Biochemistry is a unique discipline because it sits at the interface between chemistry and biology and consequently it is an underpinning subject for many disciplines in the biological and biomedical sciences. Biochemistry is concerned with the study of the structure and function of the building blocks of life, that is proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleic acids, and how these various components work together in living organisms. Crucially, biochemists seek to provide mechanistic explanations for biological processes and ask questions about how things work, why they work and what happens when they don’t!   Moreover, biochemists developed many of the key quantitative and analytical technologies that are now used widely in the life and medical sciences. . All major pharmaceutical companies invest heavily in biochemistry to help aid their development of new drugs for cancer, infectious diseases and other pathological conditions. Biochemistry is also an essential component of biotechnology, where processes for the production of foods and fuels, and enzymes and other proteins are developed.