In this occasional series, we ask Arts & Sciences instructors to discuss how they engage students in the great questions of our time. 
Ming Luo
Professor
Department of Chemistry
Drug Discovery
Q. How would you describe this course?
A. The course will introduce the theory and the primary drug discovery methods. For any student interested in potential drug discovery careers, whether in the drug industry or academia, this course will give them some basic information about what the discipline entails. Once they survey this class, they have a good idea of preparing and what to expect as they look for future positions.
Q. What makes this course appealing to students?
A. Drug discovery is a good career option that has piqued many students’ interest. They have basic training in chemistry but don’t know the process. This course allows them to learn while they’re still in school. They also learn through various examples. Not only do we have classroom teaching, but we also have a hands-on project that allows students to practice drug discovery.
Q. Why is this course important?
A. We’re constantly facing new challenges in medicine. We have a lot of medications already available, but new challenges, infections, and diseases emerge every day. Especially recently, with the rise in metabolism diseases. People’s lifestyles are changing, so new diseases have come up almost every decade. There is a constantly shifting focus and recent developments. We need to keep our methods updated and make drug discovery more efficient.
Q. What got you interested in this subject?
A. My career has been involved with research on drug discovery for a long time. When I was teaching medical school, my field of study was drug discovery. I developed new anti-flu drugs that are now available on the market. I find the process very challenging but very interesting. Not only that, but it also benefits humankind. I also find that many students are interested, and I love talking with them. When the department chair asked me to teach this course, I gladly said, “Yes!”
Q. What is the most interesting or unusual assignment you have for this course?
A. The principle of drug discovery is to identify a chemical compound that binds the disease-related protein to stop its malfunction. For the hands-on assignment, students are provided with the structure of a compound-protein complex. The complex structure shows how a compound binds the protein. The students are asked to modify the chemical structure so the compound can bind the protein more tightly, which is required for a compound to become an effective drug. This assignment is done at home, using computer software to complete the project. They also have to write a report on their findings.
