Medicinal Chemistry
The Med Chem Group supports the CMD Pillars to select druggable targets, and discover and optimise small molecule leads.
quick facts
Two industry-standard labs support organic synthesis, purification, and characterisation.
Over 20 Med Chem scientists design and test new molecules.
In collaboration with CMD, compounds are assessed in diverse assays.
3D structures guide the rational design of improved molecules.
Med Chem Methods
Target Assessment
In collaboration with Research Informatics
TargetDB is a rapid, easy to interpret, target assessment tool.
Fragment-based Drug Discovery
In collaboration with Protein Crystallography
Poised Fragments allow rapid chemistry expansion of fragment hits.
Structure- and Ligand-Based Drug Design
The HeteroCycle Isostere Explorer (HCIE) finds novel scaffolds based on shape and electrostatic similarity.
Organic Synthesis
Where are your gloves Moses?
Drug Discovery projects
Neurodegeneration
With the Alzheimer's Research UK Oxford Drug Discovery Institute
USP30 inhibitors increase mitophagy to treat Parkinson's Disease.
Rare Diseases
Ataxias
SUV420H1/2 inhibitors increase Frataxin levels to treat Friedreich's Ataxia.
Oncology
Epigenetics and Epitranscriptomics
Covalent inhibitors are selective for KDM5.
Anti-infectives
Medium throughput screening identified inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 NSP3 macro domain.