ChemBio’26 where innovation emerges from the convergence of chemistry and biology
Donostia, 27 April, 2026. From 27 to 29 April, the Donostia/San Sebastian Aquarium will be hosting the 8th Biennial Meeting of the Chemical Biology Group of the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry. The ChemBio’26 conference organised by CIC biomaGUNE, Polymat and the University of Deusto, will be bringing together about 130 young researchers and leading international specialists in the field of chemical biology.
Over the course of the three days, the attendees will be able to discover some of the most fascinating phenomena where chemistry and biology meet, “with the conviction that innovation arises out of the convergence of chemistry and biology”, announced the conference organisers Natalia Baranova (CIC biomaGUNE), Ana Beloqui (Polymat) and Ganeko Bernardo (University of Deusto.
Thanks to an extensive programme of talks delivered by experts from leading Basque, Spanish and international centres, the ChemBio’2026 conference will be analysing the latest scientific advances in synthetic biology, structural and computational biology, nanobiotechnology, medical chemistry and biomaterials. The Donostia/San Sebastian Aquarium will be providing a unique setting in which to learn from those spearheading the development of a new era at the interface between chemistry and biology, in an atmosphere open to scientific exchange and international collaboration, endorsed by the event’s hosts themselves:
Natalia Baranova is a Ramón y Cajal researcher and an Ikerbasque Research Fellow at CIC biomaGUNE. The group she leads focuses on researching bacterial infections by means of the reverse-engineering molecular assemblies to uncover the principles governing their functioning and propose new strategies to combat antibiotic resistance.
Ana Beloqui is an Ikerbasque Research Associate Professor at Polymat. The group she leads is exploring the combination of functional polymers and enzymes to develop sustainable, biocompatible and efficient devices for advanced applications, particularly in the fields of sensing and biomedicine.
Ganeko Bernardo is a researcher at the University of Deusto. He is leading a new line of research focusing on the biophysical and structural characterisation of proteins associated with ALS, with the aim of developing theranostic chaperones to combat pathological aggregation.
The extensive programme of lectures includes various topics of particular appeal and interest. Dr Marc Güell (ICREA) uses artificial evolution and ancestral evolutionary reconstructions to create new systems to enable more efficient and secure modification of the human genome and metagenome, as well as to develop new biological functions of biotechnological relevance. Dr Andreas Walther focusses on developing life-like materials and systems that integrate dynamic processes and principles of chemical intelligence inspired by the basic principles of life.
The event organisers are deeply committed to promoting equality and aim to foster a strong spirit of collaboration at this conference. “Particular attention has been paid to ensuring a broad representation of early-career researchers by giving them the opportunity to showcase their work and participate actively,” they said. And they hope that this year’s ChemBio meeting will serve as an inspiration so that future events are characterised by the same spirit of inclusivity and collaboration.
