Discovery research making target compounds

Resources. Three pragmatic principles help many veteran chemists engaged in the organic synthesis that drug discovery projects require. (1) They select target compounds that no colleague is already making. To do so calls for awareness of other researchers future plans and current tasks. Oral and written reports supply this information, as do informal inquiries. 

M. E. Schroeder Another related area where basic research may have an impact on product discovery is in the support of optimization once lead compounds are identified. In this case the in vitro assay can tell the chemist if the modifications that he is making are increasing or decreasing the activity at the target site. I think most chemists would like to know whether changes in insecticidal activity of a series of compounds are due to changes in penetration or metabolism or due to changes in the inherent activity. 

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