IMPALA Kick-Off Event
The IMPALA-NET Kick-Off Meeting marks the official launch of the UK-wide Integral Membrane Proteins And Lipid Assemblies Network (IMPALA-NET), a new BBSRC-funded network bringing together researchers, industry professionals, and technology experts working at the forefront of membrane protein science and polymer-lipid particle (PLP) technologies.
IMPALA-NET has been established to accelerate collaboration between academia and industry and to unlock the transformative potential of polymer-lipid particles (PLPs) for the study and application of membrane proteins. The network aims to create a collaborative national community that shares expertise, addresses technical and industrial challenges, develops best practices, and supports the wider adoption of PLP technologies across biotechnology, pharmaceutical discovery, structural biology, and related sectors.
This two-day kick-off event in Cambridge will bring together leading academic researchers, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, CROs, polymer chemists, computational scientists, structural biologists, biophysicists, and early career researchers to collectively explore the current challenges and future opportunities surrounding PLP technologies and membrane protein applications.
The Objective of the Kick-off Event
Connect academia, industry, and biotechnology professionals
Identify key challenges in PLP technologies adoption
Explore industrial needs and research opportunities
Share expertise, best practices, and emerging innovations
The Agenda
Day 1: Challenge Mapping
10:00 – 11:00 | Registration, Welcome & Networking
11:00 – 12:30 | Session 1: IMPALA-NET and the Current PLP Landscape
11.00-11.15: Naomi Pollock | Welcome and introduction to IMPALA (inc. opportunities for participants)
11.15-12.00: Alice Rothnie | Introduction to SMALPs (overview of history with focus on current situation and challenges)
12.00-12.30: Amberley Stephens | SMALPs in industrial applications (good and bad, identification of opps/problems)
12:30 – 13:30 | Lunch & Networking
13:30 – 15:00 | Session 2: Collaborative Challenge Mapping
13.30-14.00: Stephen Muench | After over a decade working with SMA, what are the challenges and future potentials?
14.00-14.30: Heather Findlay
1430-1500: Flash talks with examples of challenges
15:00 – 15:30 | Coffee break
15:30 – 17:00 | Session 3: Present the Challenge Mapping
1530-1615: Challenge mapping 1 (round table discussion)
1630-1655 Summing up the challenges
16.55-17.00 Day 1 Closure
Day 2: Research, Innovation & Future Opportunities
09:30 – 10:45 | Session 1: Innovation and Industrial Applications
9.30-10.15: Bernadette Byne |
10.15-10.45: CubeBiotech | Novel polymers to overcome preferential orientation in cryo-EM
10:45 – 11:15 | Coffee & Networking
11.15-11.45: Ellie Thacker | Novel polymer for nano-BRET
11.45-12.00: Alice Rothnie | IMPALA funding opportunities
12:00 – 13:00 | Lunch & Networking
13:00 – 14:30 | Session 2: Future Opportunities
13.00-13.45: ECR Speed Networking
13.00-13.45: Discussion session for senior scientists/leaders
14:00 – 14:30 | Closing Discussion & Next Steps
Key outcomes and reflections from the kick-off meeting
Future opportunities to engage with IMPALA-NET activities
Upcoming funding, exchange, and collaboration opportunities
Building the future IMPALA-NET community together
Interested in giving a flash talk?
You will have the opportunity to give a flash talk on day one. If you have a failed attempt to use PLPs that you are willing to present to a sympathetic audience, please submit an abstract to [email protected]. Talks should be 3-5 minutes, using no more than 2 slides and should describe exciting scientific questions where the use of PLPs was unsuccessful, Submission deadline is 14th June, and invitations will be sent out by 17th June.
Join the IMPALA-NET Kick-Off Event to drive the next generation of therapeutic and biotechnological innovation.