A buzz in the world of chemistry Reading Answers

Aug 13, 2024

A buzz in the world of chemistry Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. A buzz in the world of chemistry Reading Answers have a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. In the questions, you have to choose the correct words for the given statement. In the next section, you have to choose the correct statement from the options.

Candidates should read the IELTS Reading passage thoroughly to recognize synonyms, identify keywords, and answer the questions below. IELTS Reading practice papers, which feature topics such as A buzz in the world of chemistry Reading Answers. Candidates can use IELTS reading practice questions and answers to enhance their performance in the reading section.

Section 1

A BUZZ IN THE WORLD OF CHEMISTRY

A. For the past few years, one of the buzz terms in the pharmaceutical, agrochemical and biotechnology industries has been 'combinatorial chemistry'. Surf the net and find thousands of references to it. Read any of the general science weeklies, such as nature or new scientist, and every few issues, another worthy author is going to save the 21st century from everything nasty with this miraculous technology. Some of the more specialist journals have even devoted whole issues to reviewing combinatorial chemistry.

B. These reviews all have the same format. First, there is the section from research and development director of a major chemical company, a person who was not worked at the bench for years, if not decades. This is filled with business speak; the jargon keeps the shareholder happy and makes them proud to own a bit of something at the forefront of science. Section two is from a director of a venture capital funded synthetic chemistry company located on a green field side, probably in a portacabin, or, perhaps, in a new business park, rent free for the first five years from the local authority of a small town no

one has heard of. He discusses the molecular modelling packages that they are using to build 'virtual" libraries containing millions of compounds. The third

section is by someone who, in fact, practises combinatorial chemistry and who developed an automated system to do the syntheses and to assay the products. They can probably synthesise a few thousands compound per week.

C. We know that organic chemistry is the chemistry of carbon, biochemistry the chemistry of life and physical chemistry the application of physics to chemical behaviour. What then is combinatorial chemistry?

D. Combinatorial chemistry is the branch of synthetic organic chemistry. We all remember mathematics classes at school just before end of the term when we were given silly sums to do: How many waves can five differently coloured beads are arranged on a string? (120). Maths teachers call these permutation and combination problems; hence, combinatorial chemistry.

E. After the development of solid phase peptide synthesis in the 1960s by Merrifield, soon synthetic peptide chemists were also doing permutation and combination sums. There are 20 naturally occurring amino acids, the building blocks of peptides and proteins, the workhouse molecules of life. How many ways can these be arranged, or chemical bonded, to synthesise novel peptides which might be put to any number of uses in the pharmacy? If we take just one molecule of each of the 20 amino acids and join the together to form a peptide, we find that we can arrange these in 20! Or 2.432902008177*1018 ways. Nature knows no such restraint; it can use multiple copies of each amino acid, and so can synthesise 2020 or 1.048576*1026 twenty amino acid peptides. Proteins contains hundreds of amino acids. The number of possible sequences are truly innumerable!

F. They become even more so when one considers the other polymeric molecules of life: the lipids, carbohydrates and nucleic acids. Classically trained synthetic chemists strive for purity. One remembers twelve years ago chemist synthesising a 20 residue peptide. He went of the lab, was ever so busy, producing a different high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) trace every few days to show his biologist customers how the reactions were progressing. A few months after the request was placed, the biologists were given a few milligrams of their desired peptide and half a rain forest worth of HPLC printout!

G. That was fine when only one product was sought. Now the demand is for thousands of products to satisfy the automated high- through-put screening

system employed by the major pharmaceutical companies. How can this be achieved?

H. let us consider solid phase synthesis strategies. In these, the compound of interest is synthesised on a solid support, a resin bead. These beads are

typically 100 microns in diameter made from cross-linked polyvinyl; benzene or polyethylene glycol polymers.

