Patent ID: 7632008

Claim:
A method of using array calorimeters, comprising: for each of a set of two or more cells of an array calorimeter: providing respective test and reference groups of samples; the test group including at least a respective first sample that includes molecules of one or more target types and a respective second sample that includes fragments of one or more fragment types, each of the first and second samples not exceeding approximately 100 microliters; the reference group including respective first and second samples similar to the test group's first and second samples; combining at least the first and second samples of the cell's test and reference groups; and providing respective output signals that include information about heat of reaction due to combining the first and second samples of the cell's test group; and for each of a set of one or more of the target types, using the output signals to rank fragment types that react with the target type; the act of using the output signals to rank fragment types including at least one of: identifying a subset of the fragment types that react measurably with the target type; obtaining an equilibrium constant for each of a subset of the fragment types that react measurably with the target type; obtaining a ligand efficiency value for each of a subset of the fragment types that react measurably with the target type; and obtaining a rank ordering of a subset of the fragment types that react measurably with the target type, the rank ordering depending on ligand efficiencies of the fragment types.