Chemists at ETH Zurich have developed a new method to synthesize billions of different molecules, significantly expanding the possibilities in pharmaceutical research. The DNA-encoded chemical libraries (DEL) technology allows researchers to automatically produce and test not just millions but billions of substances within weeks.
The traditional method of combinatorial chemistry involves combining individual building blocks to create many molecular variants. However, this process has limitations due to contamination and exponential growth of impurities. The ETH team’s innovation is a self-purifying DEL technology that prevents this contamination by washing the molecules with magnetic particles and introducing a second chemical coupling component.
This breakthrough enables researchers to synthesize larger molecules consisting of five or more building blocks, allowing for the discovery of new active substances that can bind to specific protein surfaces. The potential applications are vast, including finding molecules that bind to certain proteins in their cellular context and supporting major research initiatives like Target 2035.
A spin-off company will be established to offer the entire process, from developing DEL collections to automated synthesis, testing, and DNA-based identification of molecules. Industry and research are already showing immense interest in this technology, particularly for cyclic molecules that have been previously inaccessible in large numbers.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2024-09-chemists-pharmaceutically-substances-billions-newly.html