| Robert Working on the Nano LC system |
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| JASSO award for Robert |
Robert Healey, an honours student at the Chirality group, University
of Canberra, received the JASSO award from Japan
As part of a collaborative agreement with the Kyoto Institute of
technology Japan, Robert Healey, an honours student in the Chirality program (www.chiralitygroup.com) working under the supervision of Dr Ashraf Ghanem at the Faculty of Applied Science, University of Canberra was awarded
the JASSO scholarship from the Japan Students services organization (JASSO) to spend three months doing research at the department
of Biomolecular Engineering at the Kyoto Institute of Technology Japan. Robert will work on a technology transfer process
dealing with the fabrication of chiral silica monolith for separation of chiral drugs. The JASSO program provides an opportunity
for a wide range of students to develop an international perspective, enhancing academics while promoting mutual understanding
and friendship between nations. Students are encouraged to take advantage of this short-term pilot project which will serve
to establish active links between and networks among universities, advancing internationalization worldwide. In addition to
his research work, Robert is an active member of the RACI ACT team promoting science in the community via the crystal growing
competition, science demonstration show and slime experiments. Congratulations Rob
Agreement with Daicel Chemical Industries - Japan
The University of Canberra represented by the Vice
Chancellor Prof. Stephen Parker has signed a confidential disclosure agreement with Daicel Chemical Industries, Japan to explore
business opportunities in the field of fabrication of chiral capillary silica monolithitic columns for industrial pharmaceutical
application. Dr Ashraf Ghanem visited the company
in Osaka and Kyoto, Japan and presented two lectures about the business opportunities in the field of chiral separation using
his new silica column. The CD agreement was followed by a signed commitment from Daicel to purchase the licence of the product
upon successful completion and evaluation. Daicel Chemical Industries,
Inc., formerly known as "Dainippon Celluloid Company" was established in 1919 through a merger of eight celluloid
producers in Japan. Based on their expertise in celluloid chemistry, they have developed a variety of cellulose derivatives
and brought them to the market over the years. Cellulose acetate is one of their major products. It is used for photographic
film and cigarette filters. Daicel also manufactures organic chemicals e.g. acetic acid used in the synthesis of cellulose
acetate. They produce more than 400,000MT/year of acetic acid along with products such as ketene, diketene and their derivatives.
Daicel is one of the largest Japanese chemical companies with consolidated net sales of ca. US$3 billion p.a. The Chiral Pharmaceutical Ingredient - CPI Company is an internal
company within Daicel. The CPI Company offers chiral solutions to worldwide customers. Their core technologies are chiral
chromatographic separation and biotransformations (enzyme) as well as chemical synthesis capability under a rigorous quality
control system. Their interest directly fit to our Chirality program at the University of Canberra (www.chiralitygroup.com).
| Dr Ashraf Ghanem at Daicel Japan |
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New
nano Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) systems at the Chirality lab.
Four new nano Ultra High Performance
Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) systems arrived last week from Germany and recently installed at the Chirality
lab. These $280,000 instruments were purchased from an industrial fund supported by Dionex company ($200,000), the University
of Canberra strategic fund ($50,000) and the Faculty of Applied Science start-up fund ($30,000). Nano HPLC is a relatively
new development in chromatography driven by recent advancements in proteomics that would require decreasing of inner diameter
(ID) of liquid chromatography (LC) column (e.g. 100 microm ID) to allow
for a smaller sample amount and to increase sensitivity. The other demand for nano LC comes from the new field referred as
“lab-on-a-chip” that would require “on-chip” liquid chromatography separation as part of other chip-based
pharmaceutical and chemical analysis. These environmentally benign instruments are the first in ACT region and will be used
in the pharmaceutical analysis and chiral drug development. They provide accurate solvent delivery at nano-flow rates; low
solvent consumption with the reflux flow control system; a rugged, high-performance, low-volume nano valve; and an autosampler,
which features a low sample carry-over. The technology of monolithic capillary column fabrication in micro and nano HPLC separation
was recently transferred from the laboratory of Prof. Tanaka at the Kyoto Institute of technology Japan (Endeavour and Japan
Society of promotion of Science for Dr Ghanem).
Please contact Ashraf Ghanem for further info
