Science reflects people who make it
A self-portrait of a scientist in the reflection of a machine in the laboratory
It is now a well-known fact that gastric and duodenal environment have a significant effect on oral absorption of drugs. However, the physicochemical properties of gastrointestinal (GI) tract contents were mostly studied in young people and there is evidence that contents of people older than 65, who are main end-users of drugs, are different. I am working on an exploratory clinical study to compare people of ages 18-45 and 65 years and older whose contents of upper GI tract are aspirated and then characterised. One of the analyses of interest include evaluation of bile components. This evaluation is performed with high performance liquid chromatography with charged aerosol detector (HPLC CAD) which allows to detect and quantify components of bile in luminal contents of the GI tract. The photo depicts me in the reflection of HPLC in an everyday setting in the lab during works on contents characterisation. This characterisation will contribute to drug product research and development, therefore emphasizing patient-centric approach in the industrial setting.
It is now a well-known fact that gastric and duodenal environment have a significant effect on oral absorption of drugs. However, the physicochemical properties of gastrointestinal (GI) tract contents were mostly studied in young people and there is evidence that contents of people older than 65, who are main end-users of drugs, are different. I am working on an exploratory clinical study to compare people of ages 18-45 and 65 years and older whose contents of upper GI tract are aspirated and then characterised in terms of pH, buffer capacity, osmolality, lipase and pepsin activities, bile salts and biliary lipids composition and concentration. Analyses of bile salts and biliary lipids are performed with high performance liquid chromatography with charged aerosol detector (HPLC CAD) which allows to detect and quantify components of bile in luminal contents of the GI tract. The photo depicts me in the reflection of HPLC in an everyday setting in the lab during works on contents characterisation. This characterisation will contribute to drug product research and development, therefore emphasizing patient-centric approach in the industrial setting.
About the artist
Ekaterina Bocharova investigates physicochemical properties of luminal contents in older people. Her research inspired her to the above self-portrait.