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Pure and Applied Chemistry has the largest postgraduate chemistry research school in Scotland and is the eighth largest in the United Kingdom. The Department is an international leader in a broad spectrum of topics and at a number of multidisciplinary interfaces. Research is supported by a healthy and expanding funding base - the most recent survey shows a 98% increase in our funding from Research Councils as well as a deepening of the traditionally extensive portfolio of collaborations with industry large and small. Excellent internal relations underpin the collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of our research.
The Department has four major divisions, each with a distinctive research profile.
- Organic Chemistry
- Physical Chemistry and Chemical Technology
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Analytical Chemistry and Forensic Science
Organic chemistry works closely with bioscience-related Departments in Strathclyde and Glasgow using its extensive expertise in organic synthesis for the preparation of a range of target molecules for medical uses. An example is its participation in YRING, the Yoshitomi Research Institute for Neuroscience. Our expertise extends to synthesis of all types of molecules from peptides and nucleic acids to complex polycyclic secondary metabolites. Solution phase and solid-supported synthesis are undertaken, and we are at the international forefront of development of solid-supported reagents. Combinatorial approaches to many synthetic programmes are under study. Synthetic expertise is supported by leading-edge computational capabilities as well as by high-field NMR, and modern mass spectrometry and X-ray crystallography facilities.
In physical chemistry, there is a strong interest in the use of non-aqueous enzymes and enzyme immobilised systems on solid supports. Work in applied biocatalysis particularly concerns the action of enzymes in low-water media (e.g. organic or mainly solid). The target is fundamental understanding of behaviour, as a basis for others to develop further practical applications. Our physical chemists are active participants in the Institute for Cell Engineering and there is a large interest in the properties of polymers including polymers for the slow release of drugs, and importantly, for molecular imprinting.
Analytical chemistry includes the Centre for Process Analytics and Control Technology (CPACT) and has a strong interest in the role of metal ions in medicine in collaboration with the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. There is also a strong environmental interest in analysis of contaminants in tap water and natural waters. Forensic chemistry at Strathclyde has an excellent tradition and maintains an excellent international reputation.
Our inorganic chemists are interested in metalloproteins and in particular in P450 enzymes which are key to the activation of carcinogens in the body. The new technique of surface enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) is being developed as an ultra-sensitive and selective technique for the analysis of genome defects and the determination of drug concentrations in situ. This research is complemented by a novel and expanding programme on the chemistry of DNA, RNA and PNA modification.
Department of Pure & Applied Chemistry
Thomas Graham Building
University of Strathclyde
295 Cathedral Street
Glasgow G1 1XL
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