Question: What is the most advanced drug youve worked with?

Tatiana Trantidou answered on 12 Jun 2015:

At the moment I am working with lactase. Lactase is an enzyme, which is normally produced in humans by cells in the small intestine. Its job is to break down lactose (a sugar found in milk and other dairy products) into glucose and galactose. Lactose is a big molecule and cannot be absorbed by the intestines, so it has to be broken down into smaller molecules (glucose and galactose) with the help of lactase. These smaller molecules can then enter the blood stream and travel through the body. Unfortunately, some people are “lactose intolerant”, which means that they cannot produce enough lactase to break down lactose. When these people consume milk, cheese or yoghourt, they experience belly pain, nausea and diarrhea 30 minutes to 2 hours later. In our lab we put small amounts of lactase into tiny droplets that travel through the body. When lactose enters these droplets, glucose and galactose are produced and released outside the droplet. This way, we hope that we can help lactose intolerant people to eat as much milk, cheese and yoghourt they want 🙂