Combinatorial Chemistry

Definition

Combinatorial chemistry constitutes a branch of the molecular sciences, providing an array of concepts and methods to solve molecular optimization problems (in drug research and beyond) more rapidly and efficiently than classical synthetic approaches.

Description

Combinatorial chemistry provides an array of concepts and methods to solve molecular optimization problems via the use of chemical libraries. Combinatorial chemistry mimics evolution cycles of synthesis and selection in the chemical laboratory. Since specific molecular interactions between proteins and their ligands have been recognized as the molecular basis of most biological processes including disease, it became possible to study and optimize the interactions between drugs and their target proteins on a molecular level. Thus, drug development has turned into a systematic and rational task of optimization. During the 1990s in the pharmaceutical industry, synthetic chemistry became evident as the major bottleneck...