This Wednesday at the Rose Cafe, we learned about how the world of pharmaceuticals and engineering come together to benefit society. As a pre-vet student, I have taken a lot of biology classes, and have been exposed the idea of bacteria and antibiotics before. However, I have never taken any engineering classes and I have never considered the role engineers played in developing drugs. I think it is important to recognize how different fields can come together and offer different skills and ways of thinking. It highlights the importance of teamwork and diverse thinking in the field of science. I was fascinated to learn about the history of antibiotics and the different pieces that made its development possible.

Another interesting topic of the discussion was antibiotic resistance. I think this is a very relevant issue as the development of antibiotics slows. The dangers of an infectious disease that has no cure is scary to think about, and it reminds us of the importance of continuing to research and discover new antibiotics. As was discussed at the Cafe, antibiotics are nowhere near as profitable as cancer research, and this is why advancements in the field have slowed. The future of antibiotics research may depend on federal funding. I think this is an important area of policy to consider, and it should receive more attention. Antibiotic resistance is a problem that could affect us all, but the problems associated with it could be prevented if we return attention to research to keep up with the evolution of bacteria.