Tag: Chulalongkorn University

Professor Dr. Supawan Tantayanont, one of the 2021 Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering awarded by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), opens up about her inspiration in the development of chemistry courses that merit this international recognition, how she maintains her work-family-life balance, as well as her efforts to promote the younger generation’s interest in science education throughout Thailand and ASEAN.

Since the United Nations designated the year 2011 as the International Year of Chemistry to mark the 100th anniversary of Madame Marie Curie — the first female scientist to be awarded the Nobel Prize in 1911–, IUPAC started to present the Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering awards to women with outstanding achievements in the field from around the world.

Thai women also stand tall among their peers from other nations. In 2011, Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn became the first Thai to receive the award in its initial year.

A decade later, in 2021, Thailand, once again, is made proud when Professor Dr. Supawan Tantayanont, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, President of the Science Society of Thailand Under the Patronage of His Majesty the King, and President of the Council of Science and Technology Professionals, has been chosen for this prestigious award.

“It is rare that women chemists rise to the forefront of fame and recognition, even in developed countries, hence, the inception of this award. The judging criteria are the body of research, leadership, and contribution to global society,” Prof. Dr. Supawan, as a woman who holds many key positions in both local and international science organizations, explained the rationale behind the award that she just received based on her 40 years of dedication to the research and development of chemistry education, creation of model science teachers, and promotion of science studies among young people in Thailand, ASEAN countries, and around the world.

The Starting Point on the Path of Chemistry: a Small Lab Kit

One important research that has brought international fame to Prof. Dr. Supawan is the development of a Small-Scale Chemistry Laboratory aka. Small Lab Kit that received four patents and petty patents under Chulalongkorn University.

Prof. Dr. Supawan talked about the origin of the Small Lab Kit saying that, “after receiving a scholarship to study in the United States, I came back to Chula to Chemistry Laboratory subjects. In those days, the labs were at the old Chemistry 1 Building (now the Art and Culture Building), and the Chemistry 3 Building (now the University Museum Building). The number of first-year students from various science faculties who came to study General Chemistry Laboratory, and Organic Chemistry Laboratory at the Department of Chemistry was steadily increasing to more than 3,000 a year. So, the labs became very crowded, and the safety standards were not as good. And we were interested in finding ways to create safer chemistry labs while maintaining the same curriculum.”

Based on these challenges, Prof. Dr. Supawan has continuously been working on improving the safety of chemistry labs and has initiated the “Safe and Pollution-Reduction Chemistry Laboratory” Project (2000-2002) with funding from Thailand Research Fund (now Thailand Science Research and Innovation or TSRI) in collaboration with 14 researchers from seven institutions, namely Chulalongkorn University, Mahidol University, Srinakharinwirot University, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Chiang Mai University, Khon Kaen University, and the Prince of Songkla University.

“Initially, we were trying to develop safer experiments by adapting those used to teach at both domestic and international universities and designing new methods. We also looked for low-hazard substances to replace old ones and tried to reduce the size of the experiments that will still produce good results, while maintaining students’ learning style, and letting them use the same equipment and glassware. But we found that this still did not meet our main needs.”

The research team agreed on microscale chemistry or small-scale chemistry technique that uses a minimal amount of chemicals in an experiment, but still, yields observable results.

“From the same experiment that requires hundreds of milliliters of chemicals, we reduced the amount to only 1-5 ml or drops, which equaled hundreds and thousand times reduction, while reducing the risk of chemical exposure by hundreds and thousands of times as well. This makes experiments increasingly safer with much less hazardous waste to be disposed of,” explained Prof. Dr. Supawan.

When experiments were scaled down, it was necessary to design new steps of experiment, equipment, and tools.

“In general chemistry, most of the experiments use aqueous solution, so plastic utensils used in medical and microbiology fields, readily available in the market, can be used. Experiments in organic chemistry require heat and organic solvents, which will melt the plastic. Therefore, equipment made of glass or other heat-resistant materials must be used.”

Prof. Dr. Supawan further explained that although small glassware was already manufactured and sold abroad, the prices were high. There was no suitable heating equipment either. So, the project designed a small set of glassware, heating equipment, complete with other utensils, ready for experiments packed in a carrying bag, called a Small Lab Kit.

“Every equipment design takes into account the efficiency and ease of use, safety, and reduction of waste from the experiments, and can be manufactured locally. For example, in the case of small heating kits, we designed a hotplate and aluminum blocks that act as a heat-conducting medium allowing it to be used with various sizes of small glassware. The kit allows observation of both boiling points and melting points of the elements using only one kit. The glassware was also designed to separate the solvent, and be reused without having to dump it, hence lessening the amount of hazardous waste from the organic chemistry labs.”

