Foreword: Pacific Fragments

Pacific, which is derived from the Latin pac, means peaceful. [...].

methods often involve biophysical approaches, such as X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and more. Medicinal and computational chemists are essential for transforming low-affinity fragments to potent molecules, while biochemists and cell biologists are necessary for characterizing and validating lead compounds in increasingly complicated (and relevant) assays. Pharmacologists are indispensable once compounds are tested in animals, and disease-specific biologists are often needed to interpret results targeting proteins that have never been successfully modulated with a small molecule. In addition, all of this is before a compound is even chosen for clinical development! Drug discovery in general requires multiple skills, but this is all the more true with FBLD.
Another aspect of diversity is geographical, as seen clearly in the summary of presentations by country shown in the figure below ( Figure 1). This diversity is a recent phenomenon: I tried to organize an FBLD Symposium for Pacifichem 2005, but was unable to find enough participants from Pacific-rim countries, at least three of which must be represented among the organizers. Indeed, the first major FBLD-based event outside the US and Europe was held in Australia only in 2012 [5].
Molecules 2016, 21, 926 2 of 3 resonance (NMR), surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and more. Medicinal and computational chemists are essential for transforming low-affinity fragments to potent molecules, while biochemists and cell biologists are necessary for characterizing and validating lead compounds in increasingly complicated (and relevant) assays. Pharmacologists are indispensable once compounds are tested in animals, and disease-specific biologists are often needed to interpret results targeting proteins that have never been successfully modulated with a small molecule. In addition, all of this is before a compound is even chosen for clinical development! Drug discovery in general requires multiple skills, but this is all the more true with FBLD. Another aspect of diversity is geographical, as seen clearly in the summary of presentations by country shown in the figure below ( Figure 1). This diversity is a recent phenomenon: I tried to organize an FBLD Symposium for Pacifichem 2005, but was unable to find enough participants from Pacific-rim countries, at least three of which must be represented among the organizers. Indeed, the first major FBLD-based event outside the US and Europe was held in Australia only in 2012 [5]. The articles in this issue illustrate both aspects of diversity, geographic as well as scientific. Ruan and colleagues from China provide an overview of the FBDD field [6]. Chemistry is covered in papers by Qingwen Zhang and colleagues in China [7], as well as Martin Scanlon and colleagues in Australia [8]. NMR is well-represented by papers from Ray Norton and colleagues in Australia [9] and Ivanhoe Leung and colleagues in New Zealand [10] and joins forces with modelling and chemistry in a paper by Thomas Leeper and colleagues in the US [11]. Another biophysical technique, mass spectrometry, is highlighted in a paper by Pedro and Quinn in Australia [12], while fragment-based approaches against bacterial pathogens are discussed by Begona Heras and colleagues, also from Australia [13].
The theme of the 2015 Pacifichem Meeting was Chemical Networking: Building Bridges Across the Pacific. I think everyone would agree that this goal was accomplished. It will be fun to revisit these bridges in 2020 to see how they have strengthened, and to see what new bridges have formed.

Conflicts of Interest:
The authors declare no conflict of interest. The articles in this issue illustrate both aspects of diversity, geographic as well as scientific. Ruan and colleagues from China provide an overview of the FBDD field [6]. Chemistry is covered in papers by Qingwen Zhang and colleagues in China [7], as well as Martin Scanlon and colleagues in Australia [8]. NMR is well-represented by papers from Ray Norton and colleagues in Australia [9] and Ivanhoe Leung and colleagues in New Zealand [10] and joins forces with modelling and chemistry in a paper by Thomas Leeper and colleagues in the US [11]. Another biophysical technique, mass spectrometry, is highlighted in a paper by Pedro and Quinn in Australia [12], while fragment-based approaches against bacterial pathogens are discussed by Begona Heras and colleagues, also from Australia [13].
The theme of the 2015 Pacifichem Meeting was Chemical Networking: Building Bridges Across the Pacific. I think everyone would agree that this goal was accomplished. It will be fun to revisit these bridges in 2020 to see how they have strengthened, and to see what new bridges have formed.

Conflicts of Interest:
The authors declare no conflict of interest.