3rd International Conference on Photopharmacology

Join us for the latest in design, synthesis and application of drugs and molecular probes controlled by light!

Started in Groningen in 2017, then hosted in Barcelona in 2018, we are proud to host the 3rd installment of Photopharmacology. The scientific program for Photopharmacology III includes invited and contributed lectures, as well as a vibrant poster session.

Dirk Trauner & Drew Woolley

Meeting Themes

Photopharmacology can be defined as an attempt to control biological function with synthetic molecules that confer light-sensitivity to their cellular targets. The field has been emerging rapidly over the last few decades; however, much work is still needed to unlock the translational potential of exciting proof-of-concept discoveries. With this goal in mind, Photopharmacology III aims to bring together leading researchers in order to debate, present, and, more importantly, foster cooperation between their own areas of expertise. One topic of discussion at the conference will be the future role of photopharmacology in human medicine and its relation to more established fields of photomedicine, such as photodynamic therapy. The restoration of vision is another area where photopharmacology can impact medicine. Another topic of interest is the relationship between photopharmacology and optogenetics, which have a shared history, are in some respects indistinguishable, and face similar challenges in terms of light delivery and cellular targeting. Emerging techniques that meet these challenges will be discussed at the conference. New photoswitches and photocaging groups will be introduced and strategies debated how to optimize their photophysical and thermal properties and make their synthesis more reliable, efficient, and scalable. The application of such switches to new biological targets in a variety cells, tissues, and organisms will demonstrate the usefulness of photopharmacology for the perturbation, control, and restoration of biological function with light.