The Small Lab Kit is approved by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the detailed directions are published on the UNESCO website. Since 2009, Prof. Dr. Supawan has been invited to lecture and conduct workshops to promote the Small Lab Kit in many countries around the world.

Partnership with the private sector: Dow Chemistry Classroom

The research success led to another crucial project: “Dow Chemistry Classroom“– a collaboration between the Chemical Society of Thailand and Dow Thailand Group (DOW), a global chemical giant, to promote Small Scale Laboratory approach to Chemistry classes in secondary schools.

“I intend to make science learning in schools interesting by allowing the students conduct experiments by themselves. We learned that students are less interested in science due to their lack of a great first impression of science subjects in school and that they rarely have the opportunity to conduct experiments. So, I think if we can disseminate this research to enable schools to teach science experiments, it should make young people more interested in studying science,” Prof. Dr. Supawan shared her inspiration for starting this project in 2002 with the support of the PPA Science Foundation that later developed into “Dow Chemistry Classroom” Project in 2013 and is still continuing on today with support from Dow Thailand Group.

“In the Dow Chemistry Classroom Project, we designed lab kits for schools so that their students can do experiments on their own. This will enable students to have a deeper understanding, learn, observe and remember chemical processes and reactions more deeply than those who only read from textbooks,” said Prof. Dr. Supawan.

At present, the Dow Chemistry Classroom Lab Kits present 8 subjects in General Chemistry at the secondary school level. Each kit is packaged in a compact box containing all the ready-to-use equipment needed to perform about 30 experiments, complete with directions, and ways to handle the remaining chemicals. The kits can be refilled for further experiments because the plastic is durable and will last for more than 10 years.

“We scaled-down the experiments and changed the chemicals to non-hazardous chemicals to comply with Green Chemistry principles. This makes it safer for students and teachers than traditional experimentation methods. In doing so, experiments are less time-consuming and can be completed within the class period, leaving enough time for Q&A, and discussion. The kit also uses less energy, and produces very little waste.”

“Dow Chemistry Classroom” is a low-cost, highly safe chemistry lab kit that can be used in regular classrooms. The price per set is only 300-400 baht, depending on the types of experiment, or around 10 baht per experiment.

“Dow Chemistry Classroom saves cost, labor, and time while making learning more convenient and easier, even during the COVID-19 pandemic in which students have to study online from home. Students can still safely perform scaled-down lab experiments under the supervision of online teachers,” said Prof. Dr. Supawan.

A mission to train science teachers in Thailand and the ASEAN region

The “Dow Chemistry Classroom” project not only designs and produces lab kits that are accessible for schools but also focuses on the training of secondary school science teachers. Up until now, nearly 2,000 science teachers from more than 1,000 schools across the country have received training on how to use the 8 types of small chemistry labs. The teachers have also passed on their knowledge to almost 6,000 other teachers, making it possible for over 150,000 students to learn chemistry through experiments.

Behind her success is the dedication of many people. “Everyone volunteered to help – including the Chemistry Society, friends who teach chemistry in various educational institutions, old students, the private sector, etc. I give great importance to this mission, including fundraising for the procurement of equipment, organizing training for more than 400 teachers a year. These teachers receive an introductory lab kit ready to be used to teach students at their schools based on their direct experience,” said Prof. Dr. Supawan.

In addition to the training, Prof. Dr. Supawan started many activities to monitor and assist science teachers, one of which is a science contest “Dow-CST Award” whose winners receive plaques graciously conferred by HRH Princess Chulabhorn Walailak Akra Rajakumari, and prize money sponsored by Dow Thailand Group. Model science teachers are also selected each year.

“Currently, 84 model teachers from the project are working in all regions across the country. IUPAC has praised the project for continuously inspiring youth in science for the eighth consecutive year,” Prof. Dr. Supawan said with pride and added that in 2021, the Dow Chemistry Classroom Project has expanded to various schools nationwide with cooperation from the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), Ministry of Education.

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, education on the Dao Classroom Project continue without interruption. At the onset of coronavirus outbreaks in 2020, the project started to experiment with online teacher training for the first time.

“Online training requires a lot of coordination and communication between the participants and the training team, but it was very successful. This year, we are holding online training for the second year and this makes it possible for chemistry teachers from all universities in Thailand to observe as well. At the moment Chula Faculty of Chemistry is also preparing to apply the techniques by delivering the lab kits to students to conduct experiments while studying online,” said Prof. Dr. Supawan.

While the project in Thailand is going well, Prof. Dr. Supawan sees an opportunity to expand the project to ASEAN countries with similar problems to Thailand. The project has received support from Bangkok Bank Public Company Limited, which has branches in many ASEAN countries to develop social responsibility projects (CSRs) in those countries and conduct training for secondary school science teachers. The project has already been implemented in Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia and will begin in the Philippines next year.

