Nobel Laureate-Led 2025 Clicking the Future Science & Industry Summit to Unveil AI and Click Chemistry Integration Blueprint

Currently, the biomedical field is undergoing a profound, technology-driven transformation. As traditional drug discovery models face the severe challenge of “Eroom’s Law”—characterized by protracted development timelines and stagnant success rates—the convergence of Click Chemistry and artificial intelligence (AI) is significantly accelerating the advent of a new, more efficient paradigm for drug development.

In this context, byShanghai Future Qidian Community, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Click Chemistry Laboratory, and DeepSynth Pharmaceutical R&D (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.(hereinafter referred to as "DeepSynth") co-hosted by“2025 Click Future Science Ecosystem Conference”The event will be held on October 28 at the Great Zero Bay Science and Innovation Building in Shanghai. The People’s Government of Minhang District, Shanghai, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University serve as the guiding organizations for this conference. The supporting organizations include the School of Artificial Intelligence of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the Shanghai Future Industry Fund, the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, Beijing DeepModel Technology Co., Ltd., the Suzhou Innovation Institute of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and the Shanghai Dianji Source Creation Incubator.

The conference, themed “Clicking into the Future,” brings together leading scholars from the fields of chemistry, computational science, and intelligent algorithms to jointly explore new paradigms of scientific research in the era of “AI for Science.” Of particular note, the conference is organized by a two-time Nobel Laureate in ChemistryProfessor K. Barry SharplessHeadlined by and bringing together numerous internationally renowned scientists and industry leaders, this will be a feast of insights focusing on the future prospects and industrial opportunities of AI and “click chemistry” technology.

Scientific progress is often accompanied by paradigm shifts—from empirical science to theoretical science, and then to computational science. Today, we are entering an era of data-intensive science centered on AI. AI not only assists in scientific decision-making but is also becoming a new engine for scientific discovery. Meanwhile, the emergence of “click chemistry” has transformed the process of molecular creation from complex and time-consuming to concise and efficient. The combination of these two forces is reshaping the foundational logic of scientific research. The core theme of this conference focuses precisely on this paradigm shift. As one of the organizers,DeepSynth is an active practitioner and promoter of this new paradigm.

“Click chemistry,” the technology honored with the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, offers a “Lego-like” approach to molecular creation through its core attributes of simplicity, efficiency, and reliability—enabling researchers to rapidly assemble complex molecules as if snapping together Lego bricks. However, translating this cutting-edge methodology into industrially viable tools remains a key challenge under active discussion by the global scientific and industrial communities. This is precisely the mission behind the founding of DeepSynth, and the answer it is currently delivering.DeepSynth, led by Professor Dong Jiajia, Director of the Click Chemistry Laboratory at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and discoverer of the second-generation click chemistry SuFExFounded, with its core strategy lying in:Transform the “decentralized” philosophy of “click chemistry” into a set of transformative industry tools, aiming to significantly lower the technical barriers in early-stage drug R&D.This model, which closely integrates cutting-edge scientific research with industrialization needs, provides a valuable reference for the practice of “AI for Science.”

AI-driven drug discovery is demonstrating significant application potential in target identification, molecular generation, and property prediction through machine learning and large language models. In the early stages of R&D, AI leverages generative models and multi-target prediction to rapidly navigate vast virtual chemical spaces, designing novel molecules with desirable properties, thereby enhancing the efficiency and success rate of source innovation. In the mid-to-late stages of R&D, AI empowers the optimization of clinical trial protocols and patient stratification, significantly reducing development timelines and fundamentally expanding the boundaries of pharmaceutical innovation.

The integration of AI and “click chemistry” is poised to become the “golden combination” for next-generation drug development.This represents a new closed loop: AI handles intelligent front-end design, virtually screening highly promising candidate molecules from the vast chemical space; meanwhile, “click chemistry” takes charge of rapid back-end implementation, efficiently and precisely synthesizing AI’s “blueprints” into physical molecules in a modular fashion.AI requires massive, standardized datasets to train and validate models, and “click chemistry” serves as an “ideal source” for generating such high-quality data.

