The 4th edition of the MOBILIsE Advanced Course in Molecular Bioengineering “Peptides powering the future of skin care: from cosmetics to therapeutics”, took place from the 6th to the 10th of July 2026 at i3S.
This edition, co-organised by MOBILIsE and the SNOOPY COST Action (CA23111), focused on the transformative potential of peptides in therapeutic and cosmetic applications, providing participants with a comprehensive overview of skin-active peptides – from their discovery and design to advanced characterisation, formulation strategies, and translation into therapeutic products.
Throughout the course, participants explored the fundamentals of peptide roles in skin care and therapeutics; acquired hands-on experience with key characterisation and modelling techniques; learnt how to translate cosmetic peptide research toward therapeutic applications; developed skills in data analysis, reporting, and scientific communication; and benefited from industry insights on formulation challenges and translational pathways from research to application.
The course ran the entire day, from Monday to Friday, and the program combined morning lectures with hands-on practical sessions in the afternoons, enabling participants to connect theory with real-world experimental workflows. Laboratory sessions included immersive hands-on training, both at the in silico and wet-lab levels.
The course concluded with a series of group presentations. The projects combined computational and experimental approaches to investigate how alterations in short tyrosine-containing peptides affect the properties of the resulting melanin-like pigments. Participants applied Molecular Dynamics and Machine Learning to study peptide assembly behaviour, synthesised melanin-like pigments, and characterised them using UV–Vis spectroscopy and TEM.
This edition brought together 32 participants, 10 lecturers, and 4 teaching assistants from 11 countries, in total, fostering an international and collaborative learning environment.
According to the satisfaction survey, completed by 25 participants, the results were highly positive: 92% rated the overall quality of the course as excellent or good; 92% rated the networking opportunities as excellent; and 100% rated the quality of the instructors as excellent or good. Here, we leave some of their comments:
The scientific content was excellent, and the invited speakers delivered high-quality, engaging lectures. I particularly appreciated the opportunity to interact with participants from different backgrounds and institutions.
The speakers were very well chosen and very interesting, and the lecture times, breaks, and group session times were very well scheduled.
The scientific content was outstanding, and the balance between lectures and hands-on sessions was excellent. I especially appreciated the interactive atmosphere, the expertise of the lecturers, and the opportunity to learn about cutting-edge peptide research.
Lectures were very professional and well prepared! Congratulations for the chosen speakers. Staff were always around ready to help! Coffe break had a very nice atmosphere! Staff was 5 stars! Always helpfull and with a smile!
Group picture with participants and lecturers
Pictures captured during the course lectures and practical sessions
Pictures captured during the group project presentations on the last day
