I'm supposed to be working on my IB Chem and History IA's.  But instead, I thought I'd share an essay I wrote on systems chemistry not too long ago. (P.S. WTP and RSI got mailed!)


The self-assembly of individual molecules into complex systems and structures is truly intriguing and a topic worthy of exploration.  And quite often, the result of such self-assembly is an emergent structure that has properties that are counter-intuitive or unexpected when analyzing just its isolated subcomponents.  Whereas the characteristics of a singular molecule are constrained by the number of bonds formed by the component atoms, structures composed of molecules do not seem to be as limited.  This enables, essentially, the whole to be greater than the sum of the parts.  How do weak intermolecular forces between molecules result in dimers, trimers, or other molecular aggregates?  More importantly, how do they determine the physiochemical properties of the resulting structures?  Conversely, how can we go about predicting the properties of structures just based on their individual components?  These questions I find are the most fascinating within the realms of system chemistry, for their answers would provide insight into the workings of the world around us and explain previously inexplicable phenomena.  This exciting new field has the potential to solve not only scientific problems, but social, medical, and historical ones as well.   By viewing chemical systems as a whole instead of isolating certain reactions, we gain deeper insight into the function of that system.  In thermodynamically or kinetically controlled systems, which I find the most fascinating, this is possible by collecting quantitative data regarding the macroscopic concentrations of the system to determine the microscopic properties of the constituents.  Answering these smaller questions will aid researchers in discovering the organizational principles that lay behind complex systems, allowing us to understand their mechanisms and perhaps to alter and recreate them.  This information could lead to the development of model biological networks which mimic the behavior of real biological systems, creating a useful tool for predicting their behavior.  This in turn could provide the answers to various biological problems, such as the origin of life and the mechanism of hemostasis, and lead to the development of new ways of manipulating biological systems, which I find to be a truly invigorating prospect.