Novalix has launched a new series of internal seminars entitled “Better Science Talks”.
Aligned with our core value of “Never stop looking”, these seminars bring brilliant scientists to share their latest research on a variety of topics relevant to our activities. Engaging with the most recent scientific developments will help expand Novalix teams’ knowledge and spark fresh ideas to drive innovation in their day-to-day scientific efforts.
We were thrilled to welcome several great speakers these past months.
Prof. Stefan Chassaing: “Bridging homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis with zeolites”
Dr Stefan Chassaing kindly accepted the invitation of Dr Sylvain Guizzetti, Director of Process and Flow Chemistry last June 26, 2025.
After earning his PhD in 2006, Dr Chassaing held postdoctoral positions in Strasbourg and Bordeaux before joining the University of Toulouse as Assistant Professor in 2008. He was promoted associate professor in 2015, and after returning to Strasbourg in 2018, he took up his present position in 2024 as Full Professor of Organic Chemistry.
In his talk entitled “Bridging homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis with zeolites”, Prof. Chassaing presented the development of m-zeo catalysts (protonated or metalated zeolites) as a promising heterogeneous alternative to traditional homogeneous systems, offering greener, ligand-free solutions for key organic transformations in synthesis.
Prof. Till Maurer: “Drug discovery needs more Biophysics!”
Dr Till Maurer, CEO and Independent Contractor at Nanomol Pharmaceutical Innovations, was kindly invited by Renaud Morales, Director of Biophysics, on June 17, 2025.
Dr Maurer is an accomplished scientist in the field of biophysics with broad expertise in drug discovery and development. A recognized leader in fragment-based lead discovery, he has played a pivotal role in advancing challenging drug targets, including the first fragment-based targeting of KRAS and the discovery of the first allosteric USP7 inhibitor.
The title of Dr Till Maurer’s talk was: “Drug discovery needs more Biophysics!“.
Dr Maurer presented how models in drug discovery are often too simplified, leading to compounds that may be active but not on the intended target, and emphasized that applying biophysical methods like NMR could make drug development more precise and purpose-driven.
Prof. Aiichiro Nagaki: “Flash chemistry guided by flow microreactor research”
Professor Aiichiro Nagaki was kindly invited by Dr Sylvain Guizzetti, Director of Process Chemistry and Scale-up on December 19, 2024.
A leading expert in synthetic organic chemistry and flow chemistry, Prof. Nagaki currently serves as a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry at Hokkaido University in Japan. His research focuses on flow microreactors, a fascinating area of study with numerous applications in chemistry and beyond.
Prof. Aiichiro held a talk entitled: “Flash chemistry guided by flow microreactor research.”
In his presentation, he shared his latest findings on various synthetic reactions using flash chemistry in flow reactors, with a particular focus on their application to the synthesis of pharmaceutically relevant scaffolds.
A big thank you to all the speakers for their insightful sessions which generated engaging discussions!