At this year’s PEGS Boston, industry experts gathered on a panel to explore how AI and machine learning are deployed in biologics R&D today. Moderated by Peter M. Tessier, Ph.D., Albert M. Mattocks professor of pharmaceutical sciences and chemical engineering at University of Michigan, the panel consisted of Andrew Buchanan, Ph.D., head of discovery at a stealth-mode biotech company; Norbert Furtmann, Ph.D., head of biologics AI and design of large molecules research at Sanofi; Konrad S. Krawczyk, Ph.D., founder and CSO at NaturalAntibody SA; Andrew C.R. Martin, Ph.D., emeritus professor of bioinformatics and computational biology at University College London; Melody Shahsavarian, Ph.D., senior director of data strategy and digital transformation of biotherapeutics discovery research at Eli Lilly & Company; and Bernhardt L. Trout, Ph.D., professor of chemical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  

Links from this episode:  

Pharmaceutical Sciences & Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan 

University of Michigan 

Sanofi 

NaturalAntibody SA 

Bioinformatics, UCL 

Biosciences Computational Biology, UCL 

University College London   

Eli Lilly & Company 

May 12, 2026 | When it comes to drug discovery, either you find a rare, clean target and everything clicks, or you spend a decade chasing biology that refuses to cooperate. Daniel Chen, M.D., Ph.D., founder and CEO of Synthetic Design Lab, makes the case for a different playbook: objective-driven protein engineering, where we start with the outcome and design biologics that can execute it with built-in logic. With host Andrew Bradbury, Chen unpacks the SYNTHBODY platform and what “multi-tier logic gating” means in real drug design. They dive into logic-gated antibody drug conjugates, where target summation can boost binding, internalization, trafficking, and payload delivery and where an additional AND gate can trigger multiplier functions that go beyond cytotoxic payloads. 

Links from this episode:  
Specifica
Synthetic Design Lab 

How is BindCraft, the automated pipeline for de novo protein binder design, changing the protein design industry? Martin Pacesa, assistant professor of pharmacology at the University of Zurich, joins The Chain to discuss how BindCraft is helping non-protein designers learn how to design proteins—and how the role of the protein designer will evolve. With host Chris Bahl, their conversation explores how BindCraft may help with drug development, its role in the democratization of tools and resources, and how to work more collaboratively with AI models. Pacesa will also be speaking at May’s PEGS Summit in Boston.  

Links from this episode:  

AI Proteins 

UZH - Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology  

University of Zurich 

Models & Molecules Podcast

T cell and immune cell engagement is gaining traction, but what makes it different from other therapies? Patrick Baeuerle, Ph.D., chief scientific advisor at Cullinan Therapeutics, and Jeffrey Miller, M.D., deputy director of Masonic Cancer Center, join The Chain to discuss the advantages, similarities, and differences of T cell and immune cell engagers, and how they compare to other modalities such as CAR T cells. Hosted by Laszlo Radvanyi, Ph.D., their conversation covers engineering recognition of multiple targets, prospects for peptide MHC engagers and NK cells engagers, and the application of these modalities to oncology and beyond. 

Links from this episode:  
University of Toronto, Department of Immunology
University of Toronto
Cullinan Therapeutics
Masonic Cancer Center 

During last year’s PEGS Europe, industry experts gathered on a panel to discuss the future of biologic therapeutics. The panel kicked off with a presentation on 50 years of monoclonals, from hybridomas to next-gen antibody therapeutics, followed by a conversation featuring Paul Carter, Ph.D., Genentech Fellow of Antibody Engineering, G. Jonah Rainey, Ph.D., associate vice president of Eli Lilly and Company, and Janine Schuurman, Ph.D., biotech consultant at Lust for Life Science B.V. Moderated by Daniel Chen, M.D., Ph.D., founder and CEO of Synthetic Design Lab, the discussion centered around whether half-life extended peptides will eventually replace multispecific antibodies.

Links from this episode:  

PEGS Europe 
PEGS
Synthetic Design Lab
Genentech
Eli Lilly and Company
Lust for Life Science B.V. 

How has immunotherapy evolved in the last decade? In this episode of The Chain, Laszlo Radvanyi, professor of immunology at the University of Toronto, discusses his years-long research on cancer immunotherapy, including his time at MD Anderson, with host Rakesh Dixit. He shares his thoughts on agonist antibodies, the true breakthroughs that are moving the needle for patients, reducing the CD-28 pathway so that it doesn’t produce cytokine toxins, and what is the next frontier in immunotherapy. 

Links from this episode:  
EpiVax
University of Toronto, Department of Immunology 
University of Toronto 

December 13, 2025 | What is next for immunogenicity? In this episode of The Chain, Vibha Jawa, chief scientific officer at EpiVax, provides her thoughts and insights on BiTE molecules, pegylated molecules, and other biologic molecules and their impact on cancer treatment and research with host Rakesh Dixit. Jawa shares the most rewarding project she’s worked on and what therapeutic modality she sees being picked up in the next decade, as well as advice for the next generation of scientists, such as why it’s important to be hands-on with research and be collaborative with others.  

Links from this episode:  
EpiVax 

November 11, 2025 | What is the next modality to focus on in the next 10 years? For Bahija Jallal, CEO of Immunocore, it would be T-cell engagers. In this episode of The Chain, host Rakesh Dixit speaks with Jallal on the potential advantages of bispecific T-cell engager therapy versus T-cell receptor therapy, biggest anticipated changes in drug discovery and development in the next 10 years, and how AI is going to impact the next generation of scientists. Plus, Jallal shares her experiences as the previous president of MedImmune and at AstraZeneca, what her most rewarding project was, and the transformations and achievements that occurred under her leadership. 

Links from this episode:  
Immunocore 

As drug development pushes into more complex antibody formats, the big question is: how do you really assess developability? In this episode, host Nimish Gera speaks with Shamit Shrivastava, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Apoha, to dive into Liquid Brain, his interdisciplinary innovation that’s changing the way researchers tackle developability of challenging antibody-based drugs. Shamit breaks down what makes Liquid Brain different from traditional developability methods, reveals how it’s unlocking new possibilities for complex format development, and shares a glimpse into Apoha’s future-including an exclusive preview of what’s coming at PEGS Europe this November. 

September 16, 2025 | With the rise of AI and automation, what is the core human skill in drug discovery that is and will be valuable in the future? Derek Lowe, director of Chemical Biology Therapeutics at Novartis and author of the In the Pipeline blog, discusses the impact of AI—and non-AI technologies—on the business of drug making. With host Christopher Bahl, cofounder and CEO of AI Proteins, their conversation covers the value of a PhD in the tech world today, the long-term impacts of knowledge creation in US leadership positions, how the industry can navigate a biotech winter, and more. 

Links from this episode:  
AI Proteins
Novartis 
In the Pipeline 

August 12, 2025 | Diagonal Therapeutics founder and CEO Alexey Lugovskoy discusses the key lessons learned over his illustrious career, starting from his childhood in the Soviet Union to founding his own company, Diagonal Therapeutics. With host Tariq Ghayur, Lugovskoy shares insights gained from working with organizations of different sizes, taking on the obstacles of building a pipeline, and integrating AI/ML into discovery programs, as well as his most memorable achievement—and most memorable failure. He also offers advice to young scientists and entrepreneurs, emphasizing the importance of challenging problems and surrounding yourself with the right people.