India Collaboration in Biocatalysis - Department of Chemistry and Biomedical Science
Sustainable Drug Synthesis-State of the art 2026

Conference June 25-27, 2026, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway under the INDO-NORWEGIAN project "Sustainable Synthesis of Drug Targets, Machine Learning, Chemoenzymatic Resolution and Advancing Tech-transfer Chemical Education in India and Norway" funded by HK-dir (Norway-INCP2) and University Grants Commision (USG, India).
As of early 2026, the state-of-the-art in sustainable pharmaceutical synthesis is defined by the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), biocatalysis, and continuous manufacturing to create "Safe and Sustainable by Design" (SSbD) processes. The focus has shifted from mere waste reduction to a circular economy approach that minimizes environmental impact from drug discovery through to production, driven by regulatory pressure and the need for improved efficiency.
Based on the 2016 WHO report on the major causes of death, the top two killers in the world are 'Ischemic Heart Diseases (IHD) and stroke'. In other words, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the world, an estimated 17.9 million people died from CVDs in 2016, representing 31% of all global deaths. Of these deaths, 85% are due to heart attack and stroke. Hypertension is a major contributor to cardiovascular diseases, being responsible for at least 45% of deaths due to heart diseases. The WHO estimates that by 2030, the death toll due to cardiovascular diseases will rise to around 24 million.
The outreach activity aims to increase the awareness for the topic and encourage others to join the project activities. The conference will be held in Auditorium R5 at NTNU Gløshaugen, and is free to join for students and faculty.
Specially Invited Plenary Lecturers

Professor Sergio Riva Research Executive,
Instituto de Scienze e Technologie Chimiche Giulio Natta, Milano, Italy

Professor Jennifer Littlechild University of Exeter, Exeter, UK

Professor Debayan Sarkar IIT, Indore, India

CEO Dr. Wei Zhu Syncozymes Co, LTD, Shanghai, China

Professor Marcelo Christianini State University of Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Lecture title: "High-Pressure Processing: A Gentle Strategy for Tailoring Polymer Functionality and Extracting Sensitive Bioactives"

Senior R&D Director Huiling Liu Chiron AS, Trondheim, Norway
Lecture title: "Synthesis of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS)"

Chief Science Officer Clas Sivertsen Evalyn Healthcare Solutions, Mumbai, India
Scientific Committee
Elisabeth Jacobsen, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway Treasurer of European Society of Applied Biocatalysis (ESAB)
Debayan Sarkar IIT, Indore, India
Roland Wohlgemuth, Lodz University of Technology, Lodz, Poland President of ESAB
Jennifer Littlechild University of Exeter, Exeter, UK Vice President of ESAB
Local Organising Committee
Elisabeth Jacobsen NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
Kristofer Gunnar Paso NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
Morten Andre Gundersen NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
Mathilde Herring Aanerud, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
Christina Glenna Pettersen, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
Ivar Skogvik, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
Truls Rossbach Hammer, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
Funded by
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