Network Pharmacology Workshop 2026 Equips Researchers with Data-Driven Approaches for Natural Product Research
The Tropical Biopharmaca Research Center (TropBRC) IPB University successfully organized the Network Pharmacology Workshop 2026 on 25–26 May 2026 through Zoom Meeting. The workshop was officially opened by the Secretary of TropBRC, Dr. apt. Siti Sa’diah, M.Si., and brought together 23 participants from various universities and institutions across Indonesia, including IPB University, Universitas Indonesia, Universitas Airlangga, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Universitas Sriwijaya, Universitas Mulawarman, Universitas Jember, Universitas Pakuan, Universitas Islam Bandung, Universitas Islam Sultan Agung, Politeknik Negeri Jember, and several other institutions.
Designed to strengthen research capacity in natural product and herbal medicine studies, the workshop introduced participants to the fundamental concepts of multi-component, multi-target, and synergistic mechanisms of herbal medicine, as well as the application of Network Pharmacology in modern research. Participants learned how computational approaches can be used to understand complex interactions between bioactive compounds, proteins, biological pathways, and diseases.
The training combined theoretical sessions and intensive hands-on practice. Topics covered included Graph Mining, screening frameworks for natural products, protein target prediction using SwissTargetPrediction, web scraping for target collection, protein–protein interaction analysis using STRING and Cytoscape, Gene Ontology and KEGG Pathway enrichment analysis, molecular docking, pathway visualization, publication strategies, and introductions to I-PrimeTarget, IJAH Analytics, ISNIP, and I-PRIME development. Prior to the workshop, participants also attended a pre-workshop session on 23 May 2026 led by Dr. Heru Cahya Rustamaji and Tamimah Shafwatul Ishlah to ensure technical readiness.
The workshop received highly positive feedback from participants, who appreciated the clear and detailed explanations, well-organized program, responsive committee, interactive discussions, and practical learning experience. Many participants highlighted the ease of accessing information, the quality of the learning materials, and the opportunity to gain new insights into data science, protein target prediction, and bioinformatics applications in herbal medicine research. Through this program, TropBRC continues its commitment to supporting the development of competent researchers and advancing evidence-based innovation in natural products and bioinformatics.
✍️ Author & Editor: Titis Arifiana
📸 Documentation: Team TropBRC