Week 4: New Project

After some discussion with the group advisor, it was determined that the best way to proceed was to find a new topic for the project and more or less start over.

The Group and advisor found a new project idea based on basic diffusion and alginate shells. Essentially, the overall capsule will have two shells of alginate; an outer shell and an inner shell. Between the outer shell and the inner shell there will be a dense region of alginate containing calcium carbonate, which, upon ingestion, will very quickly be released into the stomach via simple diffusion. Within the inner shell, there will be a less dense region of alginate containing bromelain, which will gradually release from the inner shell to the outer shell and then to the stomach, also via simple diffusion. The structure of the capsule is shown below in figure 1. The reason bromelain will be used is that bromelain breaks down proteins very well. Therefore, the group will create a drug that could be used by patients who require assistance digesting proteins. The calcium carbonate would act as an antacid, further ensuring a stable stomach.

Figure 1