When trillion‑member libraries meet physics: what diversity really means

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Source: Pharmaceutical Technology

Original: https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/comment/when-trillion%e2%80%91member-l...

Published: Tue, 20 Jan 2026 17:10:57 +0000

In drug discovery, large numbers such as trillions of molecules or libraries of 10^20 members are used in screening campaigns. The question is how many different molecules can actually fit in a test tube. These trillions of libraries run up against the limits of physics. The article explains what diversity really means in such libraries.