Nobel Centennial Symposia
"Frontiers of Molecular Science"

December 4-7, 2001
Friiberghs Manor, Örsundsbro and Stockholm University

 

Functional Molecules: A Lesson from Nature

by Peter G. Schultz
Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation

Living organisms are remarkable in their ability to generate complex structures with functions ranging from gene regulation and the immune response to photosynthesis and catalysis. The machinery of the cell when combined with the tools and principles of chemistry, can be used to create molecules and assemblies of molecules with properties not yet found in nature. A number of such examples of the synergistic use of biology and chemistry will be discussed ranging from the generation of selective biological catalysts and organisms with expanded genetic codes to genomics, drug discovery and materials science.