This special edition of our newsletter that you have before you is dedicated to Pharmaceutical Chemistry and features information about services, projects, and events in this area that are being carried out at IQS.
Tenéis en vuestras manos el monográfico especial de nuestra newsletter dedicado a la Química Farmacéutica con noticias de los servicios, proyectos y eventos de este ámbito que se están llevando a cabo en IQS.
This month we published a special edition of our newsletter, a monograph dedicated to the most recent and significant news from IQS in the field of pharmaceutical chemistry.
Undoubtedly, the most noteworthy event this June was Ramon Llull University’s presentation of an honorary doctorate to Dr David W. MacMillan, 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and professor with the Department of Chemistry at Princeton University (New Jersey, USA), which took place at IQS on 7 June.
The day beforehand, Dr MacMillan was invited to give a lecture within the framework of the ChemBioEng 2023-24 cycle of IQS Talks. Dr Ana Belén Cuenca, professor with the Department of Organic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the IQS School of Engineering, gave a warm introduction of the guest and his research career. Under the title “Development of organocatalysis and photoredox catalysis,” Dr MacMillan gave a masterclass on asymmetric organocatalysis and the use of visible light for the synthesis of natural and pharmaceutical products. His research and collaboration with companies in the pharmaceutical sector have opened new avenues for the development of more efficient and sustainable chemical reactions. This recognition underscores the importance of academic research and its global impact.
These events coincided with the 60th anniversary of the creation of the Department of Organic Chemistry at IQS, for which the commemorative exhibition “Organic Chemistry is Astronomy at the Molecular Level” was organized, dedicated to showcasing the past, present, and future of one of the first departments in the university’s history. We would like to thank Dr Iñaki Borrell for his work supporting this commemorative exhibition.
As an example of the research activity within this department, we would also like to highlight the news about the recent defence of the doctoral thesis by Dr Wei Wen Chen, with an innovative study on new synthetic methodologies based on hypervalent halogen chemistry as a tool to explore new transformations and structure design strategies.
IQS research goes beyond the essential objective of expanding scientific knowledge and is focused on its practical application and a vision towards transfer to the industrial sector. With this in mind, this monograph also includes four news items that highlight the types of collaborations between IQS and companies in the pharmaceutical sector for technological development and innovation from various angles.
First, the IQS Flow Chem Unit has introduced new methods in the field of flow chemistry, optimizing industrial processes to make them more efficient and sustainable. This unit has developed technologies that enable the continuous and safer production of chemical compounds of interest, with less environmental impact and greater energy efficiency. The unit’s work is a clear example of how process innovation can contribute to a greener and more sustainable future.
Second, the GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) analysis services provided to the pharmaceutical industry are highlighted, including the development and optimization of analytical methods and their validation and subsequent transfer for the analysis of samples in quality control. These services stand out as just a few of the ways in which we collaborate with companies and connect with the areas of activity within our laboratories and teams of experts in pharmaceutical chemistry.
As a third case, we have included a description of one of the research groups at IQS, which emerged as a result of the synergy between members of different laboratories at the school and their common approach in the pharmaceutical field. The Pharmaceutical Chemistry Group (GQF) combines experience and a wide variety of disciplines to cover virtually all stages of the development of a drug candidate, making it unique in this field of research within Catalonia.
Finally, and following our aim of introducing the people who form part the IQS research team, the section “7 Questions For…” presents Dr Maia Lloveras and Dr Gemma Mas, both of whom are connected to the collaboration on R&D&i projects that Ercros and IQS have maintained for more than twenty years and share their dreams, interests, and values with us in interviews.
We hope you enjoy it!
Dr Núria Vallmitjana
Director of IQS Tech Transfer