They designed atoms as, long before, their fathers had designed molecules.

Armed with this information they can design molecules that are even better at the job.

Their acronym is a reference to the efforts of research scientists to design molecules that stimulate only certain estrogen receptors.

The findings about the single receptor's role might make it possible to design molecules that mimic key parts of the receptor.

Such programs are now routinely used both to design new molecules and to identify the simplest possible paths for synthesizing them.

Janssen Chimica offers more than 12,000 fine chemicals, from common reagents to custom designed molecules.

The work is significant because of the tight control it offers, possibly in designing molecules that will in the future become single circuit elements.

That could allow the researchers to design molecules that work at room temperature.

"We don't attempt to design molecules rationally," he said.

With that information, the company works on designing molecules that are likely to fit the receptor's shape.