Chemistry for the Future: Human Health

Oxford University

It was here in Oxford, in the 1600s, that great minds such as Hooke, Boyle, Willis and Wren laid the foundations of modern experimental science. Like their famous forebears, today's Oxford scientists continue to undertake world-leading research: making fundamental new discoveries and applying cutting-edge knowledge to the major societal and technological challenges of the day. The research happening right now in the Department of Chemistry is uniquely poised to have a major impact on everything from our health to our energy sources - in other words, it is enabling our shared future. To read more about our research, please visit http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/researchthemes.asp.

This series explores the interdisciplinary interface between chemistry and human health. From using lasers to study cell membranes, to synthesizing anti-cancer drugs, the research explored in these podcasts will help us to be healthier and happier in future.

For more information regarding the science discussed in these podcasts, please visit the following websites:

Donohoe Group: http://donohoe.chem.ox.ac.uk/

Dr Emily Flashman: http://research.chem.ox.ac.uk/emily-flashman.aspx

Schofield Group: http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/oc/cjschofield/

Wallace Group: http://wallace.chem.ox.ac.uk/

NMR: http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/spectroscopy/nmr/

Synthesis: http://oxsync.chem.ox.ac.uk/

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9 episodes
Updated Jan 16, 2015

Episodes9

Newest first

Jan 16, 2015 · 2 min
How can eating chocolate teach us about chemistry? Celebrating the Year of Crystallography
A film produced as part of the Oxford Open Doors 2014 which examines some interesting research at Oxford Chemistry with some thoughts from the general public. With Professors Chris Schofield (FRS) & Richard Cooper (Chemical Crystallography), Oxford University, and Charlotte Richards, Cancer Research UK.
Jan 16, 2015 · 2 min
Can we starve tumours? Oxford Chemistry joins Cancer Research UK in the fight for the cure
A film produced as part of the Oxford Open Doors 2014, reflecting on some of the exciting cancer research being undertaken in the Oxford Chemistry Department. With Professor Chris Schofield, Oxford University, and Charlotte Richards, Cancer Research UK.
Jul 19, 2013 · 2 min
Conclusion: How Chemistry Research Impacts Human Health
Wrapping up this series on human health, Dr Emily Flashman talks about her work studying the mechanisms by which our bodies respond to low levels of oxygen. She discusses why she finds the interface of chemistry and human health an exciting and rewarding area of research.
Jul 19, 2013 · 4 min
Practical Uses of NMR: Exploring Enzymes to Fight Disease
The mutant enzymes that cause disease in our bodies can be combated by chemical inhibitors if we understand how these molecules are interacting. Dr Ivanhoe Leung shows how Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) can be used to study enzymes in three critical ways.
Jul 19, 2013 · 5 min
Lasers, Cell Membranes, and the Basis of Life
Being a chemist doesn't have to mean giving up on biology and physics. Dr Mark Wallace and postdoc Dr Matt Baker use lasers, fluorescent tagging, and other interdisciplinary techniques to study cell membrane interactions and better understand their function in infection and disease.
Jul 19, 2013 · 7 min
Synthesizing Anti-Cancer Drugs from Nature
Chemicals found in nature can have incredibly useful functionality, including anti-malarial and anti-cancer properties. However, they are usually found in small amounts. Chris Jones, a DPhil student in the Donohoe Group, is synthesizing naturally occurring molecules in the lab so they can be used as drugs on a larger scale.
Jul 19, 2013 · 9 min
3D Printing and The Structure of Proteins
Using 3D printed molecules, Rok Sekirnik, a DPhil student in the emerging field of chemical biology, shows how protein structures can be determined in some of the Department's most distinctive looking labs.
Jul 19, 2013 · 8 min
Epigenetics and New Anti-Cancer Treatments
At the interface of chemistry, biology, and medicine, Cyrille Thinnes, a DPhil student in the Schofield Group, shares his research into the next generation of anti-cancer treatments.
Jul 19, 2013 · 2 min
Introduction: How Chemistry Research Impacts Human Health
To truly understand disease, we need to understand the underlying chemical processes that direct human biology. Dr Emily Flashman introduces some of the research in the Department of Chemistry that will help improve our health in future.