My TY

Transition Times: Natalie Delaney of Caritas College, in Ballyfermot, spent a week making aspirin and other chemicals with UCD scientists

I spent Science Week at the Centre for Synthesis & Chemical Biology at University College Dublin. One of my tasks was to make aspirin. Before starting the experiment, a PhD student named Sean McKeon showed me Chem Windows, a software program that helps to build molecular structures. I used it to build the reaction that converts salicylic acid into acetylsalicylic acid (or aspirin).

McKeon explained about safety in the lab and how to handle chemicals and glassware with care. I was then ready to begin the experiment and to start setting up glassware in a fume hood. The reaction took about 40 minutes. When I purified the product by recrystallising it, I tested its melting point to prove that it was aspirin.

I got a chance to speak to some of the scientists about a typical day and what they would like to do when they finish college. Therese Brennan and Martin Fitzpatrick said they would like to pursue careers in the pharmaceutical industry. A typical day varies, but they usually put on a reaction, work up one from the previous day, then purify and analyse the products. They also demonstrate to undergrads in the lab.

I discovered that the research chemists are trying to make something new but sometimes it is not exactly clear what they have created, so they bring it to Dr Jimmy Muldoon. He uses nuclear magnetic resonance to obtain a unique fingerprint of a molecule. The machines operate on the same principle as MRI scanners in hospitals. Dr Muldoon explained that the machines can run up to 50 samples a day, which can take from a minute to several hours to run. Sometimes he works on biological molecules such as proteins, which can take days to run.

During the week I also visited a microbiology lab at Ardmore House, on the UCD campus. Dr Russell Grant, a postdoctoral researcher, showed me how to extract DNA from soil samples. As UCD's Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research was running ScienceWorks, a schools programme, I joined in with one of the schools in the lab. Different chemistry and biology experiments took place, such as the contraction of molecules using liquid nitrogen and extracting DNA from a banana.

On the Friday morning I attended Professor Pat Guiry's group research meeting. The researchers presented their work and a paper from the chemical literature. During the week a problem sheet was distributed, and this was also discussed.

After spending a week at the centre I got the chance to experience what it's like to study science at third level and was given a deeper insight into the world of science. This has helped me a lot in making my decision about my career. The experience was amazing, and I met some very interesting people. I now look forward to returning to UCD to study science when I finish school.