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What is Molecular Recognition?

Molecular recognition is the phenomenon responsible for binding of an enzyme to a substrate, of a medicinal drug to a biological target, and of two complementary DNA strands together (among many others). It occurs when two molecules are both geometrically and electronically complementary, that is, when they can both "fit together", as well as bind to each other using non-covalent forces ("lock-and-key"). Some of these non-covalent forces include hydrogen bonds, electrostatic interactions, hydrophobic interactions and weak metal coordination. The study of molecular recognition is central to the field of supramolecular chemistry, and is extremely important for drug design in the pharmaceutical industry.