This set of themes and skills in the context of the common general mission of the Institute allows the ICB to occupy a particular position with regard to national research structures and, at the same time, to create the optimal conditions for maximizing the knowledge achievable from the study of a given phenomenon or system.

They indeed allow an analysis at various levels of complexity, from different points of view and directed to the widest spectrum of possible applications, ranging from the pure acquisition of knowledge on the analysed systems (basic research, "curiosity-driven") the development of applications in fields of high social utility and with considerable potential economic impact, including:

• Health (development of new active ingredients, understanding of physiological and pathological mechanisms);
• Energy (development of bio-fuels or, more generally, renewable biological resources for energy production);
• Environment (understanding and contrasting biological invasion phenomena by alien species, reuse of potentially polluting industrial waste);
• Agri-food industry (study and improvement of species of food interest, extraction and characterization of active ingredients with application to nutraceuticals or cosmetics, identification of eco-sustainable pesticides);
• Cultural heritage (innovative methods with low environmental impact for the protection of cultural and landscape heritage);
• The materials and specialist chemistry sector at the service of sustainable development and technological innovation.