“Sometimes I even dream about molecules”
Mireille
Research Scientist
Bio and Chemoinformatics
Darmstadt, Germany
Research Scientist
Bio and Chemoinformatics
Darmstadt, Germany
Much of my work takes place in a virtual laboratory, where experiments are conducted on a computer screen. It’s an amazing tool for drug discovery. I often wear 3D glasses, like the ones used in movie theaters, because the molecules we study interact with each other in three dimensions. On the basis of our computer models, I can better understand the structure and function of proteins that play a role in the disease process. That is an important first step in looking for a therapy.
The molecular modeling results from my team support the work of medicinal chemists who are synthesizing a series of small molecules that dock onto a specific point of a protein. It’s part of a process of molecular tweaking known as “lead optimization” performed on these chemical compounds to get the best candidate for a potential drug.
What our team does is only one piece of the puzzle. And it may take many years to be translated into a therapy. But the possibility that my work could eventually lessen the impact of a disease and give the patient a better quality of life makes it all worthwhile.
