By Stephen Beech
Deadly designer drugs could be more easily detected using a high-tech new method, say scientists.
Some new drugs replicate the effects of known illicit substances, but can't presently be identified in urine samples as there is no specific test for them.
Scientists say the chemical structure variations that help such compounds avoid detection also make them "unpredictable" once inside the body - posing serious health consequences.
Now, an American research team - including a high school student - has used computer modelling to create a database of predicted chemical structures for improved detection of potentially thousands of different designer narcotics.
Jason Liang, a student at Montgomery Blair High School , Maryland, said: “This library of computationally genera