Core and satellite libraries

The Chinese National Compound Library (CNCL), consisting of a core library and multiple satellite libraries, is operated via the mechanism of standardization, separate storage and independent management.

The core library refers to CNCL headquarters located in Zhangjiang High-tech Park that established by Ministry of Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Shanghai Municipality with extensive storage space for compounds and the state-of-the-art laboratory facility.

Satellite libraries are defined as those located outside Shanghai and supported by the national mega project on drug discovery and development; adopt uniform standards for collecting, storing, managing and utilizing compounds. As branches of the core library, they play a cooperative role but have no administrative affiliation to the core library, thereby forming a nationwide resource system to drive discovery.

In principle, it requires satellite libraries to possess no less than 50,000 unique chemical structures and an adequate quantity of each compound to respond high-throughput screening calls at any time. The first group of participants includes Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (CAS), Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (Beijing), China Pharmaceutical University, Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences (Beijing) and Hangzhou High-throughput Drug Screening Center. To confer unique situation in China, the CNCL will also support compound suppliers that owns less than required number of compounds.