Research vision
From first principles, we rethink research to shape a future where:
Drug Discovery, Reimagined (Medicinal Chemistry)
Accelerated for patients and respectful of the planet
Peptides, Simplified (Chemical Biology)
Built by anyone, effortlessly
αlphaβets, Rewritten (Synthetic Biology)
Programming proteins for modular, on-demand functions
Drug Discovery, Reimaged
In Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam, a spark leaps between God and man, a moment of untapped potential brought to life.
In our lab, we channel that same spark at the molecular level, fusing the precision of peptides with the versatility of small molecules. The result: hybrid therapeutics that transcend their individual parts, accelerating drug discovery through cost-effective upcycling approaches benefiting patients, and the planet.
We harness structural biology and AI-guided design to craft these next-generation molecules, targeting GPCRs with unprecedented precision. Each receptor tells a story; each conjugate contributes to a deeper understanding of biology.
Our research pursuits:
- Neurokinin-1 (NK1) receptor — decoding inflammation in bowel disease
- Neuromedin-2 receptor — the next frontier in exploring weight regulation
- κ-opioid receptor — redefining pain management
AI-designed peptide-small molecule conjugates targeting the κ-opioid receptor for pain management (in collab. with Prof. David Baker, Nobel Laureate 2024)
Peptides, Simplified
Inspired by Piet Mondrian’s art, composed of simple lines and just three primary colors, we pursue the same artistic simplicity and functional modularity in science.
Our vision is to make protein–peptide production so seamless that the technology itself fades into the background, empowering even non-chemists to build peptides with ease.
Currently, we are advancing three core technologies that simplify peptide synthesis, functionalisation and high-throughput purification, each at a different stage of commercialization, that embody this philosophy.
Interested in our technologies? Get in touch with us and the Technology Transfer Office, University of Vienna, Austria
αlphaβets, Rewritten
We take inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci’s “fantastic dragon,” a creature imagined by combining the best features of lizards, serpents, butterflies, and bats.
Similarly, we design and craft protein alphabets, integrating essential chemical features to achieve multiple, programmable functions.
Our vision is to enable precise control over peptides and proteins to unlock new possibilities in Biotechnology, Synthetic Biology, and Therapeutics.
We aim to create a future where proteins can be programmed to perform tasks on-demand that nature never intended.
Prior Explorations
Recombinant Protein Expression | Biotechnology
Disulfide rich proteins in E. Coli & S. Cerevisiae | ¹⁵N-, ¹³C-Isotope labelled proteins
D-/L-Peptide natural products | Chemical Biology
D-/L-Peptide foldamers | Dynamic combinatorial chemistry | Library synthesis | Structure-Activity Relationships | Antibacterial activity | Natural product synthesis
Caspase-I Inhibitors | Drug Discovery in Pharma industry
Caspase-I inhibitors for Rheumatoid Arthritis | Peptidomimetics | Unnatural amino acids | Multistep organic synthesis
PeptAIDes: ZukunftsKolleg Consortium, Vienna
Our team is a member of 'PeptAIDes ZukunftsKolleg consortium' (supported by FWF-ZK grant), a preclinical Peptide drug discovery platform for Auto-Immune-Diseases.
Our research is supported by:
Interested in our research and technologies?
Connect with us and the Technology Transfer Office, University of Vienna, Austria