Industrial drug discovery teams encompass scientists from multiple specialties and require participants to communicate effectively across disciplinary boundaries. In this paper, we present an undergraduate or graduate classroom simulation of this environment. Over a series of five workshops, student teams of mixed scientific backgrounds perform…

Students in higher education have been shown to have difficulties in developing their critical thinking skills, such as analysis and problem solving, reasoning and argumentation. Open-ended tasks offer opportunities for students to develop their own interpretations of various sources, to critically analyse domain-specific knowledge and utilize…

The physical and chemical properties of Milk of Magnesia provide examples of chemical concepts and opportunities for investigative practical work for secondary chemistry students of all ages. Basing the lesson on the contents of that familiar blue bottle, which is probably lurking somewhere in a cupboard in most households, also showcases the role…

Potency assays of pharmaceutical products are designed to measure the amount of an active ingredient in a sample. They are important quality control tools for all medications, including intravenous (IV) admixture fluid bags which are commonly prepared by pharmacists in healthcare facilities via extemporaneous compounding. An interdisciplinary…

Access to higher education in Portugal is governed by a quota system (numerus clausus). The purpose of this article is to answer two questions: First, how does the "numerus clausus" system shape the demand for medical studies? Second, how do non-enrolled medical candidates influence the global allocation system and generate waves of…

During the last two decades, the rapid growth of biotechnology-derived techniques has led to a myriad of therapeutic recombinant monoclonal antibodies with significant clinical benefits. Recombinant monoclonal antibodies can be obtained from a number of natural sources such as animal cell cultures using recombinant DNA engineering. In contrast to…

This paper assesses the impact on the curricula of undergraduate programmes in Argentina of the quality assurance mechanism implemented by the National Commission for University Evaluation and Accreditation (CONEAU). The paper examines curricula changes in pharmacy, biochemistry and agriculture undergraduate programmes to show the major…

[beta]-lactamases are hydrolytic enzymes that inactivate the [beta]-lactam ring of antibiotics such as penicillins and cephalosporins. The major diversity of studies carried out until now have mainly focused on the characterization of [beta]-lactamases recovered among clinical isolates of Gram-positive staphylococci and Gram-negative…

Mendeleev's prediction of existence of the radioactive element, Polonium, and the discovery of iproniazid and its role in antidepressant therapy are presented. (BB)

This is a review of the pharmacological treatment of mental illnesses. Included topics are: schizophrenia, depression, mania, antipsychotic drugs, antidepressants, lithium, and ethics. (BB)

Arguments about the role of basic science courses in a pharmacy curriculum moving toward additional clinical instruction center around semantics, value judgments, and philosophy. Drug analysis can, however, provide a valuable service in the areas of drug detection and monitoring. (Author/LBH)

An experimental exercise on analytical proficiency studies in collaborative trials is proposed. This practical provides students in advanced undergraduate courses in chemistry, pharmacy, and biochemistry, with the opportunity to improve their quality assurance skills. It involves an environmental analysis, determining the concentration of a…

A brief review of the chemistry and pharmacology of aspirin and other nonprescription analgesics such as acetaminophen, phenacetin, and salicylamide. (BB)

Outlines advances in the microbial production of pharmaceuticals, including the manufacture of penicillin and other antibiotics, vitamins, hormones, alkaloids, antitumor drugs, and interferons. (CS)

Compares traditional and newer methods by which microorganisms are used to produce industrial chemicals. Includes a discussion of economic considerations and new genetic methods in programing microorganisms. Details methods for producing enzymes, aliphatic organic compounds, amino acids, ethanol, n-butanol, and alkene oxides. (CS)