Catalysis in Modern Drug Discovery: Insights from a Graduate Student-Taught Undergraduate Course

Abstract

A course centered around transition-metal catalysis in modern drug discovery was designed to illustrate the central role of organic chemistry in driving small-molecule drug development. The course highlighted both fundamental and applied concepts, first with a focus on the drug discovery process, followed by foundational principles in catalysis and modern catalytic methods. Finally, these topics were unified in the last portion of the course, where case studies served to highlight the use of transition-metal catalysis in the synthesis of modern drugs. Three graduate students designed and taught the course, with mentorship from a faculty member, leading to several notable teaching outcomes. Additionally, experts in the fields of catalysis and drug discovery served as guest lecturers throughout the duration of the course. This approach spotlighted the various careers that organic chemists play in the development of new medicines. We hope that this course motivates the creation of other courses in STEM that unify fundamental concepts with applications and career outcomes.

Computer-Aided Drug Design Project for Introductory High School Students

“…The project was built from the ground-up. Existing reports of drug design instruction in undergraduate, graduate, and professional courses include lectures, ,, laboratory experiments, ,,, and computer-based activities. ,− ,, However, these reports detail activities which are too advanced for high school classrooms, do not employ CADD tools, or are too superficial to serve as a substantial course companion. This paper therefore fills a needed hole by providing guidelines for how CADD tools can be implemented effectively in introductory high school courses.…”

“…Additionally, for students who do not continue in chemistry, greater clarity about how chemical industries function could improve relationships between STEM and the broader public. Moreover, with rates of patient noncompliance and medical misinformation rising, improving transparency and personal involvement in the drug design process could lead to improved trust and healthcare outcomes. , Unfortunately, when computational tools or drug design are introduced in chemistry curricula, they are often confined to upper-level undergraduate, professional, and graduate courses which inherently limits their potential to serve as motivational outreach for introductory, nonmajor students. − Therefore, this paper outlines how CADD was introduced to high school students as a classroom project in tandem with traditional course material. A description of how the project was executed and templates of classroom handouts (see SI) are provided to facilitate adoption of this project, regardless of whether or not instructors have a background in medicinal chemistry or pharmacology.…”

Phenotypic Hit Discovery Oriented Workshop for Undergraduates: Integrating Cutting-Edge Knowledge and Discovery-Based Laboratory Experiences

“…The module began with two general lectures presenting a blueprint for modern drug discovery (Table ). The background covered the discovery of atorvastatin (Lipitor) as an example from concept to market of how new drug discovery is typically structured: “ First capturing background on the ailment and key biological mechanisms of action before describing strategic features of target selection, lead discovery, hit-to-lead optimization, route optimization, scale-up, and lastly broader impacts on the therapeutics developed.” Then, important features and differences between phenotypic-based screening and target-based screening were described to convey the key concepts of the features and process of the phenotypic-based screening approach . Following this introduction, a series of lectures were presented on new technologies and on target profiling of unclear pharmacological mechanisms of phenotypic screening, which included using chemical probes to identify drug targets; molecular imaging; proteolysis targeting chimeras; synthetic biology; chemical genetics; chemoproteomics, and activity-based protein profiling.…”

“…However, although increasing technological applicability and significant research advances have ushered in new paradigms in drug discovery, including modern phenotypic whole-cell screening, these are rarely covered in medicinal-chemistry lectures and laboratory courses. This can leave undergraduate students with deficient thinking on future modern medicinal chemistry and restricted in job opportunities . Furthermore, a successful 21st century scientific career requires competency not only in one’s discipline but also in professional skills, such as navigating literature, cooperative working, problem-solving, data analysis, scientific writing, and oral presentation .…”

Advancing global chemical education through interactive teaching tools

“…In our own experience, QR Chem helped to facilitate interactive learning in courses taught remotely. 14 QR codes generated from QR Chem can also be found in Wikipedia entries, as well as in some textbooks. 15 Excitingly, QR Chem has been used by over 62 000 people in over 150 countries.…”