Enhancing drug discovery using new techniques for detecting weak binding molecules
Official title: Improving Fragment Based Drug Discovery and the Development of Tools for Chemical Biology through Nanoscale Encapsulation and NMR Spectroscopy
Funded at Texas A&m Agrilife Research · NIH-11094570 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working on a new way to find potential new medicines by using advanced techniques to spot small interactions between tiny molecules and proteins, which could help discover drugs that might have been missed before, making the process of developing new treatments better and more efficient.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas A&m Agrilife Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Station, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 20, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $116,586 |
| NIH project number | 3R01GM145751-03S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11094570 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals with conditions that could benefit from new drug therapies targeting weak binding interactions.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not seeking new drug therapies or those with conditions that are not addressed by small molecule drugs may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on improving the process of drug discovery by developing new methods to detect weak binding interactions between small molecules and proteins. It aims to address the limitations of traditional high-throughput screening, which can be costly and inefficient. By utilizing nanoscale encapsulation and NMR spectroscopy, the study seeks to create a more effective way to identify promising drug candidates, particularly those that may have been overlooked due to their weak binding properties. This innovative approach could lead to more successful drug development in the early phases.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to the discovery of new and more effective small molecule drugs for various diseases.
How similar studies have gone: While fragment-based drug discovery has been explored before, this specific approach utilizing nanoscale encapsulation and NMR spectroscopy is innovative and has not been widely tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Texas A&m Agrilife Research
College Station, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wand, a. Joshua — Texas A&m Agrilife Research
- Study coordinator: Wand, a. Joshua
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.