I. Using the Tea-bag method, developed by Houghten in the 1980s, typically about 100 mg of the 100 micron beads are put into polypropylene mesh sacs which have a 75 micron mesh size. These are thermally sealed and the synthesis takes place on the resin beads with the sac. During the synthesis reaction cycles, the sacs are transferred from reagent pot to pot in sequence, and at the end of the synthesis, the product is cleaved off the bead, characterised

and purified as need be. Using this strategy, one need to use a separate sac for each compound to be synthesised and automated systems have now been

developed for multiple sac manipulation.

J. The sensitivity of compound analytical techniques has developed apace with the technology, and whereas, in the 1980s, one required several millimoles of product to characterize, now this can be done with femtomoles or in some cases attomoles (10-18moles)! Therefore, one need only recover product from 1 bead, about 2-3 picmoles. Automated systems are now being developed to synthesise on single magnetic beads using only2-3 nanoliters of reagent per

cycle. When the 'classical" Tea-bag strategy was developed, 100 millilitres per cycle were considered to be a phenomenal solvent cost-cutting exercise.

K. The development of high-the-put automated screening has demanded from synthetic chemistry large arrays or libraries of compound to satisfy the

investment made in installing these systems. Will combinatorial chemistry be able to meet this demand? Are the synthesises well enough developed to meet this? Peptide and oligonucleotide solid phase strategies have been well enough developed over the past 30 years. Will solution methods and are other novel chemistries able to keep pace? Can 'virtual' chemicals be used to remedy 'real' problems? After all, we are living in the real world.

Questions 14-19

Complete the text below, which is a summary of paragraphs A-E. Choose your answers from the word list and write them in boxes.

You may use each word only once.

HOW COMBINATORIAL CHEMISTRY BEGAN

Combinatorial chemistry as an (14)......... of synthetic organic chemistry has been very much

Answer: OFFSHOT

Supporting statement: “........Combinatorial chemistry is the branch of synthetic organic chemistry...........”

Keywords: Combinatorial, chemistry

Keyword Location: para D, line 1

Explanation: The term "offshoot" refers to something that has developed from something else. In this context, combinatorial chemistry is described as an extension or development from synthetic organic chemistry

(15)......... in recent years, (16)......... me. in a plethora of articles written by experts in Answer: IN VOGUE

Supporting statement: “.........has been very much in vogue in recent years..........”

Keywords: has, vogue

Keyword Location: para A, line 1

Explanation: "In vogue" means currently popular or fashionable. The passage describes combinatorial chemistry as being highly popular in recent years.

Answer: APPEARING

Supporting statement: “..........appearing in a plethora of articles written by experts in the field.........”

Keywords: appearing, plethora

Keyword Location: para A, line 1

Explanation: This word is used to describe how references to combinatorial chemistry frequently show up in various publications and articles.

the field. Moreover, all the reviews in specialist publications

(17)........ the same formula. But what about the origin of combinatorial chemistry? It Answer: FOLLOW RELIGIOUSLY

Supporting statement: “........all the reviews in specialist publications follow religiously the same formula...........”

Keywords: reviews, formula

Keyword Location: para A, line 1

Explanation: This phrase means to adhere strictly or consistently to a certain pattern or formula. The passage mentions that all reviews of combinatorial chemistry follow a similar structure.

comes from permutation and combination problems in mathematics (18)........•.. solid Answer: ONCE

Supporting statement: “........once solid phase peptide synthesis was developed, synthetic peptide chemists started doing similar calculations...........”

Keywords: phase, similar

Keyword Location: para E, line 1

Explanation: The term "once" indicates that something happened after a particular event. Here, it means that synthetic peptide chemists began doing permutation and combination sums after the development of solid-phase peptide synthesis.

phase peptide synthesis was developed, synthetic peptide chemist: started doing similar calculations as well. The 20 naturally occurring amino acids provided them with (19)..... Possibilities.

Answer: LIMITLESS

Supporting statement: “.........The 20 naturally occurring amino acids provided them with limitless possibilities..........”

Keywords: naturally, limitless

Keyword Location: para E, line 1

Explanation: The passage highlights the vast number of possibilities for arranging amino acids, indicating that the possibilities are virtually endless.

