BindHack: The Protein Affinity Hackathon | Insilico Medicine

Predicting Protein–Protein Binding Affinity with AI

BINDHACK: The Protein Affinity Hackathon

In Abu Dhabi

Registration Closed

About Hackathon

Insilico Medicine is proud to present BindHack: The Protein Affinity Hackathon in Abu Dhabi — a unique event for innovators, researchers, and data scientists to collaborate on advancing AI in drug discovery. Join us to connect with industry leaders, share ideas, and contribute to solutions shaping the future of healthcare.

TASKS TO TACKLE

This hackathon focuses on a central challenge in computational biology: predicting the binding affinity between protein pairs.

Accurate prediction of protein–protein interactions (PPIs) plays a critical role in understanding biological systems and developing new therapeutic strategies. Participants will use machine learning techniques to build models that estimate how strongly two proteins interact.

Task Description

You will receive a dataset that includes:

Protein sequences
3D structural data

Your goal is to develop and train a model that can predict the binding affinity between two proteins. After training, your model will be tested on an external, unseen dataset to evaluate its ability to generalize beyond the training data.

FEW REASONS TO PARTICIPATE

Valuable Experience and New Knowledge
gained from tackling real-case scenarios in structural biology, enhancing their understanding and skills in this field.
Insights and Learnings from experts in the Drug Discovery field
providing a unique opportunity for professional growth and development.
Potential Employment Opportunities with Insilico Medicine
as we are always on the lookout for active and talented individuals who demonstrate exceptional problem-solving skills and a passion for structural biology and bioinformatics.
Participants will undoubtedly leave with a great mood and a renewed passion for their work
having spent the day immersed in an environment that celebrates innovation, collaboration, and the joy of discovery.

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE

This hackathon is open to anyone with an interest in:

Machine learning or AI applied to biology
Bioinformatics and structural biology
Computational drug discovery
Protein modeling and prediction

A participant should have some knowledge of any two of these points:

Python3 programming
ML
Statistics
Data Science (data analysis)
Basics in Biology

Whether you're a student, researcher, or professional, and whether your background is in biology or data science, you're welcome to join.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Register as a participant using this website
Arrive at IRENA Building, Masdar City, Block A by 9:00 AM on November 8.
Choose one of the real-world problems carefully selected by the experts
Work with the team under the supervision of the industry professionals
Present your results and get a chance to win an internship at Insilico Medicine and other prizes

PRIZES

Prizes will be awarded for the most innovative and effective solutions.

1st Place: 6000 AED + Summer internship at Insilico
2nd Place: 4000 AED
3rd Place: 2000 AED

Registration Closed for Hackathon Participation
Thank you for the overwhelming interest in our hackathon!
We are officially closing registration and are excited to see the incredible projects our participants will bring to life. Stay tuned for updates, and best of luck to all the teams!

AGENDA

Saturday, November 8
09:00 – 09:30
Meeting at the venue
09:30 – 09:50
Overview of Protein Sequences and Structures
Simon Konnov
Research Scientist
09:50 – 10:10
Working with Protein Structures and Sequences in Python
Ilya Bushmakin
Machine Learning Engineer
10:10 – 10:20
Overview of the Affinity Prediction Problem and the Datasets
Andrew Aiginin
Product Manager
10:20 – 10:40
An Example of a Simple Machine Learning Model to Predict Protein-Protein Binding Affinity
Ilya Bushmakin
Machine Learning Engineer
10:40 – 11:00
Presentation of the tasks and formation of the teams
11:00 – 12:30
Working in teams
12:30 – 13:30
Lunch
13:30 – 18:00
Working in teams
18:00 – 19:00
Team presentations and awards
19:00 – 20:00
Dinner

LOCATION

Level 6, Unit 08, Block A,
IRENA HQ Building Masdar City,
Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates