We have 29 participants at this week's Zoom meeting - our guest speaker and 28 Rotarians.
Our guest speaker on Tuesday 19 May was Dr Georgina Such, Senior Lecturer in the School of Chemistry at The University of Melbourne.
Georgina is the daughter of our Fund-raising Director Rotarian Carolyn Such and her father is Rotarian Chris Such from the Rotary Club of Somerville-Tyabb.
Georgina spoke about her role in the Chemistry Department in the Science Faculty at the University and then focussed on her research work into polymers.
Polymers are materials made of long, repeating chains of molecules. Polymers occur naturally and are also made artificially. Polymers make up so much of the world that we know today.
It was amazing to hear Georgina talk about contact lenses. Developed in the 1880's contact lenses were originally made of glass. In 1960, plastic contact lenses were developed. Today soft flexible contact lenses are available thanks to the polymers used in their manufacture.
One particularly interesting aspect of her talk was about the use and potential of polymers as antimicrobial drugs.
Many of our current pharmaceutical drugs are becoming resistant to microbes. This is the biggest threat to our healthcare system. Currently over 700,000 people die worldwide as a result of ineffective antibiotic drugs . In 2014, it was estimated that 3.3% of tuberculosis cases were multi drug resistant. By 2050 this is estimated to rise to 10 million.
With an enormous cost to our health system, the financial implications of treatment and antibiotics failing to prevent infection, the world could be facing a catastotrophe. However, antimicrobial polymers have the ability to stop the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria and offer a way forward to protect the health of people.
In addition to her work as a research academic, Georgina also has other responsibilities at the University. Recently she was appointed as the Associate Dean responsible for Diversity & Inclusion in the Science Faculty at The University of Melbourne.
Members were delighted to have been able to have heard such a fascinating talk from a person totally on top of her subject.