Prof. Dr. Supawan said that the ASEAN project will provide training to 100 science teachers in each country once a year for three years. Then each year, 10 model teachers will be selected based on their experiment designs to receive further training in Thailand with teachers from other countries. By the time the project ends, each country will have 30 model teachers who will become trainers of small lab kits. Prof. Dr. Supawan hopes that these teachers will create a network of science teachers in the ASEAN region to promote the concept.

Leading Thailand to the world-class chemistry arena

In addition to being a faculty member of the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Prof. Dr. Supawan has held several key positions, namely President of the Chemical Society of Thailand, President of the Polymer Society of Thailand, President of the Pacific Polymer Federation (2002-2003), and President of the Federation of Asian Chemical Societies (2011-2013). She is the first woman to hold both key regional positions.

In every position, Prof. Dr. Supawan has created opportunities and developed the science industry in Thailand, especially during the years 2007-2013 when she served as President of the Chemical Society of Thailand under the patronage of Professor Dr. HRH Princess Chulabhorn when she took the Chemical Society of Thailand to be a National Adhering Organization (NAO) of IUPAC in collaboration with the Department of Science Service, Ministry of Science and Technology for Thailand to gain more privileges and voting rights on issues that impact the development of chemistry and science of the country.

Prof. Dr. Supawan talked about the role of “IUPAC” which consists of associations related to chemistry representing countries around the world to standardize chemistry knowledge, such as naming conventions for elements, and compounds. It also serves to honor and promote the work of chemists and chemical engineers around the world ranging from youth to Nobel Prize-winning scientists.”

Work-life and inspiration for global success

Prof. Dr. Supawan said that she owes her various achievements throughout her luscious chemistry career to the opportunities she gained from her childhood.

“I’m a kid from the province (Ratchaburi), and this has driven me to excel in my studies. When I put my mind to it, I can succeed. I was admitted to the Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University. Fortunately, my parents gave me full support until I know what I was good at. And that’s chemistry.”

“When I earned my bachelor’s degree in 1973, I still didn’t see many career opportunities. At that time, chemistry companies usually recruited only men for the jobs, so my opportunity was to be a teacher. This meant I had to have a higher degree,” Prof. Dr. Supawan recalled the time when she had to choose an important path in life.

After graduating with a master’s degree in organic chemistry from Mahidol University, she became a lecturer at the Department of Chemistry, Chulalongkorn University. Then she received a Chula-Fulbright scholarship to pursue her doctorate in chemistry at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA. Prof. Dr. Supawan returned to teach at the Department of Chemistry, Chulalongkorn University from 1982 to the present.

Upon her return, the Petrochemical Industry Development Project Phase 1 was included in the 5th National Economic and Social Development Plan (1982-1986) by the government. Prof.Dr. Supawan and three other professors from the Department of Technical Chemistry, Department of Materials Science, and the Department of Chemical Engineering were tasked to create the first program in petrochemicals and polymers in Thailand. In addition, Prof. Dr. Supawan was also appointed the project director of the Petroleum and Petrochemical College of Chulalongkorn University (1986-1989).

“These opportunities have allowed me to meet people in the petrochemical industry. Later when I became a consultant to the Petrochemical Group, I developed an understanding of the nature of working in industries where safety is crucial, and there was a missing link with the education of that time. So, we had to adjust the course contents.”

As a professor of science, Prof. Dr. Supawan pays attention to the connection between knowledge and the heart. “Education must not focus only on theories and academics but must cultivate desirable characters in students: curiosity, morals, and ethics. When working in the industries, one should pay attention to work safety, proper disposal of waste in compliance with the law, and a sense of public responsibility, etc.

The role of female chemist and daily family life
Although the world today accepts the roles and abilities of women in the chemical industry, and there are many talented women in the professions of chemistry and chemical engineering, what remains a challenge for women scientists is balancing the role of a professional chemist, motherhood, and household chores.

“When I was still working as a consultant for the Petrochemical Group while holding my full-time job as a professor at the Department of Chemistry, the company driver would be waiting for me at half-past four. I had to use my own money to hire an assistant to help with administrative work and coordinate various tasks. It required a lot of planning, cooking, preparing everything for my family, and making sure my children finished their homework. There are a lot of things needing attention to keep the family happy. This is the burden many women are faced with. Only taking care of the family is bad enough. I’m lucky to have an understanding and supportive husband who appreciates what I’m trying to do for society, and helps out whenever he can both domestically and workwise.”

