Unlock Exclusive Discounts & Flash Sales! Click Here to Join the Deals on Every Wednesday!
The primary goal of fragment and small molecule (low molecular weight, LMW) screening in pharmaceutical development is to identify candidate molecular structures for further development, based on their binding to selected target molecules. Response levels are low and organic solvents are often needed to maintain analyte solubility. Interactions are usually rapid and regeneration is not needed.<br /><br />Fragment: A small chemical structure (molecular weight typically 150 to 300) that may contribute to binding to a target molecule. In fragment-based drug discovery, fragments with relatively weak binding affinities are chemically combined to form larger structures with higher specificity and improved binding characteristics.<br /><br />Small molecule: An organic compound (molecular weight typically several hundred Da) that may in itself be a potential drug candidate. Small molecules may be derived from natural sources or created by combination of fragments.