Abstract
My technical and STS projects were both motivated by urgent global challenges involving antibiotics, access to essential medicines and the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. My technical project focuses on designing a domestic amoxicillin manufacturing plant in Australia that could supply the country’s population with a reliable source of this widely used antibiotic. I became interested in this problem during the COVID-19 pandemic, when supply chain disruptions exposed many country’s dependence on imported pharmaceuticals. My STS project examines antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where resistant infections are a major and increasing public health concern. While these countries often use fewer antibiotics than wealthier nations, AMR is driven by factors such as incomplete treatment courses, limited healthcare access, poor sanitation, and the circulation of substandard medications. Together, these projects were motivated by the recognition that solving antibiotic-related problems requires both reliable production systems and a deeper understanding of the social conditions that shape how medicines are accessed and used.
The technical portion of my thesis produced an economically viable amoxicillin manufacturing plant designed to strengthen Australia’s domestic antibiotic supply. The process uses enzymatic synthesis, reacting 6-amino penicillanic acid (6-APA) with hydroxyphenylglycine methyl ester (HPGME) in the presence of penicillin G acylase (PGA) under atmospheric conditions. Four continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTRs) were selected to maximize conversion, achieving 98% conversion before downstream separation. The product is then crystallized through controlled pH and temperature changes, recovering 83% of the amoxicillin, followed by washing, tablet formulation, bottling, and packaging for sale. Overall, the plant demonstrates strong economic potential while reducing Australia’s dependence on imported antibiotics.
In my STS research, I showed that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is more complex than simple antibiotic overuse. Resistance is shaped by inequitable healthcare access, weak governance, unreliable pharmaceutical supply chains, and the circulation of poor-quality medicines. This means effective solutions must go beyond encouraging better antibiotic use and instead address the larger systems that determine access to treatment. My research highlights the need for stronger healthcare infrastructure, improved surveillance systems, and more equitable global drug distribution. These findings are significant because they show that combating AMR requires both medical interventions and systemic social change.
Using STS perspectives showed me that successful engineering requires attention to technical, organizational, and cultural factors at the same time. An amoxicillin production plant may be efficient and profitable from a technical standpoint, but its value depends on how it fits into a larger system of regulations, supply chains, and public needs. In the case of antibiotics, technical solutions alone cannot solve problems of access or resistance if the core problems leading to resistance are not fixed. Considering cultural factors such as trust in healthcare systems, treatment behaviors, and local health practices is equally important because these influence how technologies are actually used. STS therefore supports ethical responsibility in engineering by encouraging engineers to think beyond performance and cost and consider the broader human consequences of their decisions. This reminds engineers that they must serve both technical goals and societal needs in order to best serve the public.