All this requires “discipline and management skills”, which Prof. Dr. Supawan said is a quality that she inherited from her mother, who is currently 97 years old and still in good health.

“My mother had 10 children. I’m the third child. My mother is a very smart and patient woman. She raised all her children by herself. I grew up being her assistant, so I saw how she managed everything systematically, including housework, kitchen work, home care, and my father’s Chinese medicine business.”

The role of women and gender equality is one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which Prof. Dr. Supawan thinks encompasses more than mere acceptance. Rather, it should also cover promoting people’s talent and potential that everyone must make sure happens regardless of their gender.

The future of science through continuous and sustainable development
Prof. Dr. Supawan is ever committed to her responsibilities by raising the awareness of the importance of science for the future of the country.

“The current societal trend of young people wanting a quick fortune is quite worrisome. They think that this can be easily achieved, like the current online marketplace that requires little knowledge. When people do not own the technology and rely on others and outside factors, what will happen in the future if the tech owners decide that they don’t want to sell the technology anymore? So, I’m thinking of how to make the young generation change their mindset to think in a more sustainable manner,” Prof. Dr. Supawan reflected.

As the President of the Science Society of Thailand, Prof. Dr. Supawan works closely with the National Science Museum (NSM) and many other agencies to communicate to the new generation about hard-earned success that is not superficial in a logical scientific way.

Prof. Dr. Supawan believes in tackling new challenges through collaboration with various agencies in the public and private sectors, to combine expertise and bridge the gaps to bring Thailand into the international scientific arena when possible.

“There are many talented people in our country, but we lack partnership in the development of science. We cannot succeed alone. I am now begging to see a more positive trend especially in the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation. People start to realize that we cannot operate on pure science alone. We have to work with the community to drive the economy and the society to be on par with the international communities,” Prof. Dr. Supawan concluded.

Congratulations to Chanakan Wittayasakpan and Chayaton Subchavaroj, 4th year students from the Faculty of Arts and the Chulalongkorn Business School, for winning the English debating competition during the Asian British Parliament Debating Championship 2021, on 22-31 October 2021.

Organized by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV), and Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE), the competition was one of the largest English online debating championships in history, combining two Asian English debating competitions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This year’s competition drew 192 teams from 179 academic institutions in China and other Asian countries.

Chanakan and Chayaton revealed that the debate topics were diverse: politics, foreign, economic, social, feminists, minorities, and gender equality. During the debate, each team got 15 minutes to prepare before taking turns speaking for 7 minutes. For the final round, the team performing as the proposition received the topic on “Technology to erase sadness should be allowed to use”. They added that compared to things that already exist in today’s world, the topic was rather abstract and it became difficult to create ideas clearly. Fortunately, extra reading got them better prepared and more ready to speak on the topic.

Both Chanakan and Chayaton primarily studied by listening to lectures and watching debating competitions on YouTube. Moreover, they prepared for a variety of topics, practiced and tried to collected as much knowledge as possible, including the one-year experience they gained from other matches, under the supervision of Dr. Bhanubhatra Jittiang.

The two students regularly practiced at the Chulalongkorn University English Debate Society under great support from the Office of Student Affairs, Chulalongkorn University. At the same time, whenever they noticed that they were inferior at any point, they practiced more. To de-stress, as needed, their strategy was to switch into listeners rather than debaters.

Both agreed that teamwork was the key to success, as they have been practicing together for a long time, starting from the freshman year. Each knew how and what the other was thinking, and what needs to be added. This was significant for their progress towards the most crucial component of the debate.

Chanakan and Chayaton reflected that the debating competition has definitely broadened their views. Because of the numerous societal topics, it is vital to understand the world from various perspectives. The competition has made them feel exceptional, since they could surpass their own standards from the previous debates and could stand at a point they have never been. “It’s a fantastic experience”, they said.

The main challenge was on the debate topics, because some of the topics were unfamiliar. Another problem was with using English. Many teams were from countries with English as a primary language, but this forced them to improve themselves to compete better. Also, since the competition was online and in order to communicate more clearly, Chanakan and Chayaton had to adjust the way they spoke, knowing that it would affect how the judges heard their points and decide.

Two great debaters addressed the students, who aspire to be English debaters, and one said that, “I’d like you to continue practicing debating in English. The most important thing is to devote a significant amount of time to the debating competition, not to give up, and get into the essence of the debate. The use of English is not a barrier because thinking is the heart of the debate. If you can think analytically, you will be able to respond to the questions posed by your opponent, and that is deemed successful.”

The benefits and drawbacks of generalist CEOs – those with the talent and skill to manage companies in various industries – have been fiercely debated in contemporary research. Some research touts generalist CEOs’ varied professional experiences and ability to launch a wide range of strategic initiatives. Other research warns of their tendency to switch jobs easily, which may mean that their motivations do not align with those of shareholders and prompt them to give short-term investments priority over above longer-term, but more beneficial, projects.

