Investment
If you were to ask several life scientists to name a particular biochemical product that they simply could not do without, you'd probably get a myriad of answers that would mirror the research interests of the group you questioned. A molecular evolutionist trying to differentiate two closely related species of monkeys by restriction fragment-length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis might cite restriction enzymes, which can cut DNA into pieces of varying length. A cell biologist growing cells in culture would probably consider culture media and biological buffers crucial to his or her experiments. Gene mappers searching through the millions of bases in the human genome are likely to name products for sequencing, such as acrylamide for gels or electrophoresis buffer.
Although individual answers might differ, all would probably agree that their science could not progress without biochemicals, from those as basic as buffers to others as complex as DNA.
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