Articles by Sean
Medicinal Chemistry: Lead Discovery and Identification
Medicinal chemistry lays the foundation for the drug discovery process, with the first steps being lead discovery and identification. A strong lead compound increases the chances of a pharmaceutical company developing a strong drug candidate, with better chances of success later on. However, choosing a compound from a library of thousands can be tricky. We look at ways to identify initial compounds, how to compare their activity as well as the properties of promising drug candidates. […]
How News Outlets and Social Media Stretch the Scientific Truth
What’s more dangerous than outright pseudoscience? The exaggeration of scientific truth by otherwise reliable sources, possibly. Oftentimes, news outlets and social media users don’t intend to mislead their followers, but rather can be a tad too eager to share the latest ‘scientific’ news. But once such information is released onto the internet, it becomes extremely difficult to reverse the damage. We take a look at some case studies that serve to highlight this pressing issue. […]
How to Get on the Road to Research
So you’ve made up your mind, you’re going to start a graduate research project! You’ve secured a position doing amazing work in your field, met your group members and settled down in your exciting new environment. Now the real fun begins, in which you try to make your mark in academia. But where do you begin? Entering the world of research for the first time can be a daunting process, with challenging problems that need to be solved in spite of time and resource constraints. It’s definitely not for everyone, but for many it is a rewarding and beneficial experience. [...]
New Ebola Drugs Signal End for Deadly Virus
A major milestone in drug discovery and development was achieved in the summer of 2019. Two drug candidates developed to combat the Ebola epidemic in Africa – REGN-EB3 and mAb114 – produced remarkable results in clinical trials, effectively neutralizing the virus overnight. Years of research culminated in an understanding of the ebolavirus and the development of effective drugs against it. But their work isn’t over, as many challenges stand in the way of a full cure to the deadly virus. […]
pH 7 or pH 10? The Benefits of Alkaline Water
Fancy some pH 10 alkaline water? What about pH 14? Trips to the mall these days are often accompanied by the constant promotion of ionized or alkaline water and its supposed benefits. Worryingly, the trend isn’t going away, which means this absurd marketing ploy is working. In reality, the manufacturer’s bottom line is the only benefit of alkaline water, and we’ll expose the pseudoscience behind it in this article. […]
Sean is a consultant for clients in the pharmaceutical industry and is a lecturer at a local university, where unfortunate undergrads are subject to his ramblings on chemistry and pharmacology.
