What is Biochemistry?

Mum, help! I need to make a presentation about what kind of work my parents do. I know you work with cells, but what is it that you do? Well, I’m a biochemist. And in my lab we’re - Wait, wait, wait.

Biochemistry? It sounds as if it’s Biology but also Chemistry? It’s actually a mix of both disciplines! Chemistry studies the structure and properties of atoms and simple molecules. Biology, on the other hand, is the study of life and living organisms.

Studying individual atoms is interesting, but things get even more exciting when these atoms interact, to create more complex, biological molecules — proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids. What’s so special about these? Well, when biological molecules come together and interact, the new molecules created, have unexpected properties — and together, they make up living organisms! That’s where biochemistry comes in. Biochemistry is a branch of science that studies molecules and chemical processes specifically within and related to, living organisms.

It focuses on what’s happening inside and around our cells — how the molecules interact to keep us alive. One of the fundamental processes that biochemists study, is how molecules move in and out of cells. Another is how genetic material in cells — the DNA — is transformed into proteins, and how different factors affect the production of proteins. Let’s get back to Philip’s mum, Dr Davina. She works in a biochemistry laboratory where she studies how proteins are produced in human cells.

Right now, she has her hands full! There is a global pandemic and the virus causing it is so new, scientists don’t know much about it at all. Dr Davina is using a special technique to see how human cells respond when they are infected with the virus. Does the virus change which proteins are produced in the human cell? Does it change the amount of proteins produced in those cells?

When she has the results, she will pass them on to other researchers, for example those developing treatments for the disease caused by the virus. Biochemists often work with scientists in other fields. Mum, this is really interesting! I think my classmates are gonna think that what you do is cool too!