Postgraduate Chemistry 2022-2023

The discovery of novel compounds e.g. for cancer or antibacterial research and treatment is a major task in the life sciences. The key to successful characterisation of novel compounds is structure elucidation, which can be achieved by modern, advanced analytical techniques. In this course, you will learn about the background theory of analytical techniques with a focus on structural identification to gain in-depth knowledge with methods like elemental & molecular mass spectrometry and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) for qualitative and quantitative determinations. The course will contain lectures, tutorials and invited lectures by experts in the field.

Metals are ubiquitous in the environment and in living things. They can be essential or toxic, and can occur in traces in biota and environmental samples. For the determination of trace levels of elements, advanced analytical methods can be used, based on atomic spectrometry. This course will provide in-depth knowledge of atomic emission, absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies, and mass spectrometry, featuring qualitative and quantitative aspects. Chromatography, combined with atomic spectrometry, is featured for trace element speciation, which allows distinguishing different metal compounds with varying toxicity. The course will contain lectures, tutorials and invited lectures by experts in the field.

In this course, you will learn how to perform instrumental analysis on modern analytical equipment. The course comprises a variety of experiments with modern instrumentation including atomic absorption/emission spectrometry, mass spectrometric methods, nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry, gas and liquid chromatography and atomic fluorescence spectrometry in practical lab sessions. It provides experience in data collection and data handling from modern instrumentation through practical experience in environmental and life science applications. Students learn about research dissemination, funding mechanisms, quality assurance and ethical issues.

This course provides an overview of the first stage of drug discovery, the identification of lead compounds. These lead compounds have pharmacological or biological activity and the potential to be therapeutically valuable. Approaches to identify lead compounds will be described: ranging from computer modelling and the use of commercial libraries of compounds, to serendipitous discovery.

This course will overview a range of basic synthetic methodologies such as the fundamentals of organic reaction mechanism including aromatic substitutions, S_N1 and S_N2 reactions, elimination reactions, carbonyl chemistry, and basic protecting groups. This toolkit of reactions will underpin the introduction of retrosynthetic analysis and a range of specific target molecules will be described. The students will practice these concepts in a number of interactive workshops. A range of the examples discussed in the lectures will be used in the associated laboratory classes which will focus on developing key laboratory skills, keeping a lab book to industry standards and data evaluation and recording.

This course introduces a core discipline within drug discovery, namely drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK). DMPK is primarily concerned with safety evaluation, drug absorption and how a drug is metabolised. The course will combine an introduction to basic pathways of enzymatic xenobiotic metabolism, the measurement and modelling of drug and metabolite concentrations and the regulatory framework overseeing this stage of drug development.

This course will provide an overview of the regulatory framework controlling drug development in Europe and the USA and how these will link to the emerging Asian sector.

Hydrogen is considered to be one of the key chemicals in our future energy landscape.  It can be produced from water but then also yield water as the by-product when used as a fuel.  It therefore lends itself to a circular economy which does not generate waste (i.e., H2O - H2 - H2O). 

Renewables is a key theme in the development of a sustainable future. This topic will be split into two themes – renewables for harnessing energy and renewables for chemical production. 

Fuel cell technology is an important consideration for an advancing hydrogen economy. These devices convert chemical energy into electrical energy by utilising a wide range of fuels, with efficiencies of > 80% and limited harmful emissions. 

A second more advanced laboratory module will take place in this term. Students will use the skills learnt in Lab Skills and develop them further by applying them to modern energy conversion devices. 

An individual research mini-project is performed in the second term within the Environmental Analytical Chemistry program. This mini-project is performed within one of the research groups in the chemistry department involved in environmental and analytical research. This can comprise a range of topics, from method development e.g. for mercury analysis, to determination of new compounds in plants. You will build on the knowledge you have acquired in the first term. The work will be mainly carried out in research groups e.g. the Marine Biodiscovery Center, MBC.

This course is tailored to provide you with research skills with a focus on problem solving and team working experience. A PPME project (Project Planning and Management Exercise) is performed, which asks for planning, managing and results delivery for teams of 2-3 students. Project topics revolve around environmental and analytical work. Workshop style assignments are held; information prioritising, (short notice briefing on an analytical problem) and writing a grant proposal for a long term investigation. The course contains laboratory classes and workshops. Oral presentations and scientific writing are part of the course assessment.

ICH stability requirements and stability evaluation will be at the heart of this course and how issues concerning the formulation and packaging of drugs plays a role. Emphasis will be focused upon how packing is often dependent on the intended patient group.

This course will provide an introduction to the key analytical methods used in drug development and how to develop methods consistent with the demands of the regulatory authorities. Students will gain hands-on experience of the techniques described.

This course builds upon the background provided in CM50XX Molecular design and synthesis, and introduces a range of advanced methods used in synthetic organic chemistry. The importance of environmental issues in designing chemical processes will be highlighted. The students will gain hands-on experience of these advanced methods of synthesis.

This course describes the process of transferring reactions developed on a small-scale in the research laboratory to very much larger scales in a commercial pilot plant and onto production. The students will gain hands-on experience of using industry standard software designed to facilitate this task.

Fuel cell technology is an important consideration for an advancing hydrogen economy. These devices convert chemical energy into electrical energy by utilising a wide range of fuels, with efficiencies of > 80% and limited harmful emissions. 

Gas separation, storage and utilisation represents one of the key challenges within a sustainable energy transition.  For too long, energy production/consumption has been accompanied by greenhouse gas emission. 

This module is designed to help students gain experience and confidence in using a variety of skills that are of importance for a professional chemist. 

This module is entirely laboratory based and will aim to introduce students to fundamental experimental techniques and practises which are widespread across the energy sector. 

An extended research project is the last part of the Environmental Analytical Chemistry course. An individual research project topic is given to each student within the field of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry. This can comprise a range of scenarios, e.g. the life sciences, archaeology etc. You will build on the topics taught in the first parts of the degree. We aim to provide project placements in related research groups at the University of Aberdeen, or in research institutes (e.g. the Hutton Institute, Marine Lab) locally in and around Aberdeen. Projects are supervised by both a University supervisor and placement supervisor.

The final part of the Industrial Pharmaceutical Chemistry programme is an extended research project. An individual research project topic will be given to each student which will build upon the topics taught in earlier modules. Projects may be based at the University of Aberdeen or with an industrial partner. In the latter case, students will be supervised by both a University supervisor and placement supervisor. A variety of different projects types will be available including practical, theoretical and literature based. At the end of the project students will be expected to present findings in the form of a written thesis and through oral presentation.

To gain experience in research applicable to Sustainable Energy Transitions, students undertake a clearly defined individual project requiring literature reviewing, project design and definition, experimental activities, data processing and interpretation and reporting. 

In the first term, students were able to develop both their research skills and lab skills.  However, it is often the application of these skills within a team environment that is of greatest importance for many business sectors.  Therefore, in this module students will need to work as part of a small team in order to study a research problem.