WORD LIST

Known	Limitless	In vogue
Appearing	As	In the air
Offspring	Until	Once
Follow religiously	Usually follow	Offshoot
Doubled	Limited	references

Questions 20-24

Use NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each. Look at paragraphs I and J which describe the Tea-bag method. Using the information in the

passage, complete the flow chart below.

IN THE TEA-BAG METHOD

- special solid supports are placed in 20...

Answer: MESH SACS

Supporting statement: “........typically about 100 mg of the 100 micron beads are put into polypropylene mesh sacs...........”

Keywords: mesh, sacs

Keyword Location: para I, line 1

Explanation: The passage describes how special solid supports, which are resin beads, are placed into mesh sacs for the synthesis process. These sacs hold the resin beads and facilitate the transfer of these beads through various stages of the synthesis.

- which are then 21....... to close

Answer: THERMALLY SEALED

Supporting statement: “...........These are thermally sealed and the synthesis takes place on the resin beads within the sac..........”

Keywords: thermally, sealed

Keyword Location: para I, line 3

Explanation: After placing the resin beads into mesh sacs, these sacs are sealed using heat to ensure they are securely closed. This thermal sealing process is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the sacs during the synthesis process.

- Chemical bonding occurs on the solid supports, i.e. on the 22.........

Answer: RESIN BEADS

Supporting statement: “........the synthesis takes place on the resin beads within the sac...........”

Keywords: resin, beads

Keyword Location: para I, line 4

Explanation: The synthesis reactions occur on the resin beads, which serve as the solid supports in this method. These beads provide the necessary surface for the chemical reactions to take place.

- During the process, the sacs are moved from 23....

Answer: POT TO POT

Supporting statement: “..........the sacs are transferred from reagent pot to pot in sequence..........”

Keywords: transferred, sacs

Keyword Location: para I, line 5

Explanation: During the synthesis process, the mesh sacs containing the resin beads are moved sequentially from one reagent pot to another. This transfer process is part of the synthesis cycle, allowing the beads to interact with different reagents in a controlled manner.

- And, finally, the product is separated, characterized and 24….... as required.

Answer: PURIFIED

Supporting statement: “.........the product is cleaved off the bead, characterised and purified as need be...........”

Keywords: purified, bead

Keyword Location: para I, line 6

Explanation: After the synthesis is complete, the final product is separated from the resin beads, characterized to determine its properties, and then purified as necessary. This purification step ensures that the product is of high quality and suitable for further use or analysis.

Questions 25-27

Which three contributors are described by the writer?

Below is a list if the regular types of contributor to chemistry reviews. Write your answer A-F in the order.

A. A direct of s technology Business Park.

B. Someone who is from a major company and involved directly in research.

C. Someone who is involved in the new technology

of combinatorial chemistry.

D. An amateur chemist who synthesizes thousands of compounds per week.

E. The director of a small obscurely located and investment funded operation.

F. An out-of-practice director of some major chemical enterprise.

Answer: F

Supporting statement: “.........the section from research and development director of a major chemical company, a person who has not worked at the bench for years..........”

Keywords: practice, major

Keyword Location: para B, line 1

Explanation: This refers to a director who has not worked directly in a laboratory for many years. The passage describes this person as someone who provides a business perspective on combinatorial chemistry, using jargon to please shareholders and highlight the company's involvement in cutting-edge science.

Answer: E

Supporting statement: “........a director of a venture capital funded synthetic chemistry company located on a green field site, probably in a portacabin, or, perhaps, in a new business park...........”

Keywords: located, investment

Keyword Location: para B, line 3

Explanation: This describes a director of a small, venture capital-funded synthetic chemistry company located in a relatively unknown or remote area. The passage portrays this person as discussing molecular modeling and the creation of virtual libraries of compounds.

Answer: C

Supporting statement: “........someone who, in fact, practises combinatorial chemistry and who developed an automated system to do the syntheses and to assay the products...........”

Keywords: technology, combinatorial

Keyword Location: para B, line 5

Explanation: This refers to a person who actively practices combinatorial chemistry and has developed automated systems for synthesis and product analysis.

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