The module includes:

 Introduction to the molecular basis of disease, identification and validation of drug targets

 The molecular basis of disease is considered with examples of infection, genetic and multifactorial clinical conditions and the mechanism of action of certain drugs in their therapy.

 There is a detailed revision of basic macromolecular structure and the types of cellular components that constitute drug targets. This section examines the identification of drug targets and the genomic approaches to the validation of drug targets.

 Drug Discovery and Lead Identification

 The identification of drugs for human use has a long and fascinating history with its origins in witchcraft and magic through to the present time where techniques such as computer modeling, combinatorial synthesis and high-throughput screening are used. This section begins with a discussion of how ancient civilizations utilized a combination of witchcraft, magic and materials extracted from plants, animal and humans to attempt (usually unsuccessfully) to cure diseases. A number of natural products with genuine therapeutic activity such as salacin from willow bark (as an anti-inflammatory) and digitalis were discovered in this period and will be described in more detail. Discussions will then move to a later period where chemical techniques, although in their infancy, were used to isolate and structurally elucidate wellknown natural products such as the major plant alkaloids. Discussion will then move to more modern times describing how modern drug leads are identified by a number of different techniques including combinations of molecular modelling, combinatorial libraries and highthroughput screening. The delivery of this module is supplemented by keynote lectures from academic and industrial experts with personal examples of drug discovery successes.

 Advances in synthetic chemistry

 Key themes of the application of modern synthetic methods in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery are covered in this section. Chemical-synthetic techniques that are utilized in the preparation of compounds for use in the chemical genetic approach will be discussed; importance will be given to the generation of novel natural product-like or -derived compound libraries. Topics include reaction mechanisms and asymmetric synthesis, retrosynthesis, combinatorial chemistry, pericyclic and multicomponent reactions, solid phase and microwave chemistry, and chemistry in flow. Fragment based drug discovery will be explored in detail.

 High Throughput Screening of Compound and Natural product Libraries

 This section examines the types, molecular basis and technical procedures of biochemical and cell-based bioassays. Understanding the automation of the HTS process and the importance of bioinformatics and data processing in identification of lead compounds is an important component.

 Molecular Modelling and Structure Based Design

 This section is designed to introduce the student to the principles and practice of modern drug discovery. The course will provide an awareness of rational drug design, based on understanding the three-dimensional structures and physicochemical properties of drugs and receptors. There is considerable “hands on” experience of computational chemistry and computer-based molecular modelling. This section will cover modelling drug/receptor interactions with the emphasis on molecular mechanisms, molecular dynamics simulations and homology modelling. Other topics will be selected from: conformational sampling, macromolecular folding, structural bioinformatics, receptor-based and ligand-based design and docking methods, in silico screening of libraries, semi-empirical and ab-initio methods, QSAR methods, molecular diversity, design of combinatorial libraries of drug-like molecules, macromolecular and chemical databases