Technology | 27
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ver thought about the way medications are made? A chemical plant, laden with stainless-steel columns; endless, snaking pipes and voluminous reactors, producing vast quantities of drugs — pharmaceuticals are largely mass-produced in this manner. But what if these incredibly complex molecules could be made on a small-scale, anytime and anywhere in the world?
Farming Pharmaceuticals: A Small-Scale Solution to the Industry's Big Problem
GRAPHIC BY PIXABAY
BY CAMERON YOUNG, CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, 2021
A team of chemists from the University of Glasgow in Scotland recently announced the success of their robotic, chemical printer, or “chemputer,” which was able to accurately synthesize three mass-produced drugs at a lightning pace. The machine looks like any organic chemistry student’s worst nightmare, comprised of many flasks, tubes, valves, distillation columns, and micro-reactors, which allow it to perform infinite combinations of controlled, chemical processes. Through instruction by a central processing unit, or “chempiler,” the device is theoretically able to replicate the synthesis of any organic molecule. Additionally, recipes can be saved, shared, and replicated by others through the use of a universal chemical language. Computer puns aside, this device could prove to be a major innovation in the pharmaceutical industry and revolutionize rural health care. The organic synthesis of drugs is currently one of the most expensive and labor-intensive processes in manufacturing. Often, pharmaceuticals are produced in large, batch processes that result in costly excess products, unused reagents, and gallons of waste. By controlling these syntheses on a finite scale, the “chemputer” promises to reduce waste produced by large-scale operations, providing consumers with personalized dosages in exact amounts. In a clinical setting, the “chemputer” could dramatically alter medicine across the globe. Frequently, doctors in rural areas have a very limited selection of pharmaceuticals, without access to ones which may be necessary for treating their patients. With this new device and access to an open source library of recipes, clinicians could print the exact drug in the amount required anytime or anywhere in the world. Although this device is still in the prototype phase, results are promising. But with every success comes a new challenge: finding a way to scale up production and distribute the device across the globe, changing the way pharmaceuticals are produced for good. American Association for the Advancement of Science (2018). DOI: 10.1126/science.aav2211
Monitoring from Above: How NASA's A ARIA program aids in fighting California's wildfires BY CAITY FORGEY, BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE, 2020
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hroughout the summer and early fall months of 2018, wildfires ravaged through over one million acres of California land. The two main wildfires were the Woolsey Fire and the Camp Fire, which devastated PHOTO the Los Angeles area and BY PIXABAY the northern California area, respectively. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the United States Forest Service annual event statistics, this fire season was the deadliest on record, with 104 known deaths, six of whom were firefighters. The Camp Fire, which made headlines when it demolished the majority of the town of Paradise, is considered the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in the entire history of California. With the intention of helping to control the reach of wildfires and other natural disasters, California Institute of Technology partnered with the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory to develop the Advanced Rapid Imaging and Analysis program (ARIA).
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ARIA gathers information from satellites to gauge This fire season changes in the Earth’s surface. These surface changes are was the deadliest used to create maps of areas on record, with being affected by natural disasters that can be updated 104 known deaths, almost instantly to reflect real-time changes. The 6 of whom were program works by gathering information using GPS and firefighters.” synthetic aperture radar (SAR) from satellites already in orbit. ARIA compiles and processes this information to create maps that highlight surface changes in warm scale colors. Areas highlighted in yellow show mild changes, orange show moderate changes, and red show extreme changes. These maps are used to plan relief efforts for a number of natural disasters from hurricanes and earthquakes to volcanic explosions and even wildfires. When the California wildfires were raging out of control, ARIA stepped in to help monitor the spread of the wildfires throughout the northern California and Los Angeles areas. Based on the satellite images and damage maps provided by ARIA, the areas with the most property damage or loss of wildlife and areas at high risk of damage were identified. With ARIA’s help, firefighters and volunteers were able to focus their efforts on these areas to save as many lives and acres as possible. DESIGN BY YECHAN YANG, PSYCHOLOGY, 2022
