Medicinal chemistry and organic synthesis facilities

Medicinal Chemistry and Organic Synthesis (MCOS) Laboratories offer a state-of-art facilities and equipment for the synthesis of novel drug candidates and their prodrugs. Novel drug molecules are designed in a collaboration with computer-aided drug designers (molecular modellers). The syntheses of new compounds follow the principles of green chemistry and sustainable development (e.g., utilization of a microwave synthesizer). The novel compounds are purified by recrystallization or different chromatographic methods and they are structurally characterized by spectroscopic methods (NMR, MS).The compounds are then evaluated for their physicochemical properties (e.g., water solubility and chemical and metabolic stability) and pharmaceutical characteristics (e.g., cellular accumulation and effects on selected biomarkers) in relevant biolocigal media by spectroscopic methods (HPLC, MS).

The researchers working in these facilities develop novel drug candidates in collaboration with other research groups at the University of Eastern Finland as well as with collaborators from other institutes nationally and internationally. We also educate primary students as well as postgraduate students to different areas of expertise and research tasks in the field of medicinal chemistry.

MCOS provides also services from early-stage drug discovery, through lead optimization, to highly potent novel target-based clinical drug candidates that have fine-tuned pharmacokinetic properties, by using computational drug design, medicinal chemistry, and bioanalytical methods.

More information about the services can be found here: https://sites.uef.fi/ddmm-mcos/