PubChem is a database of small molecules and their
biological activities. It is part of the NIH's Molecular Libraries
Roadmap Initiative. It is easy to use
since it has the same format of PubMed.
It is organized in three main sections: Compound,
Substance, BioAssay. The search can be performed by name, synonyms or keywords
and, in the case of BioAssay, by description. The results are displayed
according to the section and include a summary of links, a graphic of the
molecular structure, medical subject annotations (such as pharmacological action),
depositor-supplied synonyms and properties computed from structure. It also
offers links to PubMed, Entrez, Structure and GenBank.
This resource would be very useful for chemists,
biologists and basically everyone who has to work with pure substances. It has
replaced my old merck index as it is easier to use as long as you have an
internet connection.
It is free and does not require registering, although
this option is available. It doesn’t have advertisment, banners or pop-ups.
Not that it really matters but it is aesthetically
dull and I was expecting something more dynamic, specially regarding the
graphics.
Overall, I highly recommed this site for its accuracy
and simplicity.
http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/