Kai Steffen Stroh

Abstract Mitochondria are essential organelles in eukaryotic cells, enclosed by two membranes with distinct compositions and functions. In addition to the endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria are major sites of cellular lipids production. Cardiolipin, for example, is exclusively synthesized in the mitochondrial inner membrane. This requires the precursor lipid phosphatidic acid to be imported from the endoplasmic reticulum to the mitochondrial outer membrane.

The development of novel chemical targets, such as in material design or drug candidates, has historically been based on a process of lead optimization, where initial (natural) molecules are selected and put through an iterative process of adaptation and testing to selectively improve key properties. (1) While this strategy produces more optimized solutions, only a minuscule fraction of the imaginable combinations is considered.