Novel approaches to map small molecule-target interactions

The quest for small molecule perturbators of protein function or a given cellular process lies at the heart of chemical biology and pharmaceutical research. Bioactive compounds need to be extensively characterized in the context of the modulated protein(s) or process(es) in living systems to unravel and confirm their mode of action. A crucial step in this workflow is the identification of the molecular targets for these small molecules, for which a generic methodology is lacking. Herein we summarize recently developed approaches for target identification spurred by advances in omics techniques and chemo- and bioinformatics analysis.