EN _ FR
November 8, 2025
Predicting Protein–Protein Binding Affinity with AI
BINDHACK:
The Protein Affinity Hackathon
in abu dhabi
PARTICIPATE IN
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
01
Register as a participant using this website
02
Arrive at IRENA Building, Masdar City, Block A
by 9:00 AM on November 8.
03
Choose one of the real-world problems carefully selected by the experts
04
Work with the team under the supervision of the industry professionals
05
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.
1 Place
6000AED
+ Summer internship at Insilico
2 Place
4000AED
3 Place
2000AED
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
09:00 – 09:30
Meeting at the venue
09:30 – 09:50
09:30 – 09:50
Overview of Protein Sequences and Structures
Simon Konnov, Research Scientist
09:50 – 10:10
09:50 – 10:10
Working with Protein Structures and Sequences in Python
Ilya Bushmakin, Machine Learning Engineer
10:10 – 10:20
10:10 – 10:20
Overview of the Affinity Prediction Problem and the Datasets
Andrew Aiginin, Product Manager
10:20 – 10:40
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
10:40 – 11:00
Presentation of the tasks and formation of the teams
11:00 – 12:30
11:00 – 12:30
Working in teams
12:30 – 13:30
12:30 – 13:30
Lunch
13:30 – 18:00
13:30 – 18:00
Working in teams
18:00 – 19:00
18:00 – 19:00
Team presentations and awards
19:00 – 20:00
19:00 – 20:00
Dinner
LOCATION
Level 6, Unit 08, Block A,
IRENA HQ Building Masdar City,
Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates
Contact us
career@insilico.com