Our research contributes to the debate by exploring how independent directors view generalist and specialist CEOs. Boards of directors are often considered the ultimate governance mechanism for resolving agency conflicts, and, as outsiders, independent directors are more likely to be impartial. As a consequence, the degree of board independence is often used as a measure of board quality. Since effective board governance leads to shareholder-friendly corporate decisions and activities, a great deal of research demonstrates that independent directors are valuable. Therefore, to the extent that generalist CEOs enhance shareholders’ wealth, independent directors should view them favorably.

It is, however, challenging to test this argument empirically because, in economics and finance, it is not possible to run a randomized experiment where certain firms are assigned more independent directors than others are. Fortunately, there is a quasi-natural experiment where only certain firms are forced involuntarily to change their board independence by a regulation. This is analogous to a randomized experiment. Interestingly, three economists have just been given a Nobel Prize for their work related to this empirical method (David Card, Guido Imbens, and Joshua Angrist).

In 2002, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, along with new stock exchange rules, required that publicly traded firms have a majority of independent directors on the board. This requirement served as an unexpected exogenous shock to companies who had to appoint more independent directors to comply. Using a difference-in-difference estimation, we compare, before and after the passage of the law, the change in the general ability of the CEOs of firms forced to appoint more independent directors to the change in the general ability of the CEOs of firms not affected by the law. Firms required to change their board composition were the treatment group, and firms unaffected by the law were the control group.

Our difference-in-difference estimates reveal that firms compelled to increase board independence show a smaller improvement in CEO ability than do other firms, suggesting that independent directors do not view generalist CEOs favorably. Our findings are consistent with the notion that generalist CEOs may have incentives that conflict with those of shareholders, resulting in an incentive misalignment. For instance, generalist CEOs are less likely to be risk-averse (Custodio et al., 2013; Mishra, 2014). Supporting this argument, Mishra (2014) reports that having a generalist CEO leads to a significantly higher cost of equity capital. Moreover, because generalist CEOs tend to change jobs more often, they may not take the long-term perspective required to enhance shareholder value. Furthermore, our results are consistent with those in Ma, Ruan, Wang, and Zhang (2021), who find that companies with generalist CEOs have significantly lower credit ratings, implying that credit rating agencies view generalist CEOs as a credit risk factor. Their results are consistent with ours. Both independent directors and credit rating agencies view generalist CEOs unfavorably.

We also run several checks to ensure that our findings are robust. For instance, we execute propensity score matching, where we carefully match each treatment firm to another firm outside the treatment group that is most similar based on several firm characteristics. So, our treatment and control firms are nearly identical except for board independence. This technique increases the probability that the findings are driven by board independence, not by any other firm characteristics. Moreover, an instrumental variable analysis, which is more likely to reveal a causal effect, corroborates our findings. Finally, we apply Oster’s (2019) method for testing coefficient stability and find that our conclusion is robust.

Our results contribute to the debate about generalist CEOs. Most prior studies concentrate on assessing the effects of generalist CEOs on corporate outcomes and policies. Our study, however, adopts a unique approach, focusing on how independent directors view generalist CEOs. Furthermore, our study contributes to the literature that exploits the Sarbanes-Oxley Act to ascertain the effects of board independence on various corporate outcomes. Our study is the first to apply this approach to explore the impact of board independence on general managerial skills.

“The innovative screening strips for early-stage CKD screens for microalbuminuria, the clearest indicator of CKD.”

“Patients can perform the screening tests and read the results themselves at home. The painless screening from urine is as simple as a pregnancy test that’s available in the market. The urine can be collected in the morning after one wakes up or before breakfast. Only three drops of urine are needed on the test strip. Wait 15 minutes. If one bar shows, the microalbumin is abnormal, and two bars mean the microalbumin value is within the normal range,” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nattachai explained.                           

Based on the trials with CKD patients and people without CKD, the strips had a sensitivity of 86 percent, specificity of 94 percent, and an accuracy of 87 percent. The research findings have been published in a medical journal, and the screening strips will soon be tested in the community with approximately 2,500 patients.

Who are the CKD screening strips for?

Though CKD remains latent in its initial stage, the groups of people who should take screening tests are those suffering from diseases or physical conditions that may affect kidney function, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and the elderly over 60.
“These groups of people should be tested at least once a year to keep informed of the kidney function and find a way to deal with it promptly,” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nattachai suggested.

Apart from the above high-risk groups, teenagers and working-age people can’t be careless, especially if they are not mindful eaters.

