Small molecule microarrays: from proteins to mammalian cells – are we there yet?

A recent publication by Stockwell and colleagues documents a leap forward toward the continued development of small molecule microarray (SMM) technology. By creating microarrays of small molecules impregnated in a biodegradable polymer, the authors have, for the first time, shown that SMMs can be used in a cell-based format. This technological improvement opens the door for using SMMs to perform high-throughput screens in mammalian cells.