# BU-CMD Chemical Library Consortium: Fostering Collaborations between Chemists and Biologists for Translational Discovery

> **NIH NIH U01** · BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS) · 2020 · $737,076

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY AND ABSTRACT
BU-CMD Chemical Library Consortium:
Fostering Collaborations between Chemists and Biologists for Translational Discovery
Small molecules are powerful tools for understanding biological systems, and form the foundation for most
therapies of human disease. The successful translation of a bioactive small molecule into a safe, effective
therapeutic requires the collective involvement of both chemists and biologists. The Boston University Center for
Molecular Discovery (BU-CMD) is a laboratory that connects chemists who make molecules with biologists who
wish to test them in various diseases. The BU-CMD serves as a collaborative nexus that bridges these
connections, seeding new discoveries and providing the critical chemistry support required to further develop
existing leads. The objective of this program is to leverage existing BU-CMD resources across multiple CTSA
hubs, establishing an expandable molecule distribution infrastructure for seeding and fostering collaborative
research projects between chemists and translational scientists. The overarching goal of the project is to
advance curative research for challenging biological disease areas. The BU-CMD has longstanding experience
in curating and openly distributing a small molecule screening collection of diverse, structurally complex
chemotypes, through a unique, homegrown consortium of biological screeners called the Chemical Library
Consortium ("CLC"). The CLC has been unique in its ability to enable new discoveries and foster meaningful
collaborative follow-up on these discoveries toward translational drug discovery. This proposal describes the
formal connection of the CLC with the CTSA through the establishment of an open access, CTSA-based
compound sharing network centered at Boston University. The proposed U01 program will curate molecules
from synthetic organic chemists at six CTSA hubs (Boston University, New York University, University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill, University of California Los Angeles, The University of Chicago, and University of Notre
Dame) and will distribute them within the CLC network. The CLC network will be expanded as part of this grant
to include new translational scientists at the Vanderbilt University and University of Massachusetts Medical
School hubs. Lastly, a formal connection will be forged between the BU-CMD and NCATS in order to connect
translational scientists to resources and technologies developed herein. This consortium aims to connect
scientific resources across CTSA hubs, and seed new collaborations between translational scientists at these
hubs, and improve upon existing infrastructure for the discovery and progression of small molecule therapies for
diseases.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9889397
- **Project number:** 1U01TR002625-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS)
- **Principal Investigator:** JOHN A. PORCO
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $737,076
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-01-01 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9889397

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9889397, BU-CMD Chemical Library Consortium: Fostering Collaborations between Chemists and Biologists for Translational Discovery (1U01TR002625-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9889397. Licensed CC0.

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