Busy life of a mad chemist

Hmm...have I really been that busy the past 2 weeks??

Let me see...
I have finally completed my cell assay work last Mon...yippee...managed to get 3 good readings liao...so no need to do extra...hehe...I feel so lucky...
Anyway, I have killed of the remaining cells...gave them a huge dose of bleach :P

Now I have started on synthesis again...got to use the Combiflash to first purify my previous synthetic cpd that has been kept in the RBF for moons and moons...hehe...
So far I have only synthesized one cpd and but I have yet to separate them...had 2 failed attempt with the Combiflash...first the column I used was too big...then the solvent system too polar liao :P
Oh well...that's part and parcel of synthesis...plenty of failed attempts :P

Besides my research work...I also had plenty of assignments :P
Well this is the last sem I need to do any assignments...have completed my module requirement for PhD...yippee ;)

My first assignment for the "Pharm Analysis" module was on NMR and MRI...due long time ago...that was a boring paper :P

The second assignment was on LC-MS...a grp assignment...we were supposed to come up with a problem related to our research field and come up with a solution involving LC-MS...
My group decided to write up on the standardization of Lingzhi (aka Ganoderma lucidum)...I found out that there isn't a single product in the market that has standardized lingzhi...except Pharmanex :P
Lingzhi is a very good TCM that's potentially very useful as an adjunct in anticancer treatment...but w/o a standardized pdt...which oncologist would dare to let their patient use it??!!

If u r interested, check out the write up here ;)

My final assignment for this very same module (super a lot of assignment for one module hor :P) due on 23rd Nov...is on biophotonic imaging...hehe...sounds familiar?
Well similar to my 2nd assignment...we r supposed to write on a possible application of this technology in relation to our research work...
I'm planning to write abt the use of Raman spectroscopy for antioxidant/carotenoid determination to investigate the potential synergistic effect of antioxidants and my anticancer drug :D

Finally, for the "Emerging Concepts in Drug Discovery" module, I wrote on ziconotide...an interesting marine natural product for chronic pain...which was just approved by the FDA in 2004...

It's a very interesting drug 'cos it has a novel mechanism of action...unlike the usual opioid drugs which works on..err...the opioid receptors...haha :P
Ziconotide work on the N-type calcium channel...it's the first of its kind!!

Also another interesting pt is that ziconotide is the original/unmodified form which was extracted from the cone snail, Conus magnus...most drugs are usually modified/improved form of the original natural pdts...
But in this case even with attempts to improve this natural product, scientists found that the most potent form is still its original form ;)

Well...have I bore u enough? :P
Anyway, if u r interested...u can download my assignment write up here...I have also included the story behind how ziconotide was serendiptously discovered ;)
I hope to do some research on marine natural products in the future...hehe...hopefully I can go diving to get my own samples too...haha :)

Oh...assignments are not all that's keeping busy...
Starting from next week...we r gg to have weekly meetings for all those in my lab...each week, someone has to present briefly abt the work and progress...
I'm supposed to present the following week (20 Nov)...my co-supervisor will be coming along to...save me the trouble of doing the presentation twice...hehe...but I think our meeting with him is long overdue...I hope they have some results on the enzyme inhibition assay for me too :P

Well...that's my busy life for now...but I still managed to exercise at least once or twice a week...been swimming every week...and last week I also went to Sentosa to run with Jayce...it's been so long we ran together!! Hmm...but my ITBS seem to be still there...shucks...I gotta be more hardworking and do some strengthening exercise...otherwise how m I gg to fulfill my IRONMAN dream??!!!