Chemistry research at CMIR is focused on bringing the power of modern synthesis to bear on the development of molecular imaging agents. These agents are being developed to visualize specific molecular targets and pathways in live cells, tissues and organism (mouse to human). The specific aim of the chemistry groups is to a) synthesize new molecules, b) develop and use novel amplification schemes for the development of "next generation" agents, c) optimize pharmacokinetics and 'imagability' and d) efficiently synthesize large collections of complex and diverse small molecules and test their ability as imaging agents. Because of the iterative nature of the development process, we collaborate very closely with biologists and imaging experts at CMIR.