ELRIG Drug Discovery 2025: Innovation, Inspiration, and an Unforgettable Week
There’s a certain kind of energy that only comes from being surrounded by people who truly love science, and this year’s ELRIG Drug Discovery 2025 in Liverpool captured that spirit perfectly.
From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere in the Breakthrough Zone was buzzing with creativity, curiosity, and collaboration. As a young company developing new approaches to biological delivery, we were thrilled to be part of such a vibrant community of scientists, entrepreneurs, and innovators… and even more honoured to take home the ELRIG Innovation Award for BubbleFect.
The Breakthrough Zone: A Hub of Innovation
The Breakthrough Zone is a special space within ELRIG dedicated to supporting early-stage biotech and drug discovery companies with fewer than 25 employees or under £2.5 million turnover. It’s where bold ideas meet practical applications, and where we shared the story of BubbleFect. Our room-temperature-stable, peptide-based delivery platform built on liquid-liquid phase separation, offering a new way to deliver biological cargos into cells.
Winning the Innovation Award was both a proud and humbling moment. It recognised not just a product, but a principle; that cell delivery can be simpler, safer, and more accessible.
As Zehra Nizami, our Principal Scientist and Head of Business Development, said in her interview with Technology Networks:
“We wanted to rethink cell delivery from the ground up. To build something stable, scalable, and simple enough for any scientist to use straight from the bench. Winning this award shows that others share our belief that biology can be made beautifully straightforward.”
That message resonated deeply throughout ELRIG. From conversations in the poster sessions to lively discussions over coffee, it was clear that researchers across disciplines are hungry for practical innovation. The kind that removes barriers rather than creating new ones.
Standing Among Giants: Talks That Moved and Inspired
One of the most memorable parts of the conference was the Keynote Presentation by Dr. Dafydd Owen, Senior Scientific Director at Pfizer. His talk, “Drug Discovery During the Pandemic: The Discovery of a COVID-19 Treatment,” was a masterclass in perseverance, collaboration, and the extraordinary speed of modern drug discovery.
He shared the journey behind nirmatrelvir (later known as Paxlovid), the first oral SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitor to reach clinical development. A story that highlighted the very best of science under pressure. Dafydd’s reflections on the people, not just the process, behind that discovery reminded everyone why we do what we do.
Equally powerful was Dexter Lutsili’s award-winning presentation in the Early Career Professionals track, which captured hearts and sparked conversations across the event. His passion and openness reminded us that the future of science is not only bright but beautifully human.
As Zehra beautifully put it:
“It was my first time at ELRIG, and it couldn’t have been clearer that this is a special community. Between moving talks, homemade Diwali sweets, and the kindness of colleagues, the whole event was a reminder that science thrives on connection.”
Conversations That Count
Throughout the conference, our team met with an incredible mix of researchers, biotech founders, and pharma innovators. Every conversation opened up new possibilities, from academic collaborations to industrial partnerships. It reaffirmed that our technology has a real role to play in helping others push the boundaries of what’s possible in genetic medicine.
We also had the chance to present our work on Day 2, sharing how BubbleFect enables efficient RNA, DNA, and protein delivery without the use of lipids or viral vectors. The feedback was energising. Scientists immediately saw the potential for applications in CRISPR delivery, protein transfection, and beyond.
From Alpha to Beta — What’s Next for BubbleFect
As Olaf Piepenburg mentioned in the Technology Networks article, the award came at a pivotal moment: the transition from our alpha testing to the BubbleFect Beta Program.
Through this program, we’re now inviting labs to test BubbleFect in their own experiments, completely free of charge, to help us refine and extend its capabilities.
It’s simple to join:
1️⃣ Apply with your experiment idea.
2️⃣ If accepted, we’ll arrange a short discovery call.
3️⃣ Receive BubbleFect samples, run your experiments, and share feedback.
This kind of collaboration is what makes science move forward, and we can’t wait to see what discoveries emerge from our beta partners.
A Community Like No Other
ELRIG Drug Discovery 2025 reminded us that innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens when ideas collide, when people share, and when kindness and curiosity drive the conversation.
From inspiring talks to late-night networking, from the gala dinner to the laughter in the exhibition hall, the entire experience left us feeling grateful, motivated, and more connected than ever.
We’d like to thank the ELRIG community for creating such a welcoming space for new ideas, and for recognising the work of small teams doing big science.
The journey for BubbleFect and PartitionBio is just beginning, but after last week in Liverpool, it’s clear we’re in the right company.
🚀 The BubbleFect Beta Program is now open — apply here:
👉 https://www.partitionbio.co.uk/beta-program
Read the full article here:
📰 Lipid-Free Cell Delivery System Wins ELRIG Drug Discovery 2025 Innovation Award