Drug Delivery & Infection Research: Saarbrücken Conference 2026

International Conference to Explore New Approaches in Drug Delivery

Researchers from around the globe will gather in Saarbrücken, Germany, from March 3 to March 6, 2026, for a conference focused on advancements in pharmaceutical research. The event, titled “CRS meets BioBarriers,” will center on modern drug formulations, current trends in drug development, alternatives to animal testing and infectious disease research.

The conference represents a unique collaboration, combining the 14th biennial Conference on BioBarriers with the 30th annual meeting of the CRS DeChAt Local Chapter – a regional group of the international Controlled Release Society (CRS). This joint meeting expands the program to three days, offering a comprehensive look at the field of drug delivery.

Overcoming Biological Barriers to Effective Treatment

A central theme of the conference will be the challenges posed by biological barriers within the human body, such as the skin, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract. These barriers protect against pathogens but also impede the delivery of therapeutic drugs to their intended targets. Professor Claus-Michael Lehr, who initiated the BioBarriers conference nearly 30 years ago, explained that understanding and overcoming these barriers is crucial for effective drug delivery.

Professor Lehr and his team are developing models of biological barriers using human cells and tissues. This approach, he believes, offers both ethical advantages – potentially reducing the need for animal testing – and improved predictive power for how new medications will perform in patients. “This time, the focus is on miniaturized test systems, so-called ‘On-the-Chip-Methods’,” Professor Lehr stated. These systems recreate biological barriers in vitro, allowing researchers to study drug transport and interactions in a more realistic environment.

Researchers are also developing more complex models to simulate specific disease states. For example, they can now recreate the lung environment of a patient with cystic fibrosis by 3D-printing bacterial biofilms onto living lung cells, allowing for the simulation of the disease and testing of potential treatments. “Only with tests on diseased systems can we demonstrate that medications are not only safe but also effective,” Professor Lehr emphasized.

Advanced Drug Delivery Technologies, Including mRNA

The conference will also explore “Advanced Drug Delivery Technologies,” with a particular focus on novel methods for delivering large molecules like nucleotides, including messenger RNA (mRNA). The success of mRNA vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the potential of this technology, which is also being investigated for cancer treatment.

mRNA vaccines deliver genetic information to cells, instructing them to produce specific antigens. However, delivering these large and fragile molecules effectively requires specialized carrier systems, such as nanoparticles. Professor Lehr and his team are researching new variations of lipid nanoparticles – “Lipid-Polymer-Hybrid-Nanoparticles,” which he describes as “small plastic beads with an outer lipid layer” – to improve mRNA delivery.

Supporting the Next Generation of Pharmaceutical Scientists

A dedicated career day will be held to support young pharmaceutical scientists. Alumni of the GALENOS network – an international doctoral school in drug research led by Professor Lehr between 2004 and 2008 – will share their experiences and offer guidance to current doctoral students in the TALENTS program. The career day will feature workshops, presentations, and discussions on various career paths, from academia and industry to entrepreneurship.

A Multidisciplinary Gathering of Experts

The conference is expected to attract over 200 participants from various disciplines, including 20 international guest speakers. Researchers from Saarland University and the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) will also present their latest findings. Professor Anna Hirsch will discuss her research on medical chemistry at HIPS, Professor Andreas Keller will present on clinical bioinformatics, and Professor Wilfried Weber will share his work on new materials at the Leibniz Institute for New Materials (INM).

The conference will be held on the Saarbrücken campus of Saarland University, with the opening ceremony scheduled for 12:45 PM on Tuesday, March 3, featuring remarks from University President Ludger Santen and Minister of Science Jakob von Weizsäcker.

Further information about the conference can be found at http://www.helmholtz-hips.de/de/konferenzen/biobarriers-2026/.

Contact for inquiries:
Professor Dr. Claus-Michael Lehr
Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS)
Head of the Department of Drug Transport
Tel.: +49 681 98806-1000
Email: claus-michael.lehr@helmholtz-hips.de
https://www.helmholtz-hips.de/de/forschung/teams/team/wirkstofftransport-ueber-b…