We’re pleased to launch the seventh CACHE Challenge, which is now accepting applications. The deadline to apply is September 15, 2025.
The CACHE Challenges, made possible by the Government of Canada’s Strategic Innovation Fund, offer an open competition platform in which researchers from academia, industry, and nonprofits are invited to deploy their best computational methods to predict small molecules that will bind to a predefined target linked to a specific disease. Their predictions are then evaluated and benchmarked in a state-of-the-art laboratory, by our partners at the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC). All the benchmarked results are shared openly and publicly with the world, and all chemical structures are made available without patent to all.
The scientific challenge
CACHE Challenge #7 invites participants to design small molecules that selectively inhibit phosphoglycerate kinase 2 (PGK2), an enzyme essential for sperm motility and a promising target for non-hormonal contraception. The challenge focuses on finding molecules that can inhibit PGK2 without affecting its closely related counterpart, PGK1, which plays a key role in the body’s central energy-producing pathway.
Why this target?
PGK2 is expressed only in the testis and is required for normal sperm function. Inhibiting PGK2 in mice has been shown to impair male fertility, making it a promising candidate for contraceptive drug development. Unlike PGK1, which is present throughout the body, PGK2’s limited expression opens the door to a safer, more targeted therapeutic strategy.
Participation cost
Compound procurement: Participants should expect to pay approximately CA$100 per compound.
Experimental validation: CACHE will cover 100% of the costs of testing compounds experimentally in a state-of-the-art laboratory at the Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC).
Canadian participants
- Conscience will fund up to 50% of the costs for eligible Canadian academics and companies
- Funding caps per round: up to $75,000 for SMEs and $50,000 for academics
- Funding is reimbursement-based, meaning costs must be incurred and paid before reimbursement
- Successful applicants must enter into a Ultimate Recipient agreement with Conscience
How to apply
Apply via the CACHE Challenges website at the link below. The deadline to apply is September 15, 2025.
CACHE welcomes participants from around the world and is committed to improving equity, diversity and inclusion in computational drug discovery. We strongly encourage applications from individuals and teams from groups that are underrepresented in our research community.
This challenge is made possible through the contribution of unpublished data from Damian Young and Kevin MacKenzie (BMC), Neelagandan Kamariah (inStem), Levon Halabelian and Hui Peng (SGC-Toronto), and Tim Willson (UNC).
