Intro
This tutorial is a quickstart guide showing how to create a SAR Slide around a query compound. We'll use a demo dataset BI HSD17B13 Dataset and walk you through the steps required to generate SAR Reports, explain the results obtained, and fine tune them.
In case you have not done so, you might want to follow the first tutorial explaining how to upload and configure a dataset, which is a pre-requisite to create SAR Reports.
Step 1 - Dataset and compound selection
- From the home page of the application, click on “SAR Slide” and select “New SAR Slide”.
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- Select the BI HSD17B13 Dataset on the top right of the modal window.
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- Pick compound 34 in the Query Structure select box (you can type-in the value to avoid scrolling). You should reach the following state:
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A companion tutorial is available to show you how Analyse SAR Around a Scaffold
You may also be interested in reading more about compound suggestions, that will not be covered in this tutorial.
Click on the Generate SAR Slide button.
Step 2 - Explore SAR.
You should reach the following page, showing the main SAR Slides canvas with your query compound shown on the center, and a left panel enabling you to explore SAR and fine tune the visuals.
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Loading fragment transformations
On the right pane, you can see your query molecule depicted with directional arrows.
These arrows represent positions where at least one transformation exists within the dataset. When hovering on a fragment or an arrow, the part that has existing transformation is highlighted in green.

- Hover your mouse on the difluorophenol moiety, and then click on it. A gallery of fragments should appear on the main canvas:
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This floating bubble (we'll call these galleries) pointing to the transformed atoms shows, by default, 8 fragments arranged in a grid.
Since we are in a matched molecular pairs context, each fragment corresponds to a single transformation compared to your query molecule, and represent a single molecule. They are ordered by default based on main endpoint values.
The distribution of your main endpoint across all MMPs is displayed as an histogram on the top left corner of each gallery. It enables you to immediately assess whether the SAR at that position is flat or biased towards actives / inactives.
Note that the query fragment will always be present and highlighted in stronger background color for easier identification:
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In this quick start tutorial, the query fragment is at the first position, which means that for this substitution point, there is no existing transformation that improves the main activity, given the common core.
Step 3 - Fine tune visualizations
Let's see what effects these transformation have on other properties of interest.
- Switch to the Endpoints tab in the current SAR Slide settings panel that should be opened on the right hand side of the screen:
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- In the Fragment Sorting section, Change the property used to sort fragments to Stability in Hepatocytes QH h%.
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- Select extra properties to display in each bubbles as follows:
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The SAR Slide should be updated accordingly:
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Few things that are worth noting here:
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Our query fragment is now the last entry. It means that all other visible fragments that are visible in the gallery shows greater values for the Stability in Hepatocytes QH h% property.
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A limited number of fragments is displayed in each gallery, and the query fragment is always present. When many transformation exist, there may be gaps between your query fragment and other fragment shown in the gallery. In this example, there is actually one molecule (see the +1 bellow) between query compound 34 and compound 27, and 8 others following your query molecule.

All the properties are now shown according to the order they are reported in the list on the settings panel. You can rearrange the order by drag and dropping the properties in new position on the list itself.
Cherry-pick Gallery Content
By default the application shows 8 compounds per gallery, 7 matched molecular pairs and the base compound. We will change the content with the intent of showing fluorophenyl derivatives.
You can easily change the number of fragments displayed by drag and dropping the edges of each gallery. You can also quickly increase or decrease image size by drag and dropping the corners of each gallery.
- For the pink gallery, click on "Selection" button on the top right corner of the gallery itself.
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It will open a modal window showing all transformation existing at that specific position:

In this window, we show all fragments known to be a replacement for our query fragment within the dataset. It means that each entry here represents a molecule.
Fragments shown in the gallery are those selected in blue; fragment of the query is always selected and colored in yellow.
In here you can manually click on the compounds you want to show by selecting or unselecting them from the gallery.
- Let's add a Substructure Filter filter (first available in the filter panel) and draw a fluorophenyl ring.

Once you have added your benzene ring and an extra bond, hover on the terminal carbon atom and press F. It should replace the carbon by a fluorine. Using the keyboard is usually faster than clicking around.
- Apply your filter; you will see that the fragment gallery has been filtered down to fluorophenyl derivatives.

You'll notive that a yellow warning is shown at the top. The application lets you know that some of the fragments previously selected do not match the substructure filter you just defined.
- Go ahead and press the "Unselect All Filtered Out Fragments" text in the yellow area and then press the "Select All Filtered" button on the top right of the screen. You should end up here:

- Press "Apply Changes". You will see the changes applied to the pink gallery.
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Saving your SAR Report
By default, your latest SAR Report is saved as a browser session and will therefore disappear when you create a new SAR Report.
You can choose to persist your analysis by clicking on the Save button at the top right area of the application.
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You'll be prompted for a name and a description, and you can then proceed with saving.

Once saved, your SAR Report will be attached to the dataset and appear in your recent items in the home page and listed in your project items.
You have successfully created and personalized your first SAR Slide!
The image you generated is ready to be used in your presentations.
