Chemical biology and biological chemistry

Chemical biology and biological chemistry spans the fields of chemistry and biology, applying chemical techniques to the study of biological systems, and utilising those systems for new functions.

Our Department is internationally competitive across a broad range of topics at the chemistry-biology interface:

• Biocatalysis uses natural catalysts, such as enzymes, to carry out chemical transformations.
• Biosynthesis is the production of complex compounds in living organisms.
• Synthetic biology creates biological devices for useful purposes.
• Metabolomics and proteomics are the study of chemical processes involving metabolites in cells, and of the structure and function of proteins, respectively.
• Computational modelling and simulation over a range of scales provides fundamental information about biomolecules.

Our research in chemical biology also helps to address societal challenges such as life and health, sustainability and problems related to the energy and environment.

The Department is home to a number of research centres and our staff work in various research institutes.

The Department houses a range of outstanding facilities, benefiting both our students and research activities.