Through modification, the natural cyclodextrins are effective templates for the generation of a wide range of molecular hosts. This makes it possible to tailor a cyclodextrin host to a particular guest, to meet specific requirements in the host-guest complex, and opens the way to diverse new areas of supramolecular chemistry. Metallocyclodextrins, rotaxanes and catenanes, as well as surface monolayers of modified cyclodextrins, are readily obtained. The native cyclodextrins serve as scaffolds on which functional groups and other substituents can be assembled, with controlled geometry. This results in substantially improved molecular recognition and procedures for chemical separation, including enantiomer discrimination, through guest binding. Access to the gamut of functional groups greatly expands the utility of cyclodextrins in chemical synthesis and provides catalysts which mimic the entire range of enzymic activity. Modifications to the cyclodextrins also lead to a wide range of photochemistry of cyclodextrin complexes, through which the enhancement of guest reactivity occurs; in addition, light harvesting molecular devices and photochemical frequency switches may be constructed. In solution, modified cyclodextrins have been used to construct molecular reactors, as well as molecular, temperature and pH sensors. At surfaces, they form semipermeable membranes and sensor electrodes. Such exciting fields of chemistry, made possible only through modifications to the natural cyclodextrins.

The adjuvants includes a class of synthetic peptide molecules that are distinguished by their ability to both target and stimulate specific immune system cells that are crucial in eliciting effective responses against certain diseases. For example, by linking viral or tumor associated antigens (components or subunits) of the target disease agent to a molecular adjuvant that binds to complement receptors, it is possible to deliver the antigen directly to dendritic cells and other antigen-presenting cells that are instrumental in eliciting therapeutic responses.

Molecular biology is the study of biology at a molecular level. This field overlaps with other areas of biology, particularly with genetics and biochemistry. Molecular biology chiefly concerns itself with understanding the interactions between the various systems of a cell, including the interrelationship of DNA, RNA & protein synthesis and learning how these interactions are regulated. Molecular biology is the study of molecular underpinnings of the process of replication, transcription and translation of the genetic material. The central dogma of molecular biology where genetic material is transcribed into RNA and then translated into protein, despite being an oversimplified picture of molecular biology, still provides a good starting point for understanding the field. This picture, however, is undergoing revision in light of emerging novel roles for RNA. Much of the work in molecular biology is quantitative, and recently much work has been done at the interface of molecular biology & computer science in bioinformatics & computational biology. As of the early 2000s, the study of gene structure & function, molecular genetics, has been amongst the most prominent sub-field of molecular biology.

Molecular Design provides an easy-to-read introduction to the principles and concepts of computer-assisted drug discovery. Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD) is a specialized discipline that uses computational methods to simulate drug-receptor interactions. CADD methods are heavily dependent on bioinformatics tools, applications and databases. As such, there is considerable overlap in CADD research and bioinformatics. Molecular models of drug compounds can reveal intricate, atomic scale binding properties that are difficult to envision in any other way. When we show researchers new molecular models of their putative drug compounds, their protein targets and how the two bind together, they often come up with new ideas on how to modify the drug compounds for an improved fit. This is an intangible benefit that can help design research programs.

Molecular modeling is a technique for the investigation of molecular structures and properties using computational chemistry & graphical visualization techniques in order to provide a plausible three-dimensional representation under a given set of circumstances. Molecular modeling applications use falls into two broad categories, interactive visualization & computational analyses. Three of the most prominent uses of modern molecular modeling applications are structure analysis, homology modeling & docking. Objective modeling revolves around three different approaches (each based on different underlying physical & chemical theories), molecular dynamics, molecular mechanics & quantum mechanics. All of these are concerned with developing a unique solution to what is referred to as the protein folding problem - designing & testing algorithms and applications that will reliably predict 3-D structured from a primary sequence.