The goal of fundamental science at the interface of chemical sciences and biology is to understand life in chemical terms. Our ability to accomplish the translation of biology into chemical terms is closely related to our fundamental understanding of life’s machinery. Decoding these mysteries and producing a detailed molecular picture of how things work is a critical step. However, for most people, the real impact comes when we can use that understanding to improve our lives. Nowhere has the role of chemical sciences been better illustrated than in the discovery, development, and production of new medicines and ways in which we can more selectively deliver these medicines to the organ or tissue where they are needed. This fundamental understanding of what chemical transformations occur in living creatures, how these chemical transformations are regulated, and how they respond to extracellular stimuli is also critical to developing semisynthetic tissues and organs as replacements for damaged organs, to gene therapy, and to solving a host of clinical problems. In addition, these chemical tools will provide the basis for improvements in the productivity of agriculture in both animal and plant production systems. Most directly, advances in the chemical sciences will be essential for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease.

The mechanisms of life are revealed when we understand their molecular details. Moreover, molecular understanding of biology plays the major role in