Cell and Structural Biology

Structural Biology in Drug Discovery

 Rational drug design aims to develop small molecules (drugs) with a therapeutic effect by targeting biomolecules in order to influence their biological function. Structural biology has a diverse arsenal of methods available to study (bio) molecular structures. Information on the shape and possible interaction sites of binding sites on these molecules can be used to design small molecules with high binding affinity. The structural information is a valuable input in different stages of drug development such as lead optimization or drug design. Important starting point in rational drug design is that Structural determination of bio molecules could help as therapeutic target. Soon after knowing the structure of biological target, an impending binding site for drugs and its interactions have to be identified in the period of drug design