Compound management: guidelines for compound storage, provision, and quality control.

The scientific discipline of compound management has developed significantly over the last decade, as witnessed by the large number of conferences dedicated to this topic. The key elements of compound management include (1) the management, storage, and processing of both solids and liquids; (2) compound delivery and interface with key customers; (3) performance of instruments and automation that support these operations; (4) analytical techniques used for quality assurance; and (5) sample informatics, including registration, routing, and compound quality data. This article incorporates guidelines, best practices, and experimental protocols for these key aspects of compound management. Curr. Protoc. Chem. Biol. 3:141-152 © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.