This «In Silico Drug Design» formation offers
all the additional knowledge necessary for
research processes of new therapeutic drugs, «Drug Discovery» via computer applications (
in silico).
Students will gain solid knowledge of chemical compounds, and their toxicity and therapeutic
targets (biological macromolecules), biochemistry and physics-chemistry, as well as concepts
of medicinal chemistry and molecular medicine. They will acquire advanced skills on
computer modelling of target interactions-chemical molecules. They will be trained in the
modelling, analysis and prediction of therapeutic drugs, biological targets, and drug-target
interactions. For example,
in silico approaches such as biostatistics and data analysis
(«QSAR»), programming, chemoinformatics, structural bioinformatics, molecular dynamics
and modelling, docking methods, and virtual screening will be addressed.#
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This master’s degree, sponsored by the University Paris Cité, offers two international courses, based on two distinct and complementary M1s and a M2 common to both specialties, allowing students to work on projects at the interface of Chemistry-Biology:
- The course «Analysis of macromolecular complexes of drugs, IsDD-Macromolecules» focuses on the modelling of biological macromolecule targets and their interactions with their partners (drugs or other molecules). This specialisation is aimed more particularly at students with a background in biology/biochemistry, bioinformatics, or the biomedical field (or chemists with the required knowledge in biology), who wish to acquire in-depth knowledge in modelling therapeutic macromolecules.
It includes participation by international experts, and a semester of study and/or internship abroad.
- The «Design bioactive molecules, IsDD-Bioactive Molecules» specialty/course, dedicated to the modelling of bioactive molecules and pharmaceutical chemistry in silico. This specialisation is aimed more specifically at students with a background in chemistry or pharmacy (or biologists with the required knowledge in chemistry), wishing to acquire an in-depth knowledge in modelling of chemical molecules. This specialty includes a semester focused on bioactive molecules at the University degli Studi di Milano. Under certain conditions, this specialty offers students the possibility to obtain a double Franco-Italian degree: Master’s Degree in In Silico Drug Design, Development specialty in Silico bioactive molecules, from the University of Paris Cité and the «Laurea Magistrale» (Master’s Degree) in Chemical Sciences, from the University degli Studi di Milano.
This Master’s degree trains professionals from the private and public sectors, at French and European level, who are involved in research using in silico approaches in the field of therapeutic innovation and/or oriented towards the development of pharmacological molecules.
- Objective of this training course: The methods of in silico Drug Design facilitate the discovery of bioactive molecules by enabling cost reduction and faster identification of potentially therapeutic molecules, while following the new guidelines to reduce animal testing. Effectively, these methods rationalise the discovery of bioactive molecules and chemical probes needed to understand the Living, and facilitate the rapid exploration of a maximum number of hypotheses to focus on the molecules that offer the greatest probability of reaching the clinical phase. Several commercialised molecules are born this way, partly on a computer screen, such as oseltamivir (TAMIFLU), as well as some molecules used in the treatment of AIDS. They are now irreplaceable in the arsenal of discoverers of drugs, and form a field of research that is booming in France and in Europe.