Feb 3, 2020
Betsy Parkinson is an Assistant Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Purdue University. The motto of the lab is “From Microbes to Medicines”. She is looking for new anticancer and antibiotic medicines in the soils by looking at Streptomyces bacteria. Betsy explains that bacteria defend themselves against other bacteria and fungus by creating antibiotics. We can use the antibiotics that bacteria produce to combat bacteria that can attack us. Betsy reminds us to not ask for antibiotics when we don’t need them, such as when you have a cold virus. She describes the differences between bacteria, fungi, and viruses, and presents photographs of bacteria grown in her lab.
Links:
Betsy’s Chemistry page:
https://www.chem.purdue.edu/people/profile/eparkins
Photos of her lab: