Building Confidence in PROTAC Evaluation: A Chemical Probes Portal Hackathon at the Francis Crick Institute

The Chemical Probes Portal recently organised and led a full-day Hackathon focused on the rigorous evaluation of PROTAC chemical probes, generously hosted by the Francis Crick Institute.

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Bringing together 34 PhD students and postdoctoral researchers with experts from the Crick Institute and GSK, the event combined structured training, expert discussion, and hands-on probe evaluation. By the end of the day, participants had collectively produced 24 structured reviews of PROTACs, which will be featured on the Chemical Probes Portal as part of its freely accessible community resource.

From introduction to independent evaluation

The Hackathon was designed as a progressive, hands-on learning experience. Following introductory perspectives from GSK and the Francis Crick Institute, the Chemical Probes Portal team introduced the Portal’s mission and reviewing criteria, before guiding participants through a live example of probe assessment.

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Participants then moved into small-group reviewing sessions, working alongside Scientific Expert Reviewers (SERPs) to critically evaluate PROTACs reported in the literature. In the afternoon, attendees applied their learning more independently before presenting their conclusions and discussing interesting case studies, and evidence-based thresholds in probe recommendation.

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Strong educational impact

Feedback from participants highlighted the success of the format: • 85% rated the event as “great” (4/4 stars) • 100% reported improved understanding of chemical probe evaluation • Many indicated they would now use the Chemical Probes Portal as a regular research resource

Participants described the experience as challenging but well supported, particularly valuing the structured criteria, group discussions and access to expert guidance.

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Academic and industry collaboration

The event was greatly enriched by the involvement of Scientific Expert Reviewers from the Francis Crick Institute, led by Dr Joanna Redmond, Head of the Chemical Biology Science Technology Platform (STP). Joanna and her colleagues — Christelle Saudy, Guilherme Fernandes and Robert Quinlan — supported rigorous, evidence-based discussion throughout the day.

The programme also benefited from strong industry engagement. Sam Rowe and Amelie Joffrin (GSK) contributed perspectives and acted as SERPs, alongside Lisa Rooney, who provided additional insight from an industry research environment.

The event also included a comment from Professor Paul Workman (Institute of Cancer Research, London), who highlighted the importance of community-driven standards and training in chemical probe science.

We are grateful to the Francis Crick Institute for hosting and to WuXi AppTec for supporting this initiative.

Next stop: Naples

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Building on the success of the Crick Hackathon, the next Chemical Probes Portal Hackathon will take place at the Joint EUFEPS–SITELF Annual Meeting in Naples, Italy (27–29 May 2026).

By embedding the Hackathon format within a major European scientific meeting, we aim to expand participation, strengthen cross-sector dialogue, and continue generating expert-informed probe evaluations for the community.

9th Chemical Probes Hackathon