Category: Blog Entry 2 (Page 2 of 3)

I genuinely enjoyed doing the “Synthesis of Aspirin” lab. This was my first time creating a drug from scratch, which was a rather interesting experience. While Yina and I were working on the lab, we made sure that each measurement was absolutely perfect. Our goal was to see a beautiful orange color in the end with absolutely no trace of purple. Although we thought everything was incredibly accurate, our end result showed us that there was a super tiny bit of salicylic acid in our aspirin, which was evident by the small tint of purple in our solution.

This lab made me reflect on a couple of things we discussed throughout the semester – mainly experimental design, and how both trial & error and precise measurements are necessary in order to get proper end results. We spoke about how it took many years for the creation of aspirin to actually take place; there were numerous failed attempts, which is actually something that I witnessed myself. It’s crazy to think how scientists try over and over again until they get their desired outcome. I personally do not have the tenacity to restart an experiment hundreds of times, so I truly commend scientists for doing what they do. Overall, I would definitely try this lab a few more times, or at least until I get that perfect orange color to prove that I can create consumable aspirin.

The aspirin synthesis lab was very interesting to participate in. Aspirin is something I am very familiar with and it is one of those commodities we often take for granted, however this lab and the lesson we did learning about this healthcare innovation really opened my eye to the work that is put into creating quality medicine. I didn’t realize how delicate this process was, and that the tiniest of slip ups could result in there being salicylic acid in the aspirin, and that was not what we wanted. In my group we did everything as stated, or we thought we did, but there ended up being purple in the test tube when we tested it. This further proved how precise and exact this process needs to be and if not the repercussions are less than favorable. Drawing out the steps beforehand helped me to envision myself completing this lab and helped me to understand what we were doing and why it needed to be done. We could see the scientific method at work because there was a need observed and then experiment was done to satisfy that need. The results are that aspirin is now safe for consumption and do not pose further danger to the person when synthesized correctly.

The healthcare innovation project is my first time experimenting with 3D design tools and programs. Reflecting on all the workshops hosted by Maker Hub, I am realizing the progress the human race will be able to make after perfecting the process of 3D printing. Whereas the foundation for sustainable 3D printing has been developing for decades, we are now in the prime time where development is at its highest peak. Scientists are successfully printing medicine, organs and affecting many industries. As the operational efficiency of 3D printing increases and the operational cost decreases, 3D printing will be even more widespread and available to grass roots businesses rather than just large corporations. As I learn more about this fascinating innovation, I also ponder on the role of automation on human jobs. As technology advances, and the role of humans in factories decrease, are we creating our own route to unemployment? How will the employable job force sustain themselves in the future. In the face of large cross-industrial innovations in the past, humans have always adapted quickly in a dynamic environment and refined their own skills. However, automation is mainly attacking the jobs of unskilled workers. Soon that entire population will have to develop new skills in order to sustain themselves.

Doing an experiment in the lab on Wednesday was such an amazingly magical experience. I had not had much scientific background and knowledge, but I really got hooked on to this experiment of creating aspirin, especially yielding the right result at the end after being so confused the entire time. It was so interesting and eye-opening to see the color of our aspirin magically turning yellow and to witness how science is able to play a vital part in our lives.

Furthermore, I believed that we wouldn’t just have an experiment for fun. Indeed, it emphasized all the concepts that we had been introduced for the past few weeks, including following scientific methods of doing an experiment, collecting and analyzing data, and facing a series of scientific uncertainty. Throughout the experiment, we have been observing our surrounding and environment by familiarizing ourselves with different experimental felicities, collecting data by measuring the amount of distilled water and timing the process, and questioning each step while following the procedures at the same time. Obviously conducting a scientific experiment requires us to be emotionally prepared to face a series of difficulties, and due to the uncertainty, we will be able to motivate ourselves to get over the challenge and discover something meaningful.

In addition, this experiment also has significant impacts on both scientific projects that we are performing: BioBlitz and 3D printing. I learned the importance of collecting data and following the instruction in my BioBlitz project. On the other hand, for my 3D printing, this experiment of creating aspirin enhanced my understanding of the amazingness and significance of healthcare innovation. Therefore, it inspires me to actually put my effort and time into this innovation development that we have.

It was such a meaningful experiment, and I had lots of fun despite the fact that I was so confused throughout.

The Aspirin synthesis lab demonstrated to me how real healthcare innovations such as medicine are created. The creation of aspirin seemed like a very simple process. The process could be completed in about a half hour total. I was surprised by how well the process worked for everyone. The experiment was relatively safe except for the fumes and one of the chemicals.

It also helped provide some insight into what an application of the scientific process looks like for an actual scientist. In the example of the aspirin, the process would begin with the question or problem which is “how can we make salicylic acid not harmful to the stomach?” The next part of the process would be designing an experiment to answer this question. A hypothesis for this question would be “using acetic acid, we can turn the salicylic acid into a more helpful drug.”

Our class completed the experiment around 6 times total. I would imagine that when Aspirin was first created, they tested the experiment hundreds of times over to reproduce the results. The reproducibility of the experiment shows that the results are valid. I wonder how similar the current process of creating aspirin in factories is to the experiment that we did in class?

