CONFERENCE REPORT
9th Bulgarian Peptide Symposium
Velingrad, Bulgaria, 27-29 August 2021.
The International Conference of the Bulgarian Peptide Society (9th Bulgarian Peptide Symposium) was held during the period 27-29 August 2021 in the conference halls “Kleptuza” and “Jundola” at Kamena hotel, which is situated in the beautiful mountain resort Velingrad. The Governing Body of the Bulgarian Peptide Society was delighted in succeeding to organize this International Conference on the very edge of COVID-19 pandemic situation.
The aim of the symposium was to bring together all the research scientists who work on different aspects of the field of peptide science and present a part of the research of peptides which is carried out in the scientific community in Bulgaria. Besides presentations of research results, the organizers wanted to stimulate all forms of collaboration and networking, especially for younger colleagues and students.
There were 53 registered participants in the international Conference of the Bulgarian Peptide Society, among them 10 scientists from 8 foreign countries (Italy, Israel, Portugal, Turkey, Greece, France, Romania and Lebanon). Bulgarian participants were from the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, different Institutes at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Medical University of Sofia and South-West University in Blagoevgrad (35% of participants were PhD students, postdocs and few young students before master degree).
Participants of the 9th Bulgarian Peptide Symposium
The interesting and dynamic scientific program, fruitful discussions during Conference sessions and coffee-brakes provided opportunities to build research collaborations with colleagues from neighbor countries, to exchange ideas, to explore updates in the field, to build new bridges between scientists working in the field of Chemistry, Biology and Pharmaceutical industry, to check indeed the saying: “Science is organized knowledge, wisdom is organized life”.
The scientific program began with three splendid plenary lectures delivered by appreciated professors from the field of chemistry and pharmacy of peptides: Prof. Anna Maria Papini (Italy) Aberrantly modified conformational peptide epitopes specific for antibodies, biomarkers of immune-mediated diseases, can be reminiscent of an early infection: the chicken or egg dilemma; by Prof. Illana Gozes (Israel) Peptide-based drug development based on the autism/Alzheimer’s-linked activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP), and by Prof. Paula Gomes (Portugal) Antimicrobial peptide-based strategies to tackle chronic skin and soft tissue infections.
Keynote lectures were presented by Assoc. Prof. Tamara Pajpanova (Bulgaria); Prof. Dancho Danalev (Bulgaria); Prof. Vasile Gradinaru (Romania); Prof. Selma Vardar (Turkey); Prof. Nurettin Aydogdu (Turkey); Assist. Prof. Lubomir Vezenkov (France) and Assoc. Prof. Alessandro Pesaresi (Italy). Other lectures were presented by Assoc. Prof. Tatyana Dzimbova (Bulgaria); Postdoc Petya Hadzhibozheva (Bulgaria); Assoc. Prof. Lyudmila Velkova (Bulgaria); Postdoc Sirine Jaber (Lebanon); Postdoc Mihaela Belouhova (Bulgaria) and Clinical doctor Momchil Kermedchiev (Bulgaria), covering different topics in peptide chemistry and biology.
Professor Selma Vardar during her lecture
The lectures and posters covered different topics such as structure-activities studies on bioactive peptides, peptidomimetics, cell penetrating peptides, physiological studies on bioactive peptides, antimicrobial peptides, synthesis and physiological studies on modified amino acids, enzymatic transformation of polypeptides, computer modelling of ligand-receptor interaction, structural analysis of peptides, theoretical studies on peptide bond formation, biological activity of peptides and proteins.
Along with oral presentation there were four e-poster sessions. Young scientist competition was organized, evaluated by Prof. Reni Kalfin, Assoc. Prof. Tamara Pajpanova, Prof. Nikolay Vassilev and Prof. Ivanka Stoineva. Two best young scientist awards were given to postdocs Sirine Jaber from Lebanon and Petya Hadzhibozheva from Bulgaria.
Best young scientist awards. The winner Dr. Petya Hadzhibozheva
The financial support from the European Peptide Society, Bulgarian Peptide Society, National Science Fund, Institute of Neurobiology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy and private company „ELTA”, make it possible to invite several distinguished scientists and 8 young scientists and students.
Finally, the International Conference of the Bulgarian Peptide Society (9th Bulgarian Peptide Symposium) was a great success to the lecturers, participants, to our sponsors, and already looking forward to the next 10th Peptide Symposium.
Contributed by Reni Kalfin and Emilia Naydenova