Newman Chemists Get a Taste of Salford’s Medicine

Students studying A Level Chemistry at Cardinal Newman have a whole host of opportunities available to them to enrich their studies. This term they have got off to a very busy start, with Year 13 students being given the chance to head to Salford University to take part in practical laboratory sessions run by Doctor Steve Rossington. The sessions involved carrying out an undergraduate Chemistry practical task, which was a reduction of Benzophenone, involving purification by recrystallization and analysis by thin layer chromatography. As some of the techniques involved in this process are those that will be needed at A Level Chemistry, it was a really useful exercise.

This trip was followed up on Wednesday 11^th October, when Dr Rossington visited students here at the College to undertake a “Drug Design” workshop. Former Newman student Lydia Topping also returned to College with Dr Rossington to help deliver this hands-on session to year 12 and year 13 Chemistry students.

The workshop focused on how drugs work by studying the molecular structures and isomers of different medicines and gave them an insight into how drugs are made and used.

Thank you very much to Dr Rossington and to Lydia!