Encoded self-assembling chemical libraries (ESACHEL)

A method of biopanning ligands specific for target molecule(s), said method comprising:

• contacting a mixture of a sub-library A of chemical compounds and a sub-library B of chemical compounds with target molecule(s), wherein the sub-library A comprises a first number of chemical compounds each comprising (i) a different chemical moiety (p) than other members of sub-library A and (ii) an oligonucleotide (b), or functional analogue thereof, which oligonucleotide (b) or functional analogue comprises a distinctive sequence tag (b2) coding for the identification of the chemical moiety (p) of its compound and a common self-assembly sequence (b1) capable of performing a combination reaction and of building stable combination reaction product(s) with a common self-assembly sequence (b1′) of at least one chemical compound of the sub-library B, wherein the sub-library B comprises a second number of chemical compounds each comprising (i) a different chemical moiety (q) than other members of sub-library B and (ii) an oligonucleotide (b′), or functional analogue thereof, which oligonucleotide (b′) or functional analogue comprises a distinctive sequence tag (b2′) coding for the identification of the chemical moiety (q) of its compound, and a common self-assembly sequence (b1′),
• wherein complex(es) of said stable combination reaction product(s) and said target molecule(s) form;
• physically separating the complex(es) from members of sub-library A and sub-library B and their stable combination reaction products which are not bound to target molecule(s);
• and
• determining the distinctive sequence tags (b2, b2′), respectively, of the sub-library A and sub-library B members bound to the complex(es), thereby identifying the chemical moiety (p) and/or the chemical moiety (q) of the stable combination reaction product(s) bound to the complex(es).