Russian scientists with their colleagues from the Czech Republic have invented an express method for detecting dangerous molecules in drugs, TASS agency reports.
Scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) and the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague have proposed an express method for detecting enantiomers, chiral molecules that are mirror images of one another, in drugs. They have the same formula and properties, but one enantiomer can do good and the mirror one, harm. The danger of enantiomers was discovered after the so-called Thalidomide crisis. In 1961, the use of thalidomide-based medication (sleeping pills for pregnant women) in America led to limb deformities and other defects in newborn children.
To quickly detect enantiomers, the Russian and Czech scientists proposed using sensors based on gold plates with a modified surface, with a portable Raman spectrometer and a mobile app. The innovative method can be an ideal alternative to the traditional chromatography, which is highly expensive and requires highly qualified specialists.