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Vol.
31 No. 2
March-April 2009
Update of Glossary of Terms Used in Medicinal Chemistry
It has been 10 years since the first Glossary of Terms Used in Medicinal Chemistry was published. During this period, a remarkable change in medicinal chemistry practice has occurred, largely in response to the genomic revolution, including the introduction of combinatorial chemistry, robotic techniques, and parallel synthesis. It has brought with it an accompanying vocabulary of new terminology. There is a particular need to address the terminology associated with chemogenomics, chemoinformatics, newer strategies for hit and lead discovery, and those parameters that deal specifically with chemical diversity and drug-likeness. A substantial list of new entries has already been compiled, and many more terms will arise as the project progresses.
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The web version of the existing glossary has clearly demonstrated the interest and value of such a tool. Between 1999 and 2007, the total usage, based on the log of IP addresses, was over 200 000. Usage continually increased during this time period, such that 25 countries now exceed 500 uses. The USA, UK, Canada, and Germany head the list (see table). With such interest, there is an urgent need to ensure the currency of the glossary so that IUPAC does not lag behind in terminology.
Country |
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USA |
73 700 |
UK |
8 769 |
Canada |
3 626 |
Germany |
3 583 |
Australia |
3 275 |
Japan |
2 641 |
Italy |
2 571 |
France |
1 809 |
India |
1 462 |
Brazil |
1 367 |
Russia |
1 295 |
*Dr. Gerry P. Moss, Queen Mary, University of London,
is gratefully acknowledged for providing these data.
The update process is now well underway, with a targeted completion date within two years.
For more information and comments, contact the Task Group Chair Derek Buckle <[email protected]>.
www.iupac.org/web/ins/2008-010-1-700
Page
last modified 3 March 2009.
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Applied Chemistry.
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