By offering access to an expansive collection of high-quality, trusted historical research articles, the ACS Legacy Archives opens the door to even more insights that could hold the key to your next breakthrough.
When it comes to scientific research, the spotlight often shines brightest on the latest findings. But what if the key to tomorrow’s breakthrough is hidden in research conducted decades ago?
Well, that is very often precisely the case. Groundbreaking discoveries do often depend on insights buried in older studies—insights that are no longer in the headlines but are applied in new ways to change the world for the better.
Take, for instance, the development of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) for muscular dystrophy (MD), a promising treatment option that offers new hope to the 20,000 people diagnosed with MD every year. This breakthrough resulted directly from decades-old research, as demonstrated by the references in patents of the global biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies leading the charge against MD.
For example, in a 2020 patent application detailing novel approaches to ASO-mediated exon-skipping, BioMarin cited an article published in Biochemistry in 1995. In 2024, another patent filed this time by Sarepta focusing on enhanced ASO design cited another Biochemistry article published even earlier, in 1993. Without access to the insights buried in these legacy research papers, crucial pieces of the MD treatment puzzle could have been missed, potentially delaying the development of ASO-based therapies.
The reliance on historical studies isn’t unique to the fight against MD, either. Research published in The Journal of Organic Chemistry from 1988 was foundational for recent advancements in cleaner and more efficient epoxide production processes, as reflected in the patent’s reference list. Research published in Inorganic Chemistry and the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry in the '80s and '90s were also instrumental in improving the safety of pharmaceutical contrast media formulations used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, as evidenced by their citations in a patent filed in 2019.
Across every scientific discipline, it’s clear that yesterday’s studies continue to spark today’s innovations. Yet, this treasure trove of knowledge often goes untapped as researchers face pressure to focus on the newest findings, with many forgetting the value contained within older publications.
Old Findings, New Frontiers: A Legacy Worth Preserving
This is where the ACS Legacy Archives comes in. By offering access to an expansive collection of high-quality, trusted historical research articles, the ACS Legacy Archives opens the door to even more insights that could hold the key to your next breakthrough.
Spanning more than a century of research, the ACS Legacy Archives contains over 460,000 articles documenting groundbreaking discoveries that have shaped modern technology. Today, this archive is consulted by top institutions and companies across biotech and pharma, agriculture and food, chemical manufacturing, and many other fields to fuel their innovation, with references to our historical publications frequently appearing in new patent applications, including those for some of today’s most prescribed drugs.
Available through a licensed organizational subscription or by purchase, access to the ACS Legacy Archives allows you to:
- Save time and resources: immediate access to full-text articles, and a single search tool with enhanced discoverability and full-text searching, making it easier than ever to locate important journal data. Now you can recoup time lost to hunting for elusive full-text articles, and focus on accelerating your discovery.
- Ensure security: An organizational subscription to or purchase of the ACS Legacy Archives eliminates the need to turn to untrusted questionable content sources that litter the internet, which reduces the risks of viruses, malware, and copyright infringement.
- Access trusted content: Our meticulously maintained content collections ensure access to reliable, up-to-date articles, including corrections and retractions, so you can be confident in the relevance of what you read.
Are you ready to accelerate your discovery with the ACS Legacy Archives?
Connect with a wealth of peer-reviewed legacy research that continues to drive scientific progress. Discover more about the ACS Legacy Archives today, and learn about the benefits of a licensed organizational subscription.