The conference featured multiple segments. Ms. Wang Yunzheng, a news anchor from the Pudong Media Convergence Center, delivered the opening remarks.Professor Ding Kuiling, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and President of Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityFollowing the opening remarks, the conference will proceed to the dialogue session titled “From Simple Rules to Complex Life Systems: Reshaping Molecular Discovery and Creation,”Dr. Linfeng Zhang, Founder and Chief Scientist of DeepModelingInvited to serve as the moderator for this session,Prof. K. Barry Sharpless, Prof. Ding KuilingA deep discussion will unfold around the theme of the dialogue. This conversation symbolizes the convergence of two scientific paradigms: “Click Chemistry,” which strives to generate complexity from simplicity, and “AI for Science,” which seeks to uncover universal laws within complex systems.

When the dialogue session titled “AI for Science: From Algorithms to Industrial Applications” began,Ms. Fang Nuozhou, CEO of DeepSynwill serve as the moderator,Prof. Dong Jiajiawill be combined withProfessor Wang Yanfeng, Executive Dean of the School of Artificial Intelligence, Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityIn-Depth Discussion. This interdisciplinary dialogue aims to explore how to translate cutting-edge technologies from the laboratory into industrial applications, how to create value in real-world settings, and how to navigate the challenges and opportunities that arise in this process.

During the keynote session, three speakers will sequentially share their unique insights:Mr. Wei Fanjie, General Manager of the Shanghai Future Industry FundIt will elaborate on how to “build an entrepreneurial ecosystem that drives ‘China Innovation’”;Dr. Linfeng Zhang“AI for Molecular Design with a Few Good Reactions” will be explored;Ms. Fang Nuozhouthen we will share the “Ultra-High-Throughput Synthesis Platform Based on ‘Modular Click Chemistry Library’ Technology”.

At the final “Experts’ Roundtable"segment,"Moderated by Mr. Jing Xutian, Partner at Wuyuan Capital. Professor Qian Dahong, Tenured Full Professor at the School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Director of the Institute for Advanced Medical Chips; Mr. Cao Fenglei, AI Scientist at the Shanghai Academy of Artificial Intelligence for Science,Dr. Fang Zhuo, Chief Scientific Officer of Danaher China; Bo Shan, Chief Technology Officer for the Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Industry at MathWorks ChinaMr. Wei Hai, Ph.D., CTO of Bose Quantum TechnologyThey will engage in a panel discussion to jointly explore the theme “Technological Innovation and Industrial Implementation: Pathways, Challenges, and Opportunities.” This signals that the future of China’s innovative pharmaceutical industry lies in building an endogenous new industrial ecosystem grounded in cutting-edge science and effectively linked to global markets.

The industrialization of any cutting-edge technology requires a suitable ecosystem to serve as its “reaction vessel.” Shanghai, particularly the “Grand Neo Bay” (Da Linghao Wan), which is being developed into a “world-class” sci-tech innovation bay, provides fertile ground for this transformation. The “Grand Neo Bay” in Shanghai is a functional zone positioned as a source of scientific and technological innovation. Centered around Shanghai Jiao Tong University and East China Normal University, the area leverages original innovative achievements to support both technological and industrial innovation.

The “host” lineup of this conference is itself a microcosm of an innovation ecosystem:Click Chemistry Laboratory, Shanghai Jiao Tong Universityprovides cutting-edge academic support;DeepSynthAs a novel R&D and industrialization platform, it is dedicated to technology transfer and empowerment;Shanghai Future Starting Point CommunityBy linking with various venture capital funds, it connects to abundant market and industrial resources. This efficient synergy among “academia, industry, and market” is key to building an innovative ecosystem.

Building an innovative ecosystem is of great significance to the development of China’s pharmaceutical industry. As the global landscape of pharmaceutical innovation evolves, China’s pharmaceutical sector needs to establish an independent and controllable innovation system. The integration of “click chemistry” with AI-driven drug discovery may provide a significant opportunity for China’s pharmaceutical industry to achieve leapfrog development.

Through in-depth discussions and exchanges, this conference will help attendees better grasp technological development trends, understand the logic behind industrial transformation, and identify pathways for innovative growth. Researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry professionals alike are expected to draw inspiration and benefit from the event. On October 28, let us gather at Shanghai’s Grand Neo Bay to jointly explore the future of “AI for Science,” map out a new paradigm for scientific research, and collectively “click” into our shared technological future.

Scan the QR code to register for the 2025 Click Future Science and Ecology Conference