Choosing the right screening library
Not sure which library is the best fit for your project? Use the guide below to match your research goal with the most appropriate screening collection.
💊 Repurposing Libraries
Find clinically relevant starting points
Choose a repurposing library if you want to identify existing drugs that affect your target, pathway, or phenotype.
Best for:
- Drug repurposing projects
- Translational research
- Rapid follow-up opportunities
- Identifying compounds with known safety profiles
Typical question:
Is there an existing drug that affects my biological system?
🧬 Bioactive Compound Libraries
Understand the biology
These libraries contain compounds with known biological activities and mechanisms of action. They are particularly useful for assay validation and pathway exploration.
Best for:
- Assay validation
- Mechanism-of-action studies
- Pathway analysis
- Biological target exploration
Typical question:
Which biological pathways are involved in my assay or phenotype?
🎲 Diverse Libraries
Explore the unknown
Diverse libraries are designed to maximize chemical diversity and provide unbiased screening opportunities.
Best for:
- Novel target discovery
- Phenotypic screening
- Early-stage hit finding
- Projects where little is known about the target
Typical question:
Can I discover completely new chemical starting points?
🎯 Focused Libraries
Increase hit probability within a known target class
Focused libraries contain compounds enriched for specific target families, pathways, or biological areas.
Best for:
- Kinases
- GPCRs
- Epigenetic targets
- Proteases
- Other well-defined target classes
Typical question:
I know my target class. Can I improve my chances of finding active compounds?
🧩 Fragment Libraries
Discover binders and build from there
Fragment libraries contain small molecules that can serve as starting points for structure-based drug discovery.
Best for:
- Fragment-based screening
- Biophysical assays
- Structure-guided drug design
- Hit generation through fragment optimization
Typical question:
Can I find small molecular fragments that bind to my target?
Quick Selection Guide
What is your primary goal?
💊 Find clinically relevant hits → Start with a Repurposing Library
🧬 Understand the biology behind your assay → Start with a Bioactive Library
🎲 Discover novel chemistry → Start with a Diverse Library
🎯 Screen within a known target class → Start with a Focused Library
🧩 Perform fragment-based discovery → Start with a Fragment Library
Not Sure?
Many successful projects combine multiple library types.
Common combinations
- Repurposing + Bioactive: biological insight and translational relevance
- Bioactive + Diverse: pathway understanding and novel hit discovery
- Focused + Diverse: maximize hit probability while exploring new chemistry
If you are uncertain which approach best suits your project, please contact the screening facility for guidance:
