Big payoffs possible for small-molecule screening.

In the News Focus “Industrial-style screening meets academic biology” (8 August, p. [764][1]), J. Kaiser presents the discovery of several potential small-molecule therapeutics and probes for cellular function along with skeptical views from industrial scientists questioning “whether this massive effort is worth the time and money.” The goals of the pharmaceutical industry and academia are very different. Industry scientists are focused on discovering a highly specific and potent compound that can benefit human health. Academic scientists focus on finding compounds that can reveal novel cellular mechanisms, a basic tenet in chemical biology ([1][2]). It is this pursuit that allows the academician to foster student learning and interdisciplinary collaborations with faculty that could lead to a novel biological probe or a potential therapeutic. The current $100 million-per-year funding from the NIH Molecular Libraries Initiative (MLI) is a wise investment in the training of future scientists and teachers. Students working with faculty mentors on these screening efforts learn how to solve problems across all areas of science and mathematics; indeed, the “challenge of merging two cultures—biologists and chemists” is an opportunity for a better education ([2][3]). Such an interdisciplinary approach to science education is timely, given the recently passed Public Law 110-69, “America Competes Act,” which includes appropriation of $896 million for “education and human resources” ([3][4]) that will promote the training of future science and mathematics teachers. Regardless of the skepticism, I believe that the NIH MLI could “pay it forward” to our society in many ways. 1. 1.[↵][5] 1. S. L. Schreiber , Nat. Chem. Biol. 1, 64 (2005). [OpenUrl][6][CrossRef][7][PubMed][8][Web of Science][9] 2. 2.[↵][10] 1. R. L. Stein , J. Biomol. Screen. 8, 615 (2003). [OpenUrl][11][Abstract/FREE Full Text][12] 3. 3.[↵][13] Public Law 110-69 (H.R. 2272), sec. 7002, fiscal year 2008. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.321.5890.764 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #ref-2 [4]: #ref-3 [5]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1. in text" [6]: {openurl}?query=rft.stitle%253DNat%2BChem%2BBiol%26rft.aulast%253DSchreiber%26rft.auinit1%253DS.%2BL.%26rft.volume%253D1%26rft.issue%253D2%26rft.spage%253D64%26rft.epage%253D66%26rft.atitle%253DSmall%2Bmolecules%253A%2Bthe%2Bmissing%2Blink%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bcentral%2Bdogma.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1038%252Fnchembio0705-64%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F16407997%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [7]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1038/nchembio0705-64&link_type=DOI [8]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=16407997&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fsci%2F322%2F5898%2F46.atom [9]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000232648200002&link_type=ISI [10]: #xref-ref-2-1 "View reference 2. in text" [11]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJournal%2Bof%2BBiomolecular%2BScreening%26rft.stitle%253DJ%2BBiomol%2BScreen%26rft.issn%253D1087-0571%26rft.aulast%253DStein%26rft.auinit1%253DR.%2BL.%26rft.volume%253D8%26rft.issue%253D6%26rft.spage%253D615%26rft.epage%253D619%26rft.atitle%253DHigh-Throughput%2BScreening%2Bin%2BAcademia%253A%2BThe%2BHarvard%2BExperience%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1177%252F1087057103260741%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F14711386%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [12]: /lookup/ijlink/YTozOntzOjQ6InBhdGgiO3M6MTQ6Ii9sb29rdXAvaWpsaW5rIjtzOjU6InF1ZXJ5IjthOjQ6e3M6ODoibGlua1R5cGUiO3M6NDoiQUJTVCI7czoxMToiam91cm5hbENvZGUiO3M6NToic3BqYngiO3M6NToicmVzaWQiO3M6NzoiOC82LzYxNSI7czo0OiJhdG9tIjtzOjIxOiIvc2NpLzMyMi81ODk4LzQ2LmF0b20iO31zOjg6ImZyYWdtZW50IjtzOjA6IiI7fQ== [13]: #xref-ref-3-1 "View reference 3. in text"