The UsefulChem Project is an open source science initiative that uses blogs and wikis to make the scientific process transparent. It applies this approach to malaria research by synthesizing diketopiperazine derivatives proposed to inhibit an enzyme required by the malaria parasite. Visitors can comment on experimental details, molecules of interest, and synthetic strategies as they are discussed on the blogs. The goal is to facilitate collaboration and problem solving around the project.

1. The UsefulChem Project: An Application of Open Source Science in Malaria Research Jean-Claude Bradley PhD, Khalid Mirza, James Giammarco, Dave Strumfels, Lin Cheng usefulchem.wikispaces.com usefulchem.blogspot.com

2. Abstract We describe the development of UsefulChem, an open source science project using blogs and wikis to make the scientific process as transparent as possible. Blogs are used to provide RSS information feeds on experimental details, molecules of interest to the projects, and the thinking process behind the design and evaluation of synthetic strategies. Visitors to the site are able to comment freely on the progress of the experiments as well as offer solutions to any obstacles that may arise.

3. Application This method was applied to a malaria project in which we are synthesizing diketopiperazine derivatives that have been proposed as candidates for inhibition of enyol reductase, an enzyme required for the malarial parasite to propagate.

4. Open science connectivity More info on open source science here http://usefulchem.wikispaces.com

5. UsefulChem Blog

6. UsefulChem Experiments

7. UsefulChem Molecules

8. UsefulChem Writing Partners

9. UsefulChem Wiki

10. CMLRSS feed on Bloglines

11. Automation in UsefulChem

12. Reasons for Change

13. The Story of DOPAL Unusual Rearrangement of 2-Amino-1-Substituted Phenyl-1-Alkanol to 1-Substituted phenyl-2-Alkanone Jack C. Kim*, Myoung-Do Kong, Man-Yong Yoon, Jin Il Park, Soon-Kyu Choi VOLUME 17 NO 2, 1996, 105-106

14. Alteration attempts to Synthesize DOPAL

15. The Successful Synthesis of DOPAL Preparation and properties of p -hydroxyphenylacetaldehyde and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylacetaldehyde Jay H. Robbins, Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Vol 114 Iss 3, June 1966, 576-584

16. Comparison of NMR data of DOPAL Synthesis of a Bichemically Important Aldehyde 3,4-dihydroxy acetaldehyde Li et al, Bioorganic Chemistry, 26, 45-50 1998 3,4-Dihyroxystyrene Dimers, Inducers of Larval Metamorphosis of Ascidians from a Marine Sponge Jaspis sp Tsukamoto et al, Tetrahedron, Vol 50, No 48, 13583-13592, 1994

17. Comparison of NMR data of DOPAL

18. Debugging the Ugi Solution Phase Synthesis of Diketopiperazine Libraries Via the Ugi Reaction: Novel Application of Armstrong’s Covertable Isonitrile Christopher Hulme*, Matthew M Morrisette, Francis A Volz, and Christopher J. Burns, Tetrahedron Letters, 39 (1998), 1113-1116

19. Debugging the Ugi

20. Progress

21. Comments on UsefulChem Blogs

22. Next Steps Incorporate our molecules into Emolecules to enable substructure searching Custom CMLRSS feeds (e.g. only new commercial sources found) Get spectra in JCAMP format Extend our collaboration with other chemists (e.g. docking data) Get our anti-malarials made and tested

23. References