Drug discovery: high throughput matters.

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG Discovery Chemistry is a one-day course aimed at those facing a career choice in their undergraduate or graduate chemistry courses, or new chemists within the pharmaceutical industry aiming to learn more about state-of-the-art methods.

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Fresh-faced, newly graduated chemists have two paths to choose from: process chemistry or drug discovery chemistry.

Process chemistry, the art of bulk synthesis of fine chemicals on the ton scale for commercial products, will enthuse those who enjoy chemical design and careful optimisation to reduce costs by experimentation and analysis.

Drug discovery chemistry involves a much smaller scale of compound synthesis, often just a few milligrams in the first instance. It involves problem solving and a broad range of technologies, such as robotics and information technology, to design drugs and handle data. Both groups of chemists talk the same language, but which is the correct career for those facing a choice?

The development of 'high throughput biological screening', the ability to test thousands of compounds in hours, and, in recent times, the pressures of increasing efficiency and effectiveness found across the industry, have led to a greater need for chemists in drug discovery to make more, individual, high purity samples. Chemists in the industry have found year on year that they are expected to make arrays of compounds, from 10 to 200+ at a time, in shorter time scales, and also (hopefully) new candidate drugs for testing in the clinic.

The aim of the conference is to provide expert lectures on the types of chemistries and technologies used in industry and what the future holds. Lectures will cover the following subjects:

* Chemical reactions suitable for high throughput

* Real drug hunting examples

* Microwave synthesis

* Chemical scavengers

* Parallel purification

* Flow chemistry

Speakers from companies and academia, including AstraZeneca, Pfizer, GSK and Biotage, and Professors Ian Baxendale and Mark Bradley will paint a picture of the cutting edge of high throughput technology and its future. In addition, representatives from commercial companies will be available to provide demonstrations of the latest equipment and techniques.

Introduction to Drug Discovery will be held at AstraZeneca, Charnwood, LE11 5RH, UK.

Dr Al Dossetter AstraZeneca--inflammation RA, Alderley Park SCI Young Chemists Panel