Natural product and material chemistries--separated forever?

Chemistry research is an eloquent, yet extremely complex discipline consisting of a diverse range of topics. The complexity of every sub-discipline requires extensive focus, which can limit cross-talk between fields, thus leading to their isolation. In particular, natural product and material chemistries have experienced this trend, and it has led to an ever growing separation between them. Yet by looking at the fundamental aspect of the relationship between molecular design and the resulting properties, it is possible to remind chemists of their ability to bridge these research areas. It is intradisciplinary collaborations that can provide a path toward collectively addressing the many challenges of chemistry.