Chemistry Special Seminar - Dr. Ashok Kakkar
Dr. Ashok Kakkar, McGill University, will present a special seminar at 10:00 a.m. in Thorvaldson 159.
Title:
Macromolecules Based Nanotechnology for Mediation through an Aqueous Medium
Water constitutes a vital component to sustain life, and its flow has been efficiently utilized by nature in transferring materials, as well as by humans in industrialzed unit operations for a variety of purposes. Significant challenges have arisen while transporting through this medium, which have become key issues in biology, water intensive industries etc. For example, cancer, congestive heart failure, diabetes are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The ever-increasing complexity of these diseases, and managing them with highly potent hydrophobic pharmaceutical agents, have led to serious reduction in an individual’s quality of life. This may largely be attributed to our inability to deliver drugs in sufficient quantities at the diseased site through an aqueous medium. Polymer therapeutics has evolved as an advantageous platform in this regard. However, despite significant progress, bench-to-bed side translation has been painfully slow. This has provoked the design of tailor-made macromolecules based nanocarriers that could mediate drug transport through aqueous medium. Similarly, water based industries have faced tremendous operational challenges due to scaling, crystallization of sparingly soluble salts during water flow. This leads to considerable energy waste and additional costs due to increased heat, mass and momentum transfer resistance. This presentation will describe how chemical innovation can give access to a variety of branched and hyperbranched macromolecules, and combinations thereof. Functional nanostructures from these can provide a useful platform for efficient therapeutic interventions. Their desired structural complexity is ideally suited to perform multiple tasks including targeting and visualizing drug delivery. Our work in designer macromolecules is helping set the stage for rational design of next generation nanotechnology for drug delivery and threshold scale inhibition.
Date: Friday, August 2, 2019
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Place: Thorvaldson 159
EVERYONE WELCOME