A new device has been developed by researchers from the University of Illinois, which serves as a 3-D printer. It can operate at the molecular level to collect complex small molecules and that too just with help of a computer. Today, most of the medicines comprise complex small molecules and this new approach could help develop more such drugs. This technology could also prove its potential in field of chemical technology.

According to chemistry professor and medical doctor Martin D. Burke, who was involved in the research, "We wanted to take a very complex process, chemical synthesis, and make it simple. Simplicity enables automation, which, in turn, can broadly enable discovery and bring the substantial power of making molecules to non-specialists". Small molecules are also used in important technologies like LEDs and solar cells, in addition to their use in medicine.

They are also employed in biology as 'probes', and are used to study inner functions of cells. It takes a lot of time to develop and examine small molecules by using conventional methods. Burke said in many areas, there has been less progress and there are many molecules, on which pharmaceutical companies aren't working, since there is a lot of obstruction in synthesis.

Burke and group developed a new system, which makes use of a 'catch and release' method. The machine adds one block at one time and removes any excess prior to addition of the next block.

It has been reported that until now, their machine has created 14 different classes of small molecules, and some are considered as complex to manufacture. According to Miles Fabian of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Burke's research lead to a major progress and this helps make synthesis of complex small molecule efficient and flexible.