title: The chemical hunt for the identification of drugable targets.
abstract: Chemical biology has emerged as a new scientific discipline to change the way scientists approach and study the interface between chemistry, biology, and physics. By integrating the knowledge base of the human genome with the power of diverse and flexible chemical technology platforms, the ultimate goal is to define the 'rules of engagement' for small molecules and their use in basic biology and in drug discovery. Herein, we highlight the current counterpoles of the chemical biology philosophy in the framework between conformational diversity and informational complexity. Expanding the growing molecular recognition information matrix into classification of diseases and immediate mechanistic in-vivo proof of concept models represent the next development phase in a field that, unlike any other due to its multidisciplinary nature, unifies basic scientists and drug discoverers.
authors.affiliation: Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research--Vienna Discovery Technologies, Innovative Screening Technologies Unit, A-1235, Vienna, Brunner Strasse 59, Austria.
authors.forename: Nicole-Claudia
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Meisner
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hintersteiner
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Uhl
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Weidemann
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmied
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gstach
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Auer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000187:drug effects; D020650:Combinatorial Chemistry Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods; D015195:Drug Design; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D010641:Phenotype