The Gaps They Already See 👉 As a biotech founder, it’s easy to mistake volume for readiness . A solid preclinical package, promising safety data, and a consistent in vivo proof-of-concept, it feels like you’re ready for that pre-IND meeting. And yet, many founders walk out of their first FDA conversation with a quiet sense of confusion . 👉 No dramatic rejection. No loud red flags.Just a series of subtle but firm questions pointing to what’s missing . While you’re focused on

Live-cell high-content screening (HCS) offers an increasingly valuable alternative. By quantifying ligand–receptor interactions directly in intact cells, HCS allows researchers to observe binding events under near-physiological conditions while simultaneously generating image-based evidence to support numerical affinity estimates. For targets such as CB2, where nuanced shifts in receptor conformation affect signaling outcomes, a whole-cell environment can strengthen early-sta

Some breakthroughs don’t start with a grant or a roadmap — they start with a question no one expects to matter. For JB, that moment was a cold email from a biologist he’d never met, asking if he could synthesize a molecule “when you’re back in Munich.” That simple ask pulled a young chemist out of the fume hood and into the messy, electrifying world of live-cell biology. What followed — a trip to London, confocal imaging marathons, and a partnership built on trust and c

Most GPCR programs don’t fail because of weak molecules—they fail because biology behaves differently than the assay implied. This week’s feature goes straight to the foundation: how system-level GPCR thinking protects discovery teams from the costly misinterpretations that derail programs. If your work touches GPCR pharmacology, these insights aren’t optional—they’re essential.

The Cost of Confusion Let’s be honest. Most biotech pitches don’t fail because the science is weak. They fail because the story is unclear. 👉 A confusing pitch doesn’t just slow down progress. It silently shuts down opportunity. You might still get the meeting. You might still get a few questions. But behind the polite nods, your audience is checking out. Here’s the uncomfortable truth: 👉 People make up their minds in the first few seconds. If your pitch doesn’t immediately

Discovery programs rarely fail because a molecule “did nothing.” They fail because a molecule behaved exactly as the underlying system allowed—amplified, buffered, redirected, or reshaped by layers of receptor biology that weren’t accounted for. The October 30th AMA with Dr. Kenakin highlighted a fundamental truth: GPCR systems do not offer stable, proportional input–output relationships. Receptor density, constitutive activity, coupling efficiency, local signaling archit

Science used to reward the lone genius—the first author who “drove the project,” the PI whose name defined a field. But the problems we face today—metabolic disease, obesity, GPCR signaling complexity—are too layered, too multidimensional, too systemic for single-discipline solutions. As Hodson put it, the work he leads now would be impossible without partnerships. Whether it's human genetics, imaging platforms, peptide chemistry, or neural metabolic mapping—every piece re

Burning Cash Isn’t the Problem. Burning Alignment Is. Every biotech founder fears the day the cash runs out. You track the burn rate. You watch the runway shrink. You delay hires. You negotiate term sheets from a place of panic. But here’s what most founders miss. 👉 Cash isn’t your biggest problem. Misalignment is. Not the obvious kind either. We’re not talking about personality clashes or investor drama. 👉 We’re talking about the type of quiet misalignment that appears to

High-content screening (HCS) has become a cornerstone in GPCR and phenotypic drug discovery, enabling researchers to quantify cellular responses with spatial, temporal, and mechanistic depth. For GPCR-focused programs, the ability to visualize receptor localization, internalization kinetics, and ligand interactions in intact cells offers advantages that extend far beyond traditional biochemical or radioligand assays. Yet, despite remarkable progress, HCS workflows rema

When David Hodson’s lab teamed up with chemist Johannes Broichhagen aka JB (then a young researcher newly arrived during a home DIY moment), the goal was bold and elegant: Create a photo-switchable ligand to remotely control GPCR signaling with light. This was the moment when photopharmacology felt like the future. The literature was buzzing. Labs were competing. The idea was simple — turn signaling on or off with a flash of light.

Enter a long-term collaboration with chemist Dr. Johannes Broichhagen - aka JB — which, amusingly, began when Hodson opened the door wearing cleaning gloves mid home renovation.

Clean data can still mislead if the underlying assumptions aren’t tested. Schild analysis is one of the few tools that tells you whether your “competitive antagonist” is actually behaving competitively. This week, we help you tighten your interpretations and strengthen your decisions at the bench and in discovery. Breakthroughs this week: McGPCR multimodal model; Endocrine Metabolic GPCRs 2026; Pfizer–Metsera acquisition.

Your scientific thinking built the foundation, but leadership is what scales it. The Invisible Obstacle   👉 Brilliant science. Stalled progress. It’s a pattern we see far too often in early-stage biotech operations and startups. The experiments work. The data looks promising. But decisions lag, the team spins, and investors get nervous. Science isn’t the problem; scientific thinking is. What makes you excel in the lab can quietly sabotage your leadership in the boardroom. 👉

Drug discovery often assumes receptor inhibition follows simple rules—agonist binds, antagonist blocks, and data fit neatly into predictable curves. Yet, any pharmacologist who’s pushed beyond textbook theory knows: biology rarely plays fair. Schild analysis remains one of the few conceptual anchors that can tell us when “simple” truly is simple—and when deeper receptor dynamics are at play.

When you walk into a typical academic lab, the boundaries are obvious: this PI’s corner, that group’s benches, their grants, their silos. But in Melbourne, a quiet experiment challenged that model — and it worked.

The first time Michelle ran a cyclic AMP assay, she did it with a single-channel pipette, trays of melting ice, and the kind of focus that only comes from knowing one mistake could waste weeks of work.

Michelle hadn’t mapped out a scientific empire. She was a student expecting tedium, not inspiration. Yet that summer research placement cracked open a new reality: the thrill of asking questions no one else could answer.

Most pharmacologists are trained to chase targets. But what if the real opportunity lies in the chemical matter we throw at them? That’s exactly what Terry’s Corner delivers this week: a deep dive into molecular creativity, rational design, and the overlooked role of chemistry in innovation. Breakthroughs this week: Orphan receptor GPRC5B in neurogenesis; Septerna’s pill-based weight-loss strategy; Atrogi’s new CEO announcement.

Drug discovery pipelines often stall not because the target is wrong—but because the chemical matter interacting with that target lacks the right properties to produce meaningful pharmacology. We obsess over target validation, signaling pathways, expression patterns, and disease relevance. Yet, far less time is spent scrutinizing the structural logic and origin of the molecules we screen in the first place.

Dear Dr. GPCR Community, If the past few years have been about finding our rhythm, this year has been about refining our systems — and stepping confidently into what’s next. When we started Dr. GPCR, it was with a simple goal: to connect people who shared a passion for GPCR science and discovery. What began as a small, volunteer-driven initiative has grown into a vibrant global network — thousands of scientists, founders, students, and partners who now learn, collaborate, a

Collaboration drives discovery. Dr. Jens Carlsson shows how cross-disciplinary teamwork turns GPCR models into real translational outcomes.

Dr. Jens Carlsson reveals how predictive modeling is reshaping GPCR drug discovery—bridging computation, chemistry, and pharmacology for real-world impact.

Nine out of ten GPCR programs stall not because the target was wrong, but because teams waited too long to test the right thing. Terry Kenakin has seen this story play out for 40 years — and he’s rewriting the ending.

Can GPCR models predict biology? Dr. Jens Carlsson shares how structure-based modeling is transforming drug discovery, and why collaboration is key.