“Some people may have hidden conditions of CKD. So, they should also get tested given a chance. Normally, as people get older, their kidney function also declines.”                                         

Behavior modification – the key to kidneys care

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nattachai suggests that when diagnosed with CKD, the first thing people should do is to undergo more tests to check the stage of their kidney function with a thorough blood test and urine test. More importantly, patients have to modify their behavior.
“Major behavioral modification is dietary adjustments. Avoid sugary, salty foods, and red meat. If you want to eat protein, opt for protein from egg whites or fish instead. Exercise along with diet control is also necessary,” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nattachai suggested.

“If you don’t have kidney disease, the best prevention is to adjust your eating habits as well. Avoid salty foods, because your kidneys have to work harder to flush out the sodium. If the kidneys are unable to excrete salt, it can lead to swelling, and high blood pressure which results in the deterioration of the kidneys.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nattachai also added that “healthy people who want to consume fish sauce should not take more than three teaspoons or one tablespoon per day. The fish sauce that is advertised as having low sodium is not recommended for CKD patients, because low-sodium fish sauce is often high in potassium which is not good for kidney function either. You should also check to see if the brand of low-sodium fish sauce is also low in potassium.

“People who might wish to take whey protein have to be selective as well. Even for healthy people, consuming a lot of whey protein can cause an excess that makes the kidneys work harder as well.”

Currently, the CKD screening strip kit is in the process of being registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and if approved by the end of this year, it can be released early next year. The price of the strips will be comparable to the products available in the market. In the future, the research team will look for ways to increase the local production capacity for the test substance used to detect urine microalbumin, to reduce production costs, which will bring down the price of the strip test.

“Though the test kits are intended for home use, we hope this test will be included in the National Health Security system and made available to everybody, including people in rural and remote areas who may have CKD, but do not have any symptoms, so that they gain easier access to screening without having to travel long distances to the hospital,” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nattachai concluded.

Chula Pharmaceutical Science helps increase public confidence to keep COVID-19 at bay with their new test kit to verify the safety and efficacy of hand sanitizers and alcohol-based gel and spray products.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many are now accustomed with the New Normal lifestyle in which require social distancing, frequent hand washing, and sanitizing with hand sanitizer and alcohol sprays to clean their hands and belongings. But how can we be sure that the products we use are safe for our health and effective in cleaning and disinfecting?

Asst. Prof. Dr. Supakarn Chamni, Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Chulalongkorn University, explained the problems of hand-sanitizing gel and spray products as appeared in the media and reported from the Smart Buy Testing Center, The Foundation for Consumers.

“Sixty-seven percent of the products surveyed have alcohol concentration lower than 70% by volume, which is not adequate for killing germs. Moreover, these products were found to be contaminated with harmful chemicals that could irritate the respiratory tract, and if it gets into the eyes, can cause blindness.”

Based on such concerns, Asst. Prof. Dr. Supakarn has developed the Q-E-S-T 3-in-1 Alcohol Test Kit to enable the public to check the standards and safety of alcohol and sanitizing products by themselves.

“This test can analyze both the type and concentration of alcohol to confirm the effectiveness of its cleaning and disinfection property to reduce the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus.”

Get to Know the different types of alcohol

Alcohol has antimicrobial properties against viruses, bacteria, and fungi, by killing or stopping the growth of the microbes and can therefore be used to clean and disinfect the skin and various surfaces.

There are different types of alcohol depending on their chemical structures:

Ethanol and isopropanol are the alcohol types used for human consumption. Ethanol is the alcohol found in liquor. It can be used both externally and orally. It costs the highest compared to other types of alcohol. Isopropanol is for external use only, such as for cleaning wounds.

Methanol is an alcohol used in the fuel industry. It is a solvent in the paint industry and a precursor in the plastics industry.

All three types of alcohol have similar characteristics. They are all clear, colorless liquid that evaporate easily and is flammable. The only difference is the smell.

“Isopropanol used to clean wounds has a pungent smell, while ethanol and methanol have a mild scent. Therefore, it is difficult to distinguish them olfactorily,” Asst. Prof. Dr. Supakarn warned about the potential danger should unscrupulous manufacturers mix methanol in with hand sanitizing alcohol.

Methanol poisoning and symptoms

Methanol is highly toxic to humans, and should not be inhaled, let it come in contact with the skin, or, under no circumstances, ingested. Those working with methanol need to wear masks and gloves for protection.

Exposure to more than 40 mg/kg of methanol or inhalation of more than 200 ppm per day can lead to nausea, vomiting, respiratory problems, bronchitis, and even blindness, and death.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Supakarn cited incidents in foreign countries as a warning of the dangers of methanol. “In 2020, there was a reported 1,000 deaths from methanol-contaminated alcohol in countries such as Iran, Russia, and Mexico, and data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) showed 15 people in Arizona and New Mexico accidentally ingested alcohol-based hand sanitizer – four were dead, and three went blind.”

