LATVIJAS ORGANISKAS SINTEZES INSTITUTS

Their core work

The Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis (LIOS) is one of the leading medicinal chemistry and drug discovery institutes in the Baltic region, specializing in the design and synthesis of small-molecule compounds for pharmaceutical applications. Their core work spans antibacterial and antiviral drug development, neurodegenerative disease research (particularly Alzheimer's and tauopathies), and advanced structural biology techniques like solid-state NMR and cryo-EM. They also operate as a chemical biology screening facility within the EU-OPENSCREEN infrastructure, providing compound libraries and biochemical assay capabilities to researchers across Europe. Beyond bench science, LIOS actively works to close the R&I gap between Central/Eastern European countries and Western Europe through capacity-building and institutional reform initiatives.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2018), LIOS focused on classical medicinal chemistry training networks (INTEGRATE, CARTNET) and initial participation in rare disease therapeutics (BATCure), while also beginning to engage with EU Widening Participation instruments to strengthen their institutional position. From 2019 onward, their profile shifted markedly toward neuroscience (FAT4BRAIN, InterTAU, Oligomers-MAS-NMR), advanced structural biology methods (solid-state NMR, cryo-EM), and next-generation therapeutic modalities like photocontrolled drug conjugates (ALISE) and chemical risk assessment (RISK-HUNT3R). The evolution shows a research institute moving from being a participant in broad training consortia toward leading projects in specialized, high-value niches — particularly at the intersection of structural biology and drug design.

LIOS is building toward becoming a regional hub for structure-guided drug discovery, combining their established medicinal chemistry strengths with growing expertise in NMR-based structural biology and photopharmacology.

How they like to work

LIOS operates predominantly as a specialist partner (15 of 18 projects), contributing medicinal chemistry and compound synthesis expertise to large European consortia. Their three coordinator roles (FAT4BRAIN, SPRINGBOARD, Oligomers-MAS-NMR) are all in niche areas where they hold clear scientific leadership — suggesting they coordinate when they own the core methodology, and join as partners when contributing to broader programmes. With 190 unique partners across 33 countries, they maintain a wide and diverse network rather than clustering around a few repeat collaborators, making them a well-connected entry point into the Central/Eastern European research landscape.

LIOS has collaborated with 190 unique partners across 33 countries, giving them one of the broadest networks of any Latvian research institute in H2020. Their partnerships span Western European pharmaceutical research hubs and Central/Eastern European capacity-building alliances, with particular strength in connecting Baltic and Nordic research ecosystems to pan-European drug discovery consortia.

What sets them apart

LIOS occupies a rare position as a world-class medicinal chemistry institute located in an EU-13 country, combining competitive scientific output with the cost advantages and Widening Participation eligibility that consortium builders actively seek. Their dual capability in synthetic chemistry and structural biology (NMR, cryo-EM) means they can both design and characterize drug candidates in-house — a combination few single institutes offer. For anyone building a drug discovery consortium that needs strong medicinal chemistry and wants geographic diversity in their partnership, LIOS is an unusually strong candidate.

Highlights from their portfolio

• BBCE
  Their largest single grant (EUR 2.56M) — a Centre of Excellence in biomaterials that represents a major long-term institutional investment running through 2027.
• SPRINGBOARD
  Coordinator role in antibacterial drug development with EUR 466K funding, demonstrating LIOS can lead targeted drug design programmes, not just contribute to them.
• Oligomers-MAS-NMR
  A coordinator-led project combining fast magic-angle-spinning NMR with microfluidics to determine amyloid structures — showcasing their move into advanced structural biology methods.