, AI, and structural biology is helping to accelerate progress across the field. As challenges such as RNA‐targeted therapies, genome editing, glycoscience, and hard‐to‐drug targets move into sharper focus, the strategies presented in Paris demonstrated that the community is well‐positioned to address them. The conference underscored how chemical biology is becoming an increasingly powerful driver of discovery, with wide‐reaching implications for both fundamental science and future health solutions.

5. Showcasing Early‐Career Researchers in Chemical Biology

During ChemBioParis 2025, leading experts shared their insights into current research directions and challenges in chemical biology. Importantly, the meeting also provided a prominent platform for early‐career scientists to showcase their contributions. The conference opened with the Trainee Symposium; an engaging day‐long event dedicated to emerging researchers. Ten communications, selected from a large pool of submitted abstracts, together with one award lecture, highlighted the diversity of chemical biology research worldwide. Topics ranged from the development of new fluorescent probes and biosensors for illuminating biological processes, the use of computational methods for unravelling protein interactions, as well as new methods for covalent protein modification and nucleotides labelling. The trainee speakers were Rob Lammers, Pierre Nicolas Bizat, Federica A. Souto‐Trinei, Ruirui Zhang, Mikkel Høj Nielsen, Brecht Ellenbroek, Khanh Chi Nguyen‐Pham, Veronika Šlachtová, Dorothea Kossmann, and Hayoung Son, whose presentations collectively reflected the creativity and breadth of the next generation of scientists in the field. Furthemore, as part of the award session, Lina El Hajji (CPCV, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France), recipient of the SCF‐ChemBio PhD Thesis Award 2025, presented her work on the engineering and applications of chemogenetic fluorescent tags for advanced biological imaging, highlighting innovative tools enabling precise visualisation of cellular processes [42].

In addition to the trainee communications, Yimon Aye (University of Oxford), Bridget Wagner (Arena Bioworks), Ruben Ragg (Wiley‐Chemistry Europe), and François Autelitano (Evotec) were invited to share their experiences during an hour‐long panel discussion on careers in chemical biology. This panel discussion was an excellent opportunity to present the diversity of careers in the field of chemical biology, ranging from academic research to industry as well as science editing, and fostered interesting discussions between the invited speakers and attendees, on a wide range of topics including the growing emergence of AI technologies, the importance of mentorship, transitioning from academia to industry and remaining open to incoming opportunities. The day closed with an inspiring keynote lecture by Raphaël Rodriguez (Institut Curie, Paris, France), illustrating how small molecules can be used to probe and modulate cellular stress responses and adaptive pathways.

The trainee symposium was co‐organised by Bridget Wagner and the Young French Chembio (YFCB) group. YFCB is a nascent network associated with the SCF‐ChemBio, aiming to gather early‐career chemical biologists currently based in France or intending to pursue their research careers there. YFCB emerged from a desire to provide early‐career chemical biologists with a network that fosters discussion and collaboration. The current organising committee of YFCB gathers six early‐career chemical biologists working in France and Europe, in different areas of chemical biology (Figure 2). YFCB organises monthly thematic chemical biology webinars, giving the floor to master or Ph.D. students and postdoctoral researchers to showcase their research in a stimulating environment. In addition, they will be hosting senior members of the chemical biology community for career‐oriented panel discussions to share their experience. More long‐term actions of the YFCB include the establishment of a mentoring programme within the French chembio community, pairing together early‐career and senior members, as well as the organisation of recurring in‐person events dedicated to early‐career researchers. We believe such a group will help support early‐career chemical biologists by providing an encouraging and collaborative network representing a broad range of topics and career paths in chemical biology.

FIGURE 2.

The newly created Young French Chemical Biologists (YFCB) group. From left to right: Marc Panosetti, Marie Auvray, Lina El Hajji, Francisca Figueiredo, Lisa Gourdon‐Grunewaldt, and Manon Sturbaut.

6. Connecting Chemical Biologists at the Heart of Paris

Beyond its scientific programme, ChemBioParis 2025 unfolded as a carefully choreographed social experience, where ideas flowed as freely as conversation. The meeting offered numerous opportunities for exchange and networking in a warm and convivial atmosphere. Participants embarked on a memorable evening cruise along the Seine, where Paris revealed itself in soft gold and shadow, culminating in a striking view of the Eiffel Tower illuminated beneath a full moon. The traditional gala dinner, held at ‘La Coupole’ brasserie, an iconic venue of les années folles, blended refined cuisine with the vibrant energy of live jazz, creating a setting that was both elegant and animated. Poster sessions, generously accompanied by wine, cheese, beer, and charcuterie, fostered lively scientific discussions and sparked new collaborations in an informal and welcoming environment.

