Sustainable Design and Social Responsibility - Sustainable Design: The Science of Sustainability and Green Engineering - page 197

Table B5.2 ( Continued )

Design Principle Opportunities for Sustainable Biomedicine

Safe design Systems biology and “omics” technologies

(i.e., genomics, proteomics, and
metabonomics) can support predictions
of cumulative risk from products used in
various scenarios. This can complement
risks and opportunities to sensitive
populations (e.g., risks to selected
polymorphs). It may also allow for more
targeted and focused medicines,
avoiding wastes that can contribute to
cross-resistance and “super bugs.”

Low-hazard chemical
synthesis

Computational chemistry can help predict
unintended product formation and
reaction rates of optional reactions. This
will prevent downstream toxic waste
generation from pharamaceutical and
other medical manufacturing processes.

Renewable material use Systems biology, informatics, and “omics”

technologies can provide insights into
the possible chemical reactions and
toxicity of the compounds produced
when switching from depleting to
renewable materials. Medical packaging
can be more green.

Catalysis Computation chemistry can help to

compare rates of chemical reactions
using various catalysts. This not only
can prevent downstream waste
problems, but may also identify
reactions to assist environmental and
chemical engineering at the end the
process. Reactions identified in the
medical research lab may be useful to
engineers in treating hazardous wastes
(chemical and biological).

( Continued )