Today’s Solutions: June 14, 2025

Did you know that molecules twist? Certain drugs and supplements indicate which way the molecules in the product twist, with an L or a D before the names, indicating either a twist clockwise or counterclockwise. There is usually a specific kind of twist the human body wants depending on the case.

Though what happens when a wrong turn is taken, and the mirror-image of the molecule is formed instead? This area of science is called stereochemistry and it’s a lot more important than you might think. Molecules that are structured in the opposite confirmation can actually result in wildly different outcomes in the body.

Scientists creating new drugs have to bear this in mind, making sure a drug contains all the same directions of twists, otherwise grim consequences can occur. This is what happened with the famous case of thalidomide: the drug treated morning sickness in pregnant women in one twist and harmed the fetuses in the other.

Researchers have learned a lesson from this tragedy and now run safety checks to ensure drugs are in the correct orientation. This step of drug discovery is essential though extremely expensive.

A paper, published in Nature Photonics, has described a new method that can quickly recognize molecules with the wrong twists using infrared light. This technique will make drug discovery and safety testing easier, less expensive, and quicker.

“If the twist of the molecule is wrong, if the twist in the way the molecules pack together is not right, or if different materials were mixed in, all of that could be inferred from the spectra,” explains Nicholas Kotov, co-author of the paper from the University of Michigan.

The applications of their discovery don’t stop there. This infrared technology may be able to diagnose the presence of kidney stones, plaque aggregations in Alzheimer’s disease, manipulate large molecule assemblies for drug synthesis, check the quality of insulin, and help treat disease-causing nanofibres.

Source study: Nature PhotonicsChiral phonons in microcrystals and nanofibrils of biomolecules

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

How to make your workspace more ergonomic without buying a new office chair

Is working from home taking a toll on your back? If so, you don’t have to jump straight to buying a new office chair. ...

Read More

Taking an afternoon nap may make your brain healthier

If you love to indulge in a feel-good siesta, then we have good news for you: those afternoon moments of slumber might be benefiting ...

Read More

Reduce home food waste part II: The fridge

Food waste continues to be a huge problem all over the world. Luckily, according to the experts, you can help improve the global food ...

Read More

New study reveals the link between green streets and quality sleep

In a revolutionary study published in the journal Environmental Research, researchers discovered a substantial link between living on green streets and having better sleep ...

Read More