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Chemical insight into biological function is the holy grail of structural biology. Small molecules are central players as building blocks, effectors and probes of macromolecular structure and function.
Chemical biology, broadly defined as the application of chemistry to the study of molecular events in biological systems, presents an opportunity for the reorganization and revitalization of the chemistry curriculum.
The growth of research at the chemistry-biology interface provides a unique opportunity to inspire undergraduate students to pursue careers in science and to educate science and nonscience students broadly in both chemical and biological sciences.
Chemical biologists studying natural-product pathways encoded in genomes have unearthed new chemistry and insights into the evolution of biologically active metabolites.
Small molecules have critical roles at all levels of biological complexity and yet remain orphans of the central dogma. Chemical biologists, working with small molecules, expand our understanding of these central elements of life.