The first half of this SSP workshop was taught by Bob Gotwals. Bob continued from previous lectures on drug design and set students onto designing their own drugs using an internet drug designing tool. The students were given specific instructions on what kind of drug they should, with restrictions on molecular weight, molecular make-up, toxicity, mutagenic nature, and Log P value. In the process of learning how to design a drug with these specifications, the students learned the concepts of lipid bilayer (how it functions on human skin and how it forms a protective layer around the brain) and Log P value. Bob showed the students how to start from a simple moleculeââ‰ÂÂbenzene, and add different components to the starting structure in order to form the right compound that will satisfied the set specifications. Students were then allowed to design drugs on their own and put up their original drugs on the board to share with other students. Through this activity, students learned how drugs are absorbed into the body and their effect on the human brain and also on pregnant women.
The second part of the class was taught by Jenna Ingersoll, who led the students in exploring the program Vincent. The class built a SIR (Susceptible-Infected-Recovered) model. This model simulates the situation of a town in which an infectious disease is spreading. Jenna showed the students how to use the various tools in the program to simulate cause-effect relationships and to set the probability of the occurrences of certain events (ie. getting sick, recovering). The students were able to build a model that simulates the said condition in a town for a 30-day period and have a glimpse on the nature of an epidemic.