Biokeemias

Biokeemias is an interdisciplinary concept that denotes the chemical dimension of living systems and the ways biology and chemistry intersect to govern function and form. The term has been used in various ways since the late 20th century, but it is not uniformly defined. In some usages, biokeemias is a broad umbrella for chemical biology, metabolomics, and systems chemistry, emphasizing linkages between molecular interactions and cellular phenotypes. In other contexts, it appears in speculative or theoretical discussions to describe emergent chemical properties of life or novel biosynthetic capabilities beyond conventional biochemistry.

The scope typically includes the study of metabolic pathways, signaling molecules, enzyme–substrate networks, and the chemical ecology of organisms. Researchers employ analytical techniques such as mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and chromatography, together with computational modeling, kinetic analyses, and data integration across omics platforms. Experimental models range from isolated enzymes and cell cultures to whole organisms and environmental samples.

Applications span drug discovery, metabolic engineering, environmental monitoring, and biomarker discovery. Biokeemias also faces methodological and terminological challenges, including overlap with established disciplines and potential ambiguity in definitions. Critics argue that the term can obscure clarity if not clearly delineated from biochemistry, chemical biology, and metabolomics. Proponents counter that it highlights the unified chemical basis of biological function. Related areas include biochemistry, chemical biology, metabolomics, and systems biology.