Aspirin is widely used since it can provide pain relief, act as a blood thinner, and reduce swelling. So when we had the chance to create it in the lab, I was intrigued to see how we could make something so important in a regular lab setting. Instantly, I felt like we were in Breaking Bad, except we were making a legal wonder drug. Having knowledge sense about the drug’s development history and the catalyst’s purpose allowed me to visualize why certain reactions occurred.

The vinegary vapors of the acetic anhydride was not kind to my nose, but working in the  fume hood prevented us from the exposure of more unfavorable fumes. Now I know why the fume hood got its name. The vacuum pipe suctioning the liquid from the aspirin was very impressive because it was so quick and efficient. I also wondered why the crystals did not dissolve in the water, but it was probably due to the low temperature after placing the flask in the ice bath.

Synthesizing aspirin helped me understand how precisely each step of the methodology must be followed in order to create effective aspirin and why in real drug development, it may take years to create a working drug. Even though we followed the methodology as best as we could, some of us did not produce pure aspirin, but salicylic acid. This implies that if just one step is ignored or not done properly, like not timing how long the flask should be in the beaker on the hotplate, the experiment may give unexpected results. However, since scientific results are shared with others and can be replicated continuously, as shown by this aspirin lab, it is possible to investigate why there is variation in results and how we can adjust it for favorable outcomes if the experiment was performed again.

While working on the Aspirin lab, I found that it was easy to incorporate what we have previously learned about the scientific method and data analysis. Following each step laid out in the procedure and using our own data skills and observations made the lab a much smoother process than if I was to go through the lab with no prior instruction or knowledge. It was extremely interesting to see how Aspirin, one of the most common household drug, is made. Seeing how to apply different elements, like heat and ice, can change different states of matter. Taking part in physically seeing how a liquid crystalized into a solid was exciting, despite a few panics about whether we were doing it right.

Relating this lab to my group’s BioBlitz project specifically correlates with the use of data analyzing and the scientific method. Like the lab, the BioBlitz project involves my group creating a lab report while also forming the skills and data from different source in order to apply data analyzation. Being able to take two different sources and finding their connection and forming a coherent relation between them was especially challenging and rewarding.

Overall, retaining these skills involving scientific data and the method has shown to apply to a number of different projects in this class as well as ones to come in the future.

The experience of synthesizing Aspirin in a lab setting this Wednesday left me with an altered impression of pharmaceuticals and a greater confidence. Dr. Greer had provided us with detailed instructions pertaining to the design of the experiment, measurements, procedure, everything we needed to know. I had pored over these instructions the day before and felt that even with figures given they were too vague for a liberal arts major to execute successfully. Surely such ventures are better left to precise machinery and experts. My attitude changed when Dr. Greer announced that those teams which were able to synthesize a purer form of aspirin would receive an extra five points for their lab work! Felix and I realized that failure is not an option, we wanted those five points and badly. The we understood was to be as precise as possible in measurements, timing, and execution of the experiment. We were the last in our class to finish separating the crystals and I nervously dropped a crystal in three separate test tubes as the optimistic Felix looked on. When one of the test tubes turned a bright orange color we celebrated as a pure form of aspirin had been synthesized before our very eyes. This lab experiment reminded me that one doesn’t need to live in a lab to use it in creating something that is still used and was once a revolutionary healthcare innovation. The fact that relatively simple chemical compounds were combined to create something as important as aspirin suggests to me that a great many seemingly simple but groundbreaking healthcare innovations could be just around the corner.

Working in the lab yesterday was an incredibly exciting experience. I felt that it enhanced our understanding of certain topics we covered in class, especially experimental design and scientific uncertainty. It was really worthwhile to not only learn about drug development in class but to also apply what we learned to a real-life lab setting. Moreover, although my aspirin did not come out to be perfectly pure, I felt that the experience itself was valid because it showed us that despite following directions carefully, the final product does not always turn out correctly. This concept demonstrated the uncertainty that comes with an experiment, which is why it is so pivotal to perform multiple trials of an experiment. On top of that, a well thought out experimental design comes in handy when performing the experiment.  Also, I can draw similarities from what we did in the lab to the projects we have been working on throughout the semester. Both the lab and the Bioblitz research we have been doing emphasize the scientific method in that both pose a question, then seek to answer the question, and finally analyze the results to make relevant conclusions. Likewise, the 3-D printing highlights the need to have a valid design when pursuing a healthcare innovation, much like the experimental design of creating aspirin.

This past Wednesday in the lab, we integrated the two main topics of our IDC seminar by combining a health care innovation from years ago with our knowledge of the scientific method. A major criterion for a scientific experiment is its ability to be reproduced under the same conditions, by other people, possibly in later generations and that is exactly what we did in the lab. We synthesized the drug Aspirin from past knowledge and proven data. The scientists in the 1890s observed, researched, questioned, posed hypotheses and eventually experimented to create this drug. By correctly following the scientific method, they created a product that has affected many people worldwide and that was able to be reproduced by the students of Baruch College as a result of their efforts. We really did “stand on the shoulders of giants” like Sir Isaac Newton once said. Three times a week I am in the lab doing different biology and chemistry experiments, yet this was a different experience, as we had a specific end goal of pure Aspirin, rather than just observing and calculating. I rarely have the chance to test my experiment at the end to see if my procedure was correct, but this lab allowed me to retrace my steps and think about where I might have went wrong. I greatly enjoyed our time in the lab, especially as we are in the midst of our own scientific experiments and health care innovations.