ASKCOS: an open source software suite for synthesis planning
This provides a practical tool for medicinal, synthetic, and process chemists, though it is incremental as it packages existing research advances into an accessible software suite.
The authors developed ASKCOS, an open source software suite for computer-aided synthesis planning, integrating multiple retrosynthesis models and auxiliary modules to assist hundreds of chemists in practical tasks.
The advancement of machine learning and the availability of large-scale reaction datasets have accelerated the development of data-driven models for computer-aided synthesis planning (CASP) in the past decade. Here, we detail the newest version of ASKCOS, an open source software suite for synthesis planning that makes available several research advances in a freely available, practical tool. Four one-step retrosynthesis models form the basis of both interactive planning and automatic planning modes. Retrosynthetic planning is complemented by other modules for feasibility assessment and pathway evaluation, including reaction condition recommendation, reaction outcome prediction, and auxiliary capabilities such as solubility prediction and quantum mechanical descriptor prediction. ASKCOS has assisted hundreds of medicinal, synthetic, and process chemists in their day-to-day tasks, complementing expert decision making. It is our belief that CASP tools like ASKCOS are an important part of modern chemistry research, and that they offer ever-increasing utility and accessibility.