Interdisciplinary Designers

A pair of Sixth Form Scientists have triumphed in a design competition run by Homerton College Cambridge.

The annual design challenge aims to challenge students’ problem solving ability and develop their independent research skills. For this year’s tasks, aspiring designers were tasked with responding to the following brief: Design a sustainable solution to any health or environmental problem that we are facing. Juliette and Chiara in the Upper Sixth were drawn to the breadth of the brief, as they felt they could tailor it to their interests. Juliette wants to study Medicine, so was interested in the healthcare aspect of the brief; Chiara wants to study Natural Sciences, a course about interdisciplinary science, and was interested in how chemistry could overlap with biology to deliver a sustainable healthcare solution.

Their submission, entitled The Synthesis of Magnesium Sulphate in Developing Countries, explored the use of magnesium sulphate as a key drug in treating pre-eclampsia – a leading cause of maternal death in developing countries. A major challenge they encountered was keeping their challenge to budget – their synthesis solution could not exceed a hypothetical cost of £20,000 – and keeping the drug sterile, as it was to be injected intramuscularly. Their efforts clearly impressed the judges, who awarded the duo the award for the ‘Most Interdisciplinary Submission’ in the competition.