Medicinal chemist to develop remote-controlled drugs

30 year-old Jacob Ingemar Olsen recently completed his MSc in Medicinal Chemistry. The international study programme has paved the way for a budding research career. Jacob is a PhD student at the University of Copenhagen where he, among other things, conducts research into the transport of medicinal-chemical molecules in the body.

I have a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry and have always been interested in the medicinal aspects of chemistry – especially drug discovery. The MSc programme in Medicinal Chemistry truly satisfied my big appetite for organic synthesis chemistry. Designing and developing new molecules in the laboratory is truly exciting as small units may have a huge effect on people, whether healthy or ill. Basic research fascinates me, but research also needs to be applicable outside the laboratory. Now I am employed as a PhD student at the Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen where I do research on particular sugary substances which, in the long term, will be capable of transporting drugs in the body in a controlled manner.

Release of drugs in the right place

Almost all patients prefer taking their medicine orally – in the form of pills, for instance. However, this imposes high demands on the composition of the drug, especially if you want to ensure that the drug is released in a specific place in the body at a specific time. The complex interaction between the molecular properties of the drug and the physiological conditions in the body determine whether the drug is released into the blood – and whether it happens at the right time and place.

Among other things, my PhD project focuses on further developing and rearranging the molecules in a special group of sugary substances called cyclodextrins. They can actually function as a type of preprogrammed transporters of an active drug. The sugary substance surrounds the drug molecules like an extra cloak, making it easier to control the release of the active drug in the body. Imagine that the sugary substance functions as a kind of remote-controlled suitcase. This is the long-term goal, but my project is conducted at a very basic level.

International study environment fostered research career

The MSc programme in Medicinal Chemistry is influenced by the many international students who choose to take a medicinal degree in Denmark. The interaction between people of so many different nationalities sharing the same academic interest creates an incredibly dynamic environment. The international environment also prepares the students for a career in the medicinal industry where English is generally the working language. The same is true for the research community, where I am now. Most of my international fellow students have found jobs in Denmark, and many of my Danish fellow students have moved abroad after graduation.

I met my Spanish girlfriend during my studies. The world of medicine is global, which you can already sense during your study programme.