Chemical Genomics: Reviews and Protocols (Methods in Molecular Biology, 310)

Chemical genomics is an exciting new field that aims to transform biolo- cal chemistry into a high-throughput industrialized process, much in the same way that molecular biology has been transformed by genomics. The inter- tion of small organic molecules with biological systems (mostly proteins) underpins drug discovery in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and therefore a volume of laboratory protocols that covers the key aspects of chemical genomics would be of use to biologists and chemists in these orga- zations. Academic scientists have been exploring the functions of proteins using small molecules as probes for many years and therefore would also b- efit from sharing ideas and laboratory procedures. Whatever the organizational backgrounds of the scientists involved, the challenges of extracting the ma- mum human benefit from genome sequencing projects remains considerable, and one where it is increasingly recognized that chemical genomics will play an important part. Chemical Genomics: Reviews and Protocols is divided into two sections, the first being a series of reviews to describe what chemical genomics is about and to set the scene for the protocol chapters. The subject is introduced by Paul Caron, who explains the various flavors of chemical genomics. This is f- lowed by Lutz Weber and Philip Dean who cover the interaction between organic molecules and protein targets from the different perspectives of la- ratory experimentation and in silico design. The protocols begin with the me- ods developed in Christopher Lowes’ laboratory (Roque et al.

Chemical genomics is an exciting new field that promises to transform biological chemistry into a high-throughput industrialized process, much in the same way that genomics has transformed molecular biology. In Chemical Genomics: Reviews and Protocols, leading edge researchers introduce the uninitiated into the various "flavors" of chemical genomics and describe a series of readily reproducible techniques for applications in organic chemistry, protein chemistry, and computer science, with emphasis on the high-throughput approaches that are the essence of chemical genomics. The techniques range from the classic design of small molecules as affinity ligands for specific protein families, to in silico docking for computational approaches, to protein-small molecule interactions, to producing highly diverse collections of proteins, carbohydrates, and small molecules for use in arrays containing large numbers of these molecules. There are also methods for the production of proteins and carbohydrates using different expression systems, for analyzing proteins using mass spectrometry, and for arraying proteins and carbohydrates on solid supports. The protocols follow the successful Methods in Molecular Biology™ series format, each offering step-by-step laboratory instructions, an introduction outlining the principles behind the technique, lists of the necessary equipment and reagents, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.
Authoritative and timely, Chemical Genomics: Reviews and Protocols offers researchers an accessible introduction by pioneers to the key areas and methods of chemical genomics, as well as its use in the discovery and evaluation of novel drug targets.