Berlin Bio Hackathon x Adaptyv: 15-PGDH Binder Design
Design protein binders targeting 15-PGDH, an aging-linked enzyme with no FDA-approved inhibitors for sarcopenia. Co-organized with Nucleate Germany at the Berlin Bio x AI Hackathon.
Competition Starting Soon
Submissions will open on Feb 27, 2026 for Stage 1: Computational Design
Overview
- Stage 1Computational Design
Submit your computational protein designs targeting 15-PGDH. Top designs will be selected by a panel of judges based on workflow novelty and spinout potential.
Submissions OpenFeb 27, 2026/
Submissions CloseFeb 28, 2026 - Stage 2Experimental Validation
Top 100 designs across all teams are synthesized and tested in Adaptyv's Foundry, measuring binding affinity to 15-PGDH.
Validation startsMar 7, 2026/
Results releasedMar 28, 2026
- Stage 1Computational Design
Submit your computational protein designs targeting 15-PGDH. Top designs will be selected by a panel of judges based on workflow novelty and spinout potential.
Submissions OpenFeb 27, 2026/
Submissions CloseFeb 28, 2026 - Stage 2Experimental Validation
Top 100 designs across all teams are synthesized and tested in Adaptyv's Foundry, measuring binding affinity to 15-PGDH.
Validation startsMar 7, 2026/
Results releasedMar 28, 2026
About the Target
15-PGDH
PDB: 2GDZ
Sequence
15-Hydroxyprostaglandin Dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) is an NAD+-dependent enzyme that breaks down prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), a lipid mediator involved in tissue repair and immune regulation. 15-PGDH activity rises with age, accelerating PGE2 degradation and contributing to age-related decline in muscle, brain, and joint tissue. Researchers at Stanford's Blau Lab identified 15-PGDH as a "gerozyme", which is an enzyme whose increasing activity directly drives aging phenotypes.
In this challenge, co-organized with Nucleate Germany at the Berlin Bio x AI Hackathon, the goal is to design protein binders against 15-PGDH. Inhibiting this enzyme rejuvenates aged muscle stem cells, restores neuromuscular junctions, and repairs joint cartilage in preclinical models. Epirium Bio's small molecule inhibitor MF-300 completed Phase 1 trials in September 2025, but no protein-based therapeutics targeting 15-PGDH are in development. There are zero FDA-approved drugs for sarcopenia, which affects over 50 million elderly people globally.
Designs can target the NAD+ binding pocket (active site inhibition), the homodimer interface (allosteric disruption), or accessible surface epitopes. Maximum sequence length is 250 amino acids.
Stages
Selection
Submit your computational protein designs targeting 15-PGDH. Top designs will be selected by a panel of judges based on workflow novelty and spinout potential.
Judges Selection
Submissions selected by a panel of experts for their novelty and originality