Molecules to Medicine
High school students explored how pharmaceuticals are built, tested, and discovered in the lab at Molecules to Medicine, a summer camp hosted by Wabash Chemistry.
On Tuesday, the rising high school sophomores and juniors participated in two labs. The first studied in vitro drug screening and enzymes.
Students suit up in rubber gloves and protective eyewear for an afternoon in the lab.
Students tested five compounds for their ability to inhibit the enzyme acid phosphatase. These enzymes play a role in various biological processes, including immune defenses and pathogen clearance.
Students observed and timed the chemical reactions created by each compound's introduction to the enzyme and recorded their data.
Students attentively watch the clock, timing the rate of each chemical reaction.
Associate professor of biology Erika Sorensen-Kamakian assists as a student prepares a sample.
Lab partners watch for a chemical reaction.
William J. and Wilma M. Haines Professor of Chemistry Walter R.P. Novak, Ph.D. checks in with two students as they share their findings.
Lab partners pipet salycilic acid into their sample, observing the inhibition of the enzyme.
Students focus as they administer inhibitors into organized columns in their the sample box.