Chemical library: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 11:34, 15 February 2025

Chemical Library[edit]

A chemical library is a collection of stored chemicals usually used ultimately in high-throughput screening or industrial manufacture. Chemical libraries are used by pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, and academic research institutions for the purpose of drug discovery and other research applications.

Composition[edit]

Chemical libraries can vary in size from a few hundred to several million compounds. They are typically composed of small organic molecules, peptides, nucleic acids, or other biomolecules. The compounds in a chemical library are often stored in microtiter plates or other formats that facilitate automated handling and screening.

High-Throughput Screening[edit]

High-throughput screening (HTS) is a method used to quickly conduct millions of chemical, genetic, or pharmacological tests. The results of these experiments provide starting points for drug design and for understanding the interaction or role of a particular biochemical process in biology. Chemical libraries are essential for HTS, as they provide the diverse set of compounds needed to identify potential lead compounds.

Design and Synthesis[edit]

Chemical libraries can be designed and synthesized using various strategies, including:

Combinatorial chemistry: This involves the systematic and repetitive combination of a set of different building blocks to create a large number of compounds.
Diversity-oriented synthesis: This approach aims to create a library with a wide range of chemical structures and properties.
Fragment-based drug discovery: This involves screening small chemical fragments that bind to the target protein and then optimizing these fragments into more potent compounds.

Applications[edit]

Chemical libraries are used in various applications, including:

Drug discovery: Identifying new therapeutic agents by screening compounds for biological activity.
Chemical biology: Studying the interaction of small molecules with biological systems to understand their function.
Functional genomics: Using small molecules to modulate gene expression and study gene function.

Related Pages[edit]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''Chemical Library'''
+{{DISPLAYTITLE:Chemical Library}}
-A '''chemical library''' or '''compound library''' is a collection of stored [[chemicals]] that are organized to facilitate the systematic screening of large numbers of chemicals to discover their ability to modulate biological activity. These libraries are used in [[high-throughput screening]] for drug discovery, chemical biology studies, and agricultural research.
+== Chemical Library ==
+A '''chemical library''' is a collection of stored chemicals usually used ultimately in [[high-throughput screening]] or [[industrial manufacture]]. Chemical libraries are used by [[pharmaceutical companies]], [[biotechnology]] companies, and [[academic research]] institutions for the purpose of [[drug discovery]] and other research applications.
-== Overview ==
+[[File:Assay_plate_carousel.jpg|thumb|right|An assay plate carousel used in high-throughput screening.]]
-Chemical libraries can be divided into two main types: [[natural product]] libraries and synthetic libraries. Natural product libraries are derived from natural sources such as plants, animals, and microorganisms, while synthetic libraries are created through chemical synthesis.
+== Composition ==
+Chemical libraries can vary in size from a few hundred to several million compounds. They are typically composed of small [[organic molecules]], [[peptides]], [[nucleic acids]], or other [[biomolecules]]. The compounds in a chemical library are often stored in [[microtiter plates]] or other formats that facilitate automated handling and screening.
-== Natural Product Libraries ==
+== High-Throughput Screening ==
+High-throughput screening (HTS) is a method used to quickly conduct millions of chemical, genetic, or pharmacological tests. The results of these experiments provide starting points for drug design and for understanding the interaction or role of a particular biochemical process in biology. Chemical libraries are essential for HTS, as they provide the diverse set of compounds needed to identify potential [[lead compounds]].
-[[Natural product]] libraries are collections of compounds isolated from natural sources. These libraries are often used in drug discovery due to the structural diversity and biological activity of natural products. The process of creating a natural product library involves the collection of samples, extraction of compounds, and purification and identification of the active compounds.
+== Design and Synthesis ==
+Chemical libraries can be designed and synthesized using various strategies, including:
-== Synthetic Libraries ==
+* '''Combinatorial chemistry''': This involves the systematic and repetitive combination of a set of different building blocks to create a large number of compounds.
+* '''Diversity-oriented synthesis''': This approach aims to create a library with a wide range of chemical structures and properties.
-Synthetic libraries are created through [[chemical synthesis]]. These libraries can be designed to target specific biological pathways or diseases. The process of creating a synthetic library involves the design and synthesis of compounds, followed by their purification and characterization.
+* '''Fragment-based drug discovery''': This involves screening small chemical fragments that bind to the target protein and then optimizing these fragments into more potent compounds.
 == Applications ==
+Chemical libraries are used in various applications, including:
-Chemical libraries are primarily used in [[drug discovery]] and development. They are used in [[high-throughput screening]] to identify compounds that have a desired biological activity. These compounds can then be further optimized and developed into drugs. Chemical libraries are also used in chemical biology research to study the interaction of small molecules with biological systems.
+* '''Drug discovery''': Identifying new [[therapeutic agents]] by screening compounds for biological activity.
+* '''Chemical biology''': Studying the interaction of small molecules with biological systems to understand their function.
-== Challenges ==
+* '''Functional genomics''': Using small molecules to modulate gene expression and study gene function.
-Despite their utility, chemical libraries also present several challenges. These include the need for high-quality compounds, the difficulty of synthesizing complex molecules, and the need for efficient screening methods.
-== See Also ==
+== Related Pages ==
+* [[High-throughput screening]]
+* [[Combinatorial chemistry]]
 * [[Drug discovery]]
-* [[High-throughput screening]]
+* [[Pharmaceutical industry]]
-* [[Natural product]]
-* [[Chemical synthesis]]
-[[Category:Chemistry]]
+[[Category:Chemical libraries]]
-[[Category:Pharmacology]]
 [[Category:Drug discovery]]
-{{Chemistry-stub}}
+[[Category:Pharmaceutical industry]]
-{{Pharma-stub}}