Call for a Public Open Database of All Chemical Reactions

Abstract

Today there exists no public, freely downloadable, comprehensive database of all known chemical reactions and associated information. Such a database not only would serve chemical sciences and technologies around the world but also would enable the power of modern AI and machine learning methods to be unleashed on a host of fundamental problems. In time, this could lead to important scientific discoveries and economic developments for the benefit of humanity. While ideally such a repository ought to be created and maintained by an international consortium, in the near future, it may be easier to begin the process through governmental agencies such as the National Science Foundation or the National Institutes of Health. Working together, we could use a multipronged approach that could combine negotiations with commercial stakeholders, crowd-sourcing efforts, automated extraction methods, and legislative actions.