At the crossroads of chemistry and medicine lie opportunities to eradicate disease. This program guides students through advances in biotechnology and genetic engineering that may lead to long-sought medical treatments and cures. Presenting the 19th-century development of aspirin as the first synthetic imitation of a naturally derived medicinal substance, the video demonstrates large-scale, present-day experiments on fungi and plant material that make gene-based medical breakthroughs almost inevitable. The creation of smart plastics for surgical applications will further expand students’ understanding of where medicine and nanotechnology meet. (30 minutes)