This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Even when AI designs molecules with potential as medicines, drug development can be delayed if the process of producing them is slow. KAIST researchers have developed an "unmanned synthesis platform" that uses synthesis robots and light to automatically carry out the entire process from mixing raw materials to synthesis and analysis.
The technology is expected to help secure a wider range of drug candidate compounds by reducing the burden of repetitive experiments. A research team led by Professor Yoonsu Park of the Department of Chemistry developed an unmanned synthesis platform combining visible light with a continuous-flow process. Using the platform, the researchers synthesized the "N-methyl pyrrole" scaffold, a fundamental molecular framework used in pharmaceutical development, and demonstrated the potential to scale up production through continuous manufacturing.
The study is published in the journal JACS Au. In drug development, molecules that have been designed must be synthesized so that their efficacy and safety can be tested. However, even slight differences in molecular structure can require entirely new reaction conditions, and even when small-scale synthesis is successful, scaling up production can alter the way light or heat is transferred, requiring the conditions to be adjusted again.
To reduce this burden, the research team integrated a raw-material dispensing robot, automated pumps, a light-irradiation reaction system and analytical equipment into a single system. Once a researcher prepares the equipment and sets the conditions, the robot mixes the raw materials, and pumps continuously feed the raw-material solution through a narrow tube at a constant rate. Visible light is then directed onto the tube to induce the chemical reaction.
This method, in which raw materials are continuously fed through the system while undergoing a reaction, is called a "continuous-flow process." It is similar to continuously supplying ingredients into a small pot rather than putting everything into a large pot at once. Using a narrow tube makes it easier to distribute light evenly throughout the solution, while production can be increased by operating the same process for a longer period. After the reaction is completed, the solution is automatically transferred to analytical equipment.
The equipment determines whether the desired compound has been successfully produced and how much has been made. From mixing the raw materials to checking the final results, the entire process proceeds automatically without requiring researchers to manually transfer and measure the solution each time. To evaluate the performance of the automated system, the research team benchmarked a single-atom editing reaction.
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