Ever taken a paracetamol for mild pain relief? Ever wondered what’s in it?
Scientists at ANSTO have been doing just that.
ANSTO scientists have been investigating molecules inside a form of paracetamol using an innovative technology called infrared microspectroscopy.
This discovery will give scientists, researchers and the pharmaceutical industry an ability to enhance the drug’s medical efficiency.
Professor Junko Morikawa and Dr Reo Honda from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Swinburne University and the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication led the research. ANSTO IR beamline scientists Dr Mark Tobin and Dr Pimm Vongsvivut also participated.
Optical mapping revealed a structure that is more water-soluble and easy to compress than drugs currently on the market.
Drs Tobin and Vongsvivut are excited where this new technique and ANSTO technology could lead.
‘Working with our partners, this scientific discovery could one day contribute to new types of commercial drugs,’ they said.
‘This study is just one step on a journey. Scientists can apply this technique to other drugs such as antibacterial bio-materials, as well as materials like glasses. Using the IR beamline technology we could unlock potential in so many other areas of our lives and increase medical efficiency.’
Read more
Read more about this research on the ANSTO website.
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