Using computational tools for molecule discovery

Discovering a drug, material, or anything new requires finding and understanding molecules. It's a time- and labor-intensive process, which can be helped along by a chemist's expertise, but it can only go so quickly, be so efficient, and there's no guarantee for success. Connor Coley is looking to change that dynamic. The Henri Slezynger (1957) Career Development Assistant Professor in the MIT Department of Chemical Engineering is developing computational tools that would be able to predict molecular behavior and learn from the successes and mistakes. It's an intuitive approach and one that still has obstacles, but Coley says that this autonomous platform holds enormous potential for remaking the discovery process.