Rational Design and Development of Safer Chemicals

Read the full post at the ACS Nexus Blog.

For many years chemists have designed chemicals and materials to have defined functions.  Most scientists feel comfortable with the challenge of designing a material to have a particular color, or flexibility, conductivity, durability, and so on.  Although advancements have been made to enable enhancements in many different chemical functions, it is still a struggle to design chemicals that are less toxic to humans and have minimal environmental impact.

Molecular Design Research Network (MoDRN) is a recent initiative that will help scientists expand their molecular design “toolbox” by helping anticipate the potential toxicity of commercial chemicals.  MoDRN is developing as a collaboration between four universities – Baylor University, George Washington University, University of Washington and Yale University,  –  with the goals of advancing our understanding of chemical hazards and enabling rational design of safer chemicals in the future.