Researchers at Northwestern University have devised a database, Chematica, of documented chemical compounds and their corresponding chemical reactions. The system "can explore billions and billions of possible syntheses in a fraction of a second and can then choose the one that is most economical, is most environment-friendly or involves only popular (i.e., easy to purchase) chemicals. It is like a chemical Google on steroids," said Bartosz Grzybowski of Northwestern in a recent interview.