Professor Alastair Florence

Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences

Personal statement

Director of the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Continuous Manufacturing and Crystallisation (CMAC) and associated 45 PhD Doctoral Training Centre. Leads the new world-class CMAC National Facility within the Technology and Innovation Centre (TIC) at the University of Strathclyde offering access to academic and industrial users to state-of-the art processing, analysis and characterisations facilties and support. Expertise in crystallisation and physical form control and characterisation of pharmaceuticals spanning polymorphism, solvate, co-crystal and salt formation and studies of amorphous systems. Extensive experience in the formation of pharmaceutical particles in continuous processes using a range of technologies as part of the CMAC programme. Interests also in the development and application of new technologies to control and monitor crystallisation and pharmaceutical solids.

Approaches for the characterisation of particles are also widely used and physical analysis of crystalline pharmaceuticals with a focus on the influence of crystallisation processes on structure and critical pharmaceutically relevant attributes that dictates product performance. Exploitation of X-ray powder diffraction techniques for phase identification, structure determination from powder diffraction data and in-situ phase surveys including local order using variable-temperature X-ray powder diffraction are key areas.

Has published over 120 peer reviewed research papers in these areas and currently supervises a large multidisciplinary research group including pharmacists, chemists and chemical engineers.

Expertise

Back to staff profile

Prize And Awards

Best Poster Award @ CMAC Annual Open Day 2018: Recipient; 25/10/2018
Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain Conference Science Medal: Recipient; 9/2004

More prizes and awards

Publications

Back to staff profile

Publications

Integrated continuous process design for crystallisation, spherical agglomeration, and filtration of lovastatin: Brown Cameron J, McGinty John, Islam Muhammad T, Rajoub Nazer, Arjmandi-Tash Omid, Ottoboni Sara, Shahid Muhid, Urwin Stephanie J, Lee Ye Seol, Chong Magdalene W S, Papathanasiou Foteini, Prakash Aruna S, Prasad Elke, Spence Bronwyn, Sefcik Jan, Robertson John, Smith Rachel, Litster James D, Price Chris J, Nordon Alison, Adjiman Claire S, Florence Alastair J; Journal of Pharmaceutical Innovation Vol 19 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1007/s12247-024-09815-z
Comparative study on adaptive Bayesian optimization for batch cooling crystallization for slow and fast kinetic regimes: Pickles Thomas, Mustoe Chantal, Brown Cameron J, Florence Alastair J; Crystal Growth and Design Vol 24, pp. 1245-1253 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.cgd.3c01225
Developing a model-driven workflow for the digital design of small-scale batch cooling crystallisation with the antiviral lamivudine: Pickles Thomas, Mustoe Chantal, Boyle Christopher, Cardona Javier, Brown Cameron J, Florence Alastair J; CrystEngComm Vol 26, pp. 822-834 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1039/D3CE00897E
Tautomerism unveils a self-inhibition mechanism of crystallization: Tang Weiwei, Yang Taimin, Morales-Rivera Cristian A, Geng Xi, Srirambhatla Vijay K, Kang Xiang, Chauhan Vraj P, Hong Sungil, Tu Qing, Florence Alastair J, Mo Huaping, Calderon Hector A, Kisielowski Christian, Hernandez Francisco C Robles, Zou Xiaodong, Mpourmpakis Giannis, Rimer Jeffrey D; Nature Communications Vol 14 (2023); https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-35924-3
Expanding the pharmaceutical formulation space in material extrusion 3D printing applications: Prasad Elke, Robertson John, Florence Alastair J, Halbert Gavin W; Additive Manufacturing Vol 77 (2023); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2023.103803
Digital process design to define and deliver pharmaceutical particle attributes: Urwin Stephanie J, Chong Magdalene WS, Li Wei, McGinty John, Mehta Bhavik, Ottoboni Sara, Pathan Momina, Prasad Elke, Robertson Murray, McGowan Mark, al-Attili Mais, Gramadnikova Ekaterina, Siddique Mariam, Houson Ian, Feilden Helen, Benyahia Brahim, Brown Cameron J, Halbert Gavin W, Johnston Blair, Nordon Alison, Price Chris J, Reilly Chris D, Sefcik Jan, Florence Alastair J; Chemical Engineering Research and Design Vol 196, pp. 726-749 (2023); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cherd.2023.07.003

More publications

Research

Back to staff profile

Professional Activities

Organic Process Research and Development (Journal): Peer reviewer; 1/12/2023
4th Commercializing Flow Chemistry Summit 2023: Speaker; 17/10/2023
InnovatePharma Healthcare 2023: Speaker; 11/9/2023
CMAC Summer School: Participant; 14/6/2023
Made Smarter Innovation Challenge Forum: Participant; 6/6/2023
4th Symposium of the International Consortium for Advanced Medicines Manufacturing: Participant; 27/4/2023

More professional activities

Projects

Correlating Digital and Experimental Chemical Space to Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Processes: El-Habbak, Omar (Researcher) Brown, Cameron (Principal Investigator) Florence, Alastair (Principal Investigator); This project will deliver a novel, interpretable machine-learning model for predicting powder flow considering physical, chemical, and computed molecule/particle features. The output of this model will facilitate the rapid development of new medicines manufacturing.; 01-Jan-2023 - 01-Jan-2027
DTP 2224 University of Strathclyde | Clark, Connor: Florence, Alastair (Principal Investigator) Johnston, Blair (Co-investigator) Clark, Connor (Research Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2023 - 01-Jan-2027
Industrial Case Account - University of Strathclyde 2023 | Tierney, Colette: Florence, Alastair (Principal Investigator) Robertson, John (Co-investigator) Tierney, Colette (Research Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2023 - 01-Jan-2026
DTP 2224 University of Strathclyde | MacQueen, Lewis: Florence, Alastair (Principal Investigator) Robertson, John (Co-investigator) MacQueen, Lewis (Research Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2023 - 01-Jan-2027
Recounting an Ancient Story of Crystallisation: Saffron Rock Candy: Salehian, Mohammad (Principal Investigator) Al Qaraghuli, Mohammed (Co-investigator) Hone, Scott (Co-investigator) Clark, Catriona (Co-investigator) Markl, Daniel (Co-investigator) Florence, Alastair (Co-investigator); Funding: Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (CCDC) Engagement Grant Programme (£1500)
Summary: In this project, we aim to raise awareness of crystallisation science among students of primary and secondary schools through easy-to-follow, self-paced experimental packages. We will demonstrate the crystallisation process in the case of rock candy, along with the underlying science in an easy-to-understand manner. As part of the engagement strategy, crystallisation science's cultural and historical aspects will also be considered. Audiences will learn how crystals form, practice the science behind solubility and super-saturated solutions and understand the impact of crystallisation conditions (such as temperature, pressure, seeding, and concentration) on the final structure and the taste of sugar crystals. The key concepts include crystal growth, seeding crystals, solvent/solute, and solubility.; 09-Jan-2023 - 09-Jan-2023
GiBio Gastrointestinal bioreactor to evaluate ingestible medicines and inform formulation and manufacture (EPSRC Strategic equipment): Batchelor, Hannah (Principal Investigator) Florence, Alastair (Co-investigator) Horan, Linda (Co-investigator) Khadra, Ibrahim (Co-investigator) McArthur, Stephen (Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2022 - 30-Jan-2025