Fragment-based drug discovery using cryo-EM.

Recent advances in cryo-electron microscopy (EM) structure determination have pushed the resolutions obtainable by the method into the range widely considered to be of utility for drug discovery. Here, we review the use of cryo-EM in fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) based on in-house method development. We demonstrate not only that cryo-EM can reveal details of the molecular interactions between fragments and a protein, but also that the current reproducibility, quality, and throughput are compatible with FBDD. We exemplify this using the test system β-galactosidase (Bgal) and the oncology target pyruvate kinase 2 (PKM2).