Chemistry vs. bacteria, # 21. Still no kilo available
Because of war conditions, Florey doesn’t succeed in securing more money or means for his project of scaling up penicillin production. He thinks that for the time being, having one kilo at hand would satisfy all his needs. He will have to use 5.000 m3 of fermentation broth in order to produce that. There is
Chemistry vs. bacteria, # 20. Scaling up
Often, because of shortages of penicillin, the Oxford team has to suspend or modify its animal tests or clinical programs. Shortages not always overcome by penicillin recovered from urine. War conditions force them to improvise a lot. Much transportation is done by bike, often in the dark with very little illumination. Project ‘100 years of
Meat alternatives on the rise
Around the world, meat consumption is on the rise. People eat more meat as they become more affluent. But meat alternatives are becoming popular. They are fashionable; and their environmental footprint is much lower than that of meat. Moreover, their quality is becoming better. Will they contribute to reaching the goals of climate policy? We
Chemistry vs. bacteria, # 19. The battle of Britain
In April and May 1940, the Oxford team tests its brown powder on cats, rabbits, rats, mice and other animals. The animals stay healthy. They also discover that injection is the best way of administering the drug. If it is swallowed, the functionality disappears in the stomach. But they also observe that the medicine’s activity
Chemistry vs. bacteria, # 18. Penicillin beats the sulfas!
Four major questions dominated the Oxford research on penicillin. We review them in good order. 1. How do we grow as much mould as possible, while maximizing penicillin production? 2. Which harmful bacteria will be attacked by penicillin? 3. Are there any harmful effects of penicillin on the body? 4. What is the chemical structure
Bioweapons and super soldiers, genetic technology for warfare
The Conversation recently devoted attention to the opportunities of genetic technology for warfare. Sure, there are international agreements overseeing (and restricting) such opportunities. But technology evolves all the time. Nations tend to explore the edges of what’s allowed, so we need to update the agreements. International agreements The UN Biological Weapons Convention oversees the opportunities
on: 3 June 2021