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At ITbM, chemists, biologists and theoreticians are collaborating side by side to design, synthesize and evaluate new transformative bio-molecules, and to generate a new research area on the boundaries of chemistry and biology. By taking full advantage of our strengths, ITbM has been conducting 'needs-inspired' basic research and explored new research areas of "plant chemical biology", "Striga", "chemical chronobiology", and "chemistry-enabled live imaging" at the beginning of ITbM, "ITbM 1.0". Going forward with its mission/goal of developing transformative biomolecules, ITbM set the strategy "ITbM 2.0", and started the following challenges: "chemistry-enabled plant adaptation", "parasitic plants", "clock diseases", "chemistry-enabled bioimaging", "nanocarbon chemistry and biology", and "climate change resilience". These endeavors will address various social issues regarding the environment, food production, and medical technology.

ITbM has become a truly exciting and internationally visible institute where new interdisciplinary fields of research are emerging and new molecules are being born every day. Although some activities have been limited since FY2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our dream of changing the world with molecules is clearly bearing fruit. ITbM's challenge continues.