Basic alcohol test you can do yourself

“Alcohol-based hand sanitizers have become essential items to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Therefore, consumers must be able to check the efficacy and safety of the products themselves,” Asst. Prof. Dr. Supakarn said.

“The Q-E-S-T 3-in-1 Alcohol Test Kit can test both pure alcohol and alcohol-based gel and liquid products, or even products with added colors and scents. The chemicals used for testing are safe, and have been certified by the National Institute of Metrology (Thailand).”

The test kit can detect all three types of alcohol: ethanol, isopropanol, or methanol, and can specify the ethanol concentration in the range of 30-90 percent (±10 percent) by volume (v/v) within three to five minutes.

“The test is simple to use. Measure one ml. of the alcohol sample into the provided container. Then add five drops of the first solution which is an alkaline solution, and add one drop of the second solution that is green. Close the cap, shake well, and observe the color change at the three-minute mark to interpret the result according to the color chart,” Asst. Prof. Dr. Supakarn explained.

Ethanol is displayed in orange, but if the result is yellow, it means that it is methanol. Isopropanol is displayed in gradients.

For ethanol concentration analysis, read the result at the 3-minutes mark. If 80% v/v ethanol is present, an orange precipitate will form. With 70% v/v ethanol, the solution will become orange, and if there is less than 70% ethanol v/v, the solution will be brown, or greenish-brown.

“Quality alcohol can kill germs. The test result should be orange,” Asst. Prof. Dr. Supakarn reminded us.

How to store alcohol over a long period

Alcohol is a volatile substance at room temperature, so, care should be taken when storing and choosing the right container.

“Putting alcohol in a wide-mouth pump bottle will allow the alcohol to evaporate more easily than a spray bottle. Alcohol should be stored in a container with a tight lid. Do not leave the lid open or leave it in the sun for a long time. Once opened, or repacked into other containers, the expiration date changes.”

The duration of use depends on the environment. Asst. Prof. Dr. Supakarn suggested that “if you put (the alcohol) in a bag and stay in an air-conditioned office, it will last about six months. If it is placed outside the building, it will last three months. Do not put alcohol in the car, because alcohol can evaporate, and permeate the cabin, and could spark if exposed to a lighter or a charging port. This can be dangerous.”

Use alcohol safely, and stay away from diseases

Asst. Prof. Dr. Supakarn reiterated the guidelines for safe use of alcohol that “every time after touching public objects, you should sanitize your hands with hand sanitizers with 70% v/v ethanol by rubbing the sanitizer evenly over all areas of the fingers, palms, and wrists for at least 30 seconds.”

“If you touch the alcohol, and it’s no longer cold to the touch, or if the alcohol has abnormal characteristics such as stratification, coagulation, sedimentation, or discoloration, don’t use it.”

Finally, Asst. Prof. Dr. Supakarn advised consumers to purchase alcohol sanitizing gel and spray from reputable sources, with a label indicating the registered number, and expiration date. And if you are not sure of the product’s efficacy, you can also check it with the Q-E-S-T 3-in-1 Alcohol Test Kit.

“If the tested product has ethanol alcohol content of less than 70%, or methanol is found, you can send the tested sample for confirmation to the Bureau of Cosmetics and Hazardous Substances, Department of Medical Sciences, Ministry of Public Health,” Asst. Prof. Dr. Supakarn said.

Q-E-S-T 3-in-1 Alcohol Test Kit is available at Osotsala, Faculty of Pharmacy, Chulalongkorn University, Tel. 0-2218-8428-9. (A test kit is priced at 200 baht containing 10 tests).

November 18, 2021 – Chulalongkorn University held Chula The Impact 5 Seminar on “The Progress on ChulaCov19 — an mRNA vaccine by Thais — the World’s Hope“. Also discussed was the progress of Chula-Baiya, Thailand’s first protein subunit vaccine from tobacco leaves by Baiya Phytofarm Co., Ltd., and Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University. Prof Dr. Bundhit Eua-arporn, Chula President gave the opening remarks and joined the discussion with the panel including Prof. Kiat Ruxrungtham, M.D., Executive Director of the COVID-19 Vaccine Development Project, Chula Vaccine Research Center (CVRC), and Asst. Prof. Dr. Suthira Taychakhoonavudh, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and CEO & Co-Founder of Baiya Phytofarm Co., Ltd. the developer of the Chula-Baiya vaccine.

