Drew's+Bend+Research+write+up

I have heard many things about Bend Research in the past years being a student of chemistry. I am surprised it has taken me this long to actually go there and see what it was all about. Bend research receives chemicals from pharmaceutical companies. There goal is to put these chemicals into a form that works for its intended purpose in the body. This type of science is absolutely necessary for these pharmaceutical companies to develop a potential new drug. This place is a dream for anyone interested in science whether its physics, chemistry, math, or even biology there is something hear for a wide range of workers.

First thing the technology available to the workers is incredible. The lab full of Chromatography systems blew me away. All those machines working 24/7 is very valuable for the research they are working on. Another lab that caught my attention was the room full of the eco chambers where they would monitor chemicals for months under set conditions for temperature and humidity. This allows the researchers to see how a potential drug will hold up after a long period of time. Being able to see an actual NMR was pretty remarkable as well. Hearing how much effort is involved just to keep the machine running properly shows how important it must be to there research. Another thing about the NMR was how much there is to know about it. I knew NMR was a tough subject but i had no idea someone could spend there entire life with the machine and still not understand it fully. With all this technology they show a strong ability to achieve what is asked of them from the pharm companies. There favorite and most successful technique is spray-dried dispersion's or SDD. This method allows Bend Research to make a chemical with low solubility more soluble. This is very important because in order for a drug to be used by the body it must be absorbed by the body.

Overall the experience was extremely valuable. Our guide, Franz, was outstanding. He was incredibly knowledgeable and was able to explain the information in a way that was easy to comprehend. Also the feeling of the establishment was quite unexpected. Everything was so layed back and it seemed like the workers were actually enjoying there jobs and having a good time. I would love to try and get an internship sometime there possibly in the winter when it isn't as crowded but the experienced gained by working in a place like that would help me greatly in a future career.

The atmosphere out there really is remarkable, isn't it? I know that the staff there works very hard, but the company obviously values their employees and takes care of them. They make sure everyone is kept fed and is as healthy as possible. Franz is pretty incredible as a tour guide! He's had lots of practice by now, but I also think his teaching experience shows through. He obviously loves to talk about his work, and the company.

I'm glad you enjoyed yourself so much. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.