The approaching flu season is expected to fill doctor's offices across the country with people seeking treatment. But research being conducted by Alma College's Chemistry department suggests Tamiflu, a popular drug for treating the flu, isn't as effective as it could be.
Students and faculty are working together to uncover new information that could help develop drugs that target specific influenzas, like Swine Flu.
Jeff Turk of Alma College's Chemistry department is heading the project.
"When Tamiflu was beind designed, it was done so using not complete information," Turk says. "But recently, there has been information to tell us more about that enzyme, which is going to spark probably a lot of drug discovery efforts toward now tackling that newly found enzyme. And so this might give rise to better drugs."
The research was made possible through a $150,000, three year grant awarded to Alma College from the National Science Foundation.
