CHED 1499 |
| The process of biological evolution requires the generation of a wide diversity of new biomolecules, which then afford an organism either a competitive disadvantage (most often) or a competitive advantage (occasionally). That diversity of molecules is created by the process of random mutation. In Chemistry, we likewise desire to discover new substances whose properties yield a competitive advantage, but in the commercial or intellectual marketplaces. The combinatorial approach has yielded a new paradigm for discovering such substances- make many things with diverse structures using synthesis techniques that are efficient and, ideally, also facilitate the high-throughput evaluation of their properties. Chemical 'mutation' cannot be random; there are too many conceivable substances for anyone to make them all. Instead, chemists apply both existing knowledge and computational means to direct their decisions of what 'chemical libraries' to make. This approach, which began using libraries of biopolymers, has been expanded over the past 15 years to the preparation and screening of libraries useful in virtually all areas of chemical discovery. |
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Chemical Evolution from Origins of Life to Modern Society
1:30 PM-4:55 PM, Tuesday, April 8, 2008 Hilton New Orleans Riverside -- Jasperwood, Oral
Division of Chemical Education |