The first quarter of 2025 has been a period of intense activity for our team. Through our participation in scientific events, courses, and training sessions, we have continued to share our work, learn from other professionals in the field, and enhance the visibility of our projects.
SITOLUB technical meeting in Berlin
We kicked off 2025 by attending the SITOLUB Technical Meeting in Berlin on January 16–17. This was the first event of the year for ProtoQSAR, represented by Senior Researcher Rafael García Meseguer and PhD student Enrique Llobet Serra.
They shared the project’s progress with international partners, exchanged insights, and outlined the next steps to promote sustainable industrial lubricants.
HYPIEND project meeting in Leuven
Later in January, we joined the technical meeting of the HYPIEND project in Leuven, Belgium. This project focuses on reducing the impact of endocrine disruptors, especially on vulnerable populations, through scientific collaboration.
Our CSO Eva Serrano Candelas and PhD student Ágata Llobet Mut represented ProtoQSAR. They presented project updates, addressed current challenges, and planned the next research milestones.
V Animal Health Innovation Day in Madrid
On January 23, our Senior Researcher and Training Manager, Martina Palomino-Schätzlein, and PhD student David Talavera Cortés attended the V Animal Health Innovation Day, held at the CSIC headquarters in Madrid.
The event showcased advances in R&D for disease prediction and prevention in animal health, with a focus on artificial intelligence. It concluded with B2B meetings to foster new collaborations between institutions and companies.
BIOVAL General Assembly in Denia
To close January, we participated in the BIOVAL General Assembly on January 30 in Denia (Alicante), where our affiliated company MolDrug AI Systems was officially welcomed as a new member.
Laureano E. Carpio, Senior Researcher and Head of Communication, represented MolDrug, while Ana Ambit Álvarez, Communications Specialist, attended on behalf of ProtoQSAR. As a long-standing member of BIOVAL, ProtoQSAR supports biotech innovation and collaboration across the region.
BIO-SUSHY Second Annual Meeting in Paterna
On February 5–6, the second annual meeting of the BIO-SUSHY project was held in Paterna (Valencia).
ProtoQSAR was represented by Senior Researchers Rafael García Meseguer and José Luis Vallés Pardo, and Junior Researcher Marta Fons Page. The meeting was a valuable opportunity to assess progress and coordinate next steps toward sustainable chemical solutions.
ProtoQSAR at CV + i Health Day in Valencia
On February 11, ProtoQSAR took part in the CV + i Health Day, held at BIOHUB VLC in Valencia.
Laureano E. Carpio (Senior Researcher and Head of Communication), Eduardo Cubells Molina, and Cristina Montaner de Fez (both BD Assistants) represented ProtoQSAR. During the event, Laureano gave a talk titled “ProtoPRED: a digital alternative for designing safer, more sustainable, and effective molecules through AI.”.
REMA conference: moving beyond animal testing
In February 20, our CEO Rafael Gozalbes and CSO Eva Serrano Candelas joined the XI REMA Conference on alternatives to animal testing, dedicated to the memory of Prof. Eugenio Vilanova.
The event focused on the European Commission’s roadmap to phase out animal testing in chemical safety assessment. As a company developing 3Rs methodologies, ProtoQSAR remains committed to supporting this transition.
AIMPLAS training on computational toxicology
In early March, our senior researchers Rafael García Meseguer and José Luis Vallés Pardo delivered a training course at AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, on computational methods in regulatory toxicology.
The training combined theoretical background and hands-on tutorials using tools like ToxTree for SAR predictions, QSAR Toolbox for read-across and ProtoPRED for QSAR modelling.
AI in Industry: Insights from AINIA
On March 13, ProtoQSAR participated in the AINIA event “Artificial Intelligence in Industry: Opportunities and Success Stories”.
Our CEO, Rafael Gozalbes, joined a roundtable discussion on how AI is reshaping product development and market strategies in the biotech and pharma sectors. PhD student Idoia Álvarez Ajuria, from MolDrug, also attended the event.
ONTOX Annual Meeting in Valencia
On April 23–24, the ONTOX Annual Meeting took place in Valencia. ProtoQSAR was represented by Rafael Gozalbes (CEO), Eva Serrano Candelas (CSO), and PhD student Rita Ortega.
Key discussions covered the future of the ONTOX Hub and the sustainability of the OPRA platform. The Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) also contributed expert feedback to guide the project’s direction.
ASPIS Academy Summer School 2025
On April 24–25, Valencia hosted the ASPIS Academy Summer School bajo el lema “Let’s Talk About Data!”.
Several ProtoQSAR team members attended. Our Head of Communication, Laureano E. Carpio, gave a talk titled “Translating science talks to the general public.” The event aimed to improve data sharing and communication in the field of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs).
