What is cheminformatics software?

Cheminformatics, or chemoinformatics, combines chemistry, computer science, and information science to organize, process, and present chemical data. As a field fundamentally linked to computer science, cheminformatics by its definition uses digital tools for its function and use. 

Digital cheminformatics tools are known as cheminformatics software. They are designed to support the many needs of cheminformatics, including managing and analyzing chemical data, as well as developing models for the study and application of chemical data.

Application of cheminformatics software

There are different types of cheminformatics software designed to serve specific purposes. Examples include modeling software, chemical databases, and software for particular drug design and development applications. 

Top applications of cheminformatics include:

• Predicting properties of chemical compounds – Rather than using laboratory experiments to test the properties of every potential chemical compound, cheminformatics software may be used to predict the properties of many molecules, helping save time and costs.

• Designing and synthesizing new compounds – Similar to predicting the properties of chemical compounds, cheminformatics software can be used to design and synthesize new compounds. By referencing known molecules of a similar structure and composition, cheminformatics software can help in the drug discovery and design process.

• Analyzing the biological activity of chemical compounds – The biological activity of chemical compounds is the most important to study and utilize. Cheminformatics software can computationally help investigate how chemical compounds interact with different biological substances.

Benefits of cheminformatics software

The benefits of using cheminformatics software for your data storage, management, and analysis needs include:

• Efficiency – Cheminformatics software helps researchers analyze and interpret chemical data more quickly and with fewer errors, saving costs and time to produce results more efficiently. By automating tasks prone to high human error rates, cheminformatics software helps improve the integrity of results.

• Collaborative – Cheminformatics software makes it easier for researchers to collaborate using the same data.

• Enhanced output – Cheminformatics software can help researchers achieve their research outcomes more quickly, reducing time to market.

Cheminformatics is a powerful technology capable of drastically helping researchers work efficiently towards their research goals. By helping to make informed scientific decisions and minimizing research mistakes, these digital tools will continue to offer significant benefits to researchers.

Discover how Dotmatics' integrated workflows can help with your cheminformatics analysis.