One of the most simple and yet surprising insights of modern science is that everything in the universe is made up of the same materials. Human beings, diamonds and stars all are composed of atoms and molecules, yet historically, research in chemistry has developed apart from research into basic biological processes. This spring, the University officially launched a graduate program in chemistry and chemical biology that will provide a chemical foundation for understanding complex biological processes at an atomic level. Already, the program is attracting new faculty and students with a unique focus on research and training opportunities in chemical biology.
Chemical biology has the potential to impact every single disease known.
What chemists do is study the system to get it down to where it's predictable. Understanding how molecules function is key. This understanding allows scientists to synthesize compounds to intervene in the spread of disease, as well as develop more effective technologies for diagnosis and prognosis. The power of this novel approach is just beginning to be tapped. Over the next couple of decades, as chemists work alongside biologists in basic and translational research at UCSF, a new chapter in the history of health sciences will be written-one that will give rise to new tools and treatments to diagnose and fight major diseases.