The general idea of my project was to represent the stereochemistry of pharmaceutical drugs, in other words the chirality found in the different enantiomers of medication. According to Dr. J. McConathy and Dr. M.J. Owens, "chirality is formally defined as the geometric poverty of a rigid object (like a molecule or drug) of not being superimposable with its mirror image". Additionally, "enantiomers" is the term used to call the mirror images of a chiral compound. A racemic mixture, also known as a racemate, is a 50/50 ratio solution of both forms. The two enantiomers of a molecule have similar chemical and physical properties in an achiral environment. For example, one enantiomer of limonene smells like oranges, while the other has a lemon odor. Moreover, in our bodies, three binding sites are present on our receptors, which are labeled a, b and c. The ABC groups of the drug must bind to the receptor in the appropriate way: the A group with the a site, the B group with the b site and the C group with the c site. Therefore, only one enantiomer will be able to do so and become biologically active. Sometimes health problems arise when the wrong enantiomer bonds with a certain receptor site. A dramatic example of this was experienced in the early 1960's, when pregnant women were prescribed Thalidomide, a racemate drug whose purpose was to reduce morning sickness. Over 10 000 babies, whose mothers took that drugs during their pregnancy, were born with a deficiency.

For my artwork, I decided to make a three-dimensional model, which would involve all of these concepts. I put two tablets facing one another, each with a chiral molecule of Ibuprofen coming out of it. Both pills demonstrate the two enantiomers of the drugs, and the plastic sheet represents the mirror creating the images. I chose Ibuprofen (sold as Advil or Motrin) since this is a well-known drug that shows chirality and is sold as a racemic mixture. I included the thalidomide controversy, to introduce the biological aspect of my project. The colors orange and yellow were used to express the different smells of each of limonene's enantiomers. Next, I added two dolls: a mother doll taking a thalidomide tablet and on the other side, a baby doll with missing limbs, the main side effect of the drug.

Stereochemistry is very influential in drugs, for it may be the reason for a grand disaster, but other cases, it can create miracles.