Prof. Dr. Kiat said that the clinical trials Phase 1 and 2 of ChulaCov19 are now done. Preliminary results show the volunteers to develop good immunity with only mild to moderate side effects which improved within 1-2 days. The FDA has already given the green light to Phase 3 human trial, which will also be benchmarked against the Pfizer vaccine for efficacy and safety. The trial will start in early 2022 and is expected to be complete in March. Tests in younger volunteers, preparation for mass production in collaboration with Bionet-Asia Co., Ltd., as well as preparation for Gen 2 and 3 vaccines that respond well to mutated strains are also underway. These next generations of vaccines have already been tested in lab animals.

ChulaCov19 vaccine can boost the immune system, and prevent cross-infection in both B Cells and T Cells — twice higher than the Pfizer vaccine. The vaccine design is different from the existing mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to avoid copyright issues, and its encasing is using the latest technology. ChulaCov19 can be stored for 3 months at 2-8 degrees Celsius which is longer than its counterparts. With a 2.3-billion-baht budget, mass production of the vaccine is estimated to be in June-September 2022 after the FDA approval.

On the progress of Chula-Baiya Vaccine, Asst. Prof. Dr. Suthira said that this protein subunit vaccine from N. benthamiana tobacco leaves uses a recombinant protein production with genetically-altered pathogenic bacteria in tobacco leaves. Currently, the industrial-grade vaccine factory, with a monthly capacity of 1-5 million doses is complete. Phase 1 clinical trials started on September 27 and no worrisome side effects have been found in volunteers, but the efficacy and safety of the vaccine are pending the data. Phase 2 trial is underway. Meanwhile, a second-generation vaccine is being developed from more than 10 strains of mutated viruses to combine into a cocktail vaccine. Phase 1 clinical trial on volunteers is expected in January 2022. The best vaccine will be selected for Phase 2 trials in February. Chula-Baiya vaccine can be approved for use in the 3rd or 4th quarter of 2022.

A Chula lecturer from the Faculty of Science has analyzed sugar and amino acid content in durian stems to indicate the age of the fruits before harvesting them to help growers identify the right products for distribution and export, and aims to develop a sensor to detect ripeness in all varieties of durians.

“Durian”, the king of fruits from Thailand, the number-one export that’s dominating the world’s market with its taste, smell, and unique texture is beloved among Thai and foreign connoisseurs. With its massive export value, growers need to carefully harvest the durians just at the right age to ensure their great taste to be sold both domestically and internationally.

But one of the major problems for growers is how to make sure that the durians are just right and ready for harvest because premature harvests will affect the taste, quality, and price. Therefore, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thanit Praneenararat, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, has come up with a way to help growers to accurately assess the ripening age of durians before harvesting.

“In the past, most of the chemistry research focused on analyzing the chemical composition of durian fruit that had been cut from the tree to determine their ripeness, but this research aims to assess the age of durian from its stem, which still receives little attention,” said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thanit.

Generally, the most common method used by growers to determine the age of durian is to count the days after the durian blossoms bloom until the day the fruit is ready for harvest.

“We found that the liquid in durian stem contains sugar compounds that correspond to the sweetness from tasting, but chemical analysis showed that when the durians began to ripen, the amount of sucrose drastically increased while glucose and fructose decreased. Moreover, it was found that certain amino acids significantly increased as the durian aged,” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thanit revealed the research findings which were published in Scientific Reports, an international journal affiliated with Nature.

Research on the liquid in durian stem

“This research is the first step towards developing a method that will help growers assess the age of uncut durian, which can reduce economic losses from premature harvest,” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thanit emphasized the importance of the research. He also detailed the plans to increase the number of durian samples for analysis, expand the research to include other durian varieties besides Monthong, and produce portable paper-based sensors to detect the substances discovered in this research, which will provide growers with an alternative that’s easier to use, and less prone to human error.

 

 

Chula’s Natural History Museum of Nan has received the honorable mention award under the concept “Reimage, Relearn, and Reinvent during in the COVID-19 pandemic”.

The Natural History Museum of Nan features exhibits related to the life and culture of the tribes of Nan and is home to a number of priceless local antiques. It was designed to foster the love and pride for Nan’s natural resources, arts, culture, and local wisdom, raising awareness for the need for conservation and environmental protection, and building knowledge on local ecology and sustainable use that supports biodiversity. The museum houses 10 exhibition rooms that contain specimens of plants, animals, and various biological, physical, and cultural resources in Nan province.

Watch a video clip of the Natural History Museum of Nan at https://youtu.be/_yOAS0DfZ9o

The Natural History Museum of Nan location:

2nd floor of Wichakham 2 Building, Pha Singh Research and Technology Transfer Station, Center for Learning and Academic Services, the Network of Chulalongkorn University, Nan Province.