Postgraduate research opportunities Improving purity of crystalline pharmaceutical products using advanced nano-tomography techniques

Filtration is classically used to separate product crystals from the impure mother liquor from which they were crystallized. For this to be completely effective the residual mother liquor must be removed by washing with a suitable solvent. This is an essential step in pharmaceutical manufacturing however it has not been subject to intense scrutiny and most processes are developed empirically. This PhD project sets out to use nano-computed tomography (nano-CT) to obtain high-resolution cross-sectional images using a beam of X-rays with a focal spot of ca 400nm. The project will also examine other tomography techniques, potentially including the I13 beam line at the DIAMOND, the UK synchrotron which would allow the collection of real time data resolutions as small as 50nm. These innovative techniques will yield unprecedented information on the washing step, leading to optimisation of the drug manufacture process.

All Strathclyde Postgraduate Research (PGR) students undertake the Strathclyde Researcher Development programme (PGCert), which provides a framework for skills and knowledge development, with the award of the separate qualification in conjunction with the PhD. Additionally, all PGR students are automatically enrolled in the Strathclyde Doctoral School, providing opportunities for students to network and intensifying their research dissemination.