Chemical Biology aims to leverage the tools and principles of chemistry to understand complex biological systems at the molecular level. Current research efforts span the fields of cell biology, cancer biology, medicine, synthetic biology, genomics, and materials science.
Novel chemical tools and technologies developed at the interface of chemistry and biology are enabling unprecedented understanding of biological function and regulation, as well as opportunities for the creation of translational technologies and molecules in medicine, materials, and energy. Students researching in chemical biology at the University of Chicago are cross-trained, through course work and research, in a range of fields including synthesis, molecular biology, biophysics, molecular-imaging, genomics, proteomics, cell biology, and molecular evolution. This training enables our students and faculty to develop new concepts and principles for understanding biological phenomena, to invent new molecular probes ranging from small molecules to genetic circuits, and to study biological systems at the single-molecule, cellular, and organismal level. Through close collaboration with researchers in the medical school and the other affiliated Institutes, chemical biologists combine expertise in the physical and biological sciences to uphold a strong tradition of interdisciplinary research at UChicago.
