Why use chemical probes

Chemical probes can be used to help establish the relationship between a molecular target and the broader biological consequences of modulating that target in cells or organisms. They are also highly synergistic to biological or genetic tools that can be used to study protein functions.

Chemical probes facilitate the fine tuning of protein inhibition through concentration-response experiments and the possibility to easily time the modulation of the protein. Thus, chemical probes can be used to discover new biology relating to a specific target, to clarify the relationship between the target and a phenotype, and to validate that a particular target is a suitable intervention point to impact the progression or outcome of a disease.