Chemistry
Chemistry is life. Atoms and molecules—their nature and how they interact—are the foundation for everything we are and everything we know. At Scripps Research, we explore the atomic world to understand the structure and behavior of these molecules. Working at the intersection of chemistry, physics and biology, we educate the next generation of leaders in interdisciplinary science and bridge basic and applied research to translate foundational discoveries into new medicines and other solutions to pressing human needs.
The Scripps Research Department of Chemistry seeks to understand matter, create new forms of matter and translate new discoveries into useful products. Scripps Research chemists have pioneered many advances in chemical synthesis, chemical biology and medicinal chemistry, three critical areas central to biomedical research. These advances include the creation of powerful new tools for drug discovery, such as the development of “click” chemistry and new methods in organic synthesis that speed the discovery and manufacturing of new drugs.
The department focuses on several research areas, including:
- Searching for new therapies for diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative disorders, HIV-AIDS and other viral diseases, and tuberculosis and other bacterial infections
- Developing new technologies for RNA evolution, DNA sequencing, nanomedicine and stem cell research
- Creating state-of-the-art tools to design, synthesize and evaluate new functional molecules for specific applications
- Synthesizing natural products and their designed analogs, as well as natural product discovery and biosynthesis