Chirality
Mirror Molecules and Medications If someone asked you to explain the difference between your left and right hand, what would you say? On the surface, your hands aren’t so different: they are both made...
Chemical Co-option: Using Nature
How is it that humans are able to turn milk into so many different foods, from butter and ice cream to yogurt and cheese? In the case of yogurt and cheese, we actually have a fair amount of help. These foods...
Why Alcohol and Medications Don’t Mix
How exactly does alcohol interact with other drugs in the body? It might be tempting to think of each alcohol-drug interaction as a chemical reaction between ethanol and the drug molecules in question. As it...