This dynamic programme also provided a platform to highlight the broader chemical biology ecosystem, with presentations of initiatives led by sister societies such as the Société de Chimie Thérapeutique (SCT) and the Société Française de Biochimie et de Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM), as well as the national research network GDR ChemBio and the ChemBioFrance infrastructure. The community was further connected to upcoming international opportunities, including the Bioorganic Gordon Research Conference, and to its editorial partners, Chemistry Europe and RSC Chemical Biology, reinforcing the strong links between research, collaboration, and dissemination.

7. Celebrating Young Talents in Chemical Biology

To recognise emerging talent, several young scientists received awards for outstanding talks and poster presentations during the ICBS Trainee Symposium, highlighting promising innovations in chemical biology.

The best communication prizes (Figure 3) from the RSC Chemical Biology, CDD Vault, and Servier were awarded to: Hayoung Son (Seoul National University, South Korea) for her work on monochromophoric bioorthogonal tetrazine probes, Mikkel Nielsen (Aarhus University, Denmark) for his work on artificial internalising receptors for depletion of extracellular target protein, and Dorothea Kossmann (University of Zurich, Switzerland) for her work on a ratiometric pH sensor for Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria.

FIGURE 3.

Trainee communication prizes awardees.

Two lively poster sessions were held during the congress, showcasing a total of 229 poster presentations and highlighting the breadth and vitality of current research in chemical biology. From these contributions, nine outstanding posters were recognised with prizes. These awards (Figure 4), generously sponsored by GDR ChemBio, RSC Chemical Biology, PorphyChem, and Servier, were presented to: Malo Gourvest (Institut Curie, France) for his work on clickable fluorescent probes, Edith van der Nol (Leiden university, Netherlands) for her work on barcode‐free hit discovery from massive libraries, Magnus Shou Dybtved (Aarhus University, Denmark) for his work on antimicrobial treatment using targeted drug delivery, Yuko Hirata (University of Tokyo, Japan) for her work on radiotheranostic agents with high tumour accumulation triggered by hydrolytic enzyme activity, Nadine Pfleger (TU Vienna, Austria) for her work on precise bioorthogonal click chemistry via stereoselective tetrazine/trans‐cyclooctene ligations, Yuji Kamei (EPFL, Switzerland) for his work on the discovery of de novo peptidic binders for the oncogenic chromatin factors, Sebastian Hecko (TU Vienna, Austria) on his work on expanding iontronic drug delivery via bioorthogonal click‐to‐release, Cléo Chidaine (Université de Bordeaux, France) for her work on DNA nanostructure based on an aptaswitch/aptakiss interaction, and Naama Drahy (Sorbonne Université, France) for her work on the development of a minimal tag for imaging and controlling endogenous proteins.

FIGURE 4.

Poster presentation prizes awardees.

8. Conclusion

The ChemBioParis 2025 conference, a successful joint meeting of the 14th ICBS and the 9th European Chemical Biology Symposium (ECBS), brought together close to 500 participants at Sorbonne University. The scientific programme included 10 sessions presenting recent developments across the discipline, from natural products and PROTACs to computational methods for target discovery and in vivo imaging probes. Beyond the scientific presentations, the conference offered events dedicated to early‐career researchers, including the launch of the YFCB group and the Trainee symposium on the first day, featuring a panel discussion on careers. Three young scientists were recognised for outstanding talks during the Trainee Symposium, and nine poster prizes were awarded by sponsors out of the 229 presentations. The Rising Stars and Award sessions allowed talented early‐career researchers to present their innovative work in areas such as bioorthogonal chemistry and advanced chemical probes.

ChemBioParis 2025 also fostered a warm and engaging environment for networking and professional development, punctuated by memorable social events. Participants enjoyed an evening cruise along the Seine and a gala dinner at the iconic ‘La Coupole’ brasserie, where scientific exchange continued in a relaxed and convivial setting. Alongside lively poster sessions, these moments stimulated meaningful discussions and helped seed future international collaborations within the chemical biology community. We warmly congratulate all awardees and extend our sincere thanks to the participants who travelled from across the globe to contribute to the success of this meeting. We look forward to the next edition and to further advances at the interface of chemistry and biology.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.