Workshops & Seminars
Discovering Polymers
A week-long workshop will be held at the University of South Dakota that focuses on polymers. Numerous activities and laboratories that explore various types of polymeric materials will be offered. Students will gain an understanding of what polymers are, their characteristics and properties as well as synthesis of polymers, with an introduction to research conducted at the University of South Dakota (USD) and South Dakota State University (SDSU) that involves polymers.
Exploring Drug Candidates from Plants
Plants have formed the basis for treatment of diseases in traditional medicine for thousands of years and continue to play a major role in the primary health care of the world's inhabitants. The study of natural sources has resulted in the discovery of many therapeutic agents and the development of novel medicinal drugs. Western medicine uses many drugs extracted from natural products (NP), including: aspirin, atropine, cocaine, curare, digitalis, ephedrine, hyoscine (scopolamine), opiates (codeine, morphine), pilocarpine, primrose oil, quinine, reserpine, steroids, taxol, warfarin, menthol, etc, accounting for 35% of prescribed drugs. While natural products isolated as the active compound might not always be suitable for development as an effective drug, the compound can provide a suitable lead for conversion into a clinically useful agent. However, less than 5% of the 500,000 higher plant species have undergone biological pharmacological screening. Further, there are potentially 10,000 different constituents in each plant, thus providing an avenue for continued study and development of needed effective drugs. This workshop aims to unveil the potential of drug candidates from plants in our communities. Several plant sources will be selected and processed according to standard biological screening protocols.
NPURC Seminar Series