EPSRC DLA with AstraZeneca: Smart Sorbents for Cost-Effective, Sustainable Oligonucleotide & Oligopeptide Purification

About the Project

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a versatile class of porous materials composed of metal clusters/ions and organic linkers, offering exceptional surface areas, tuneable pore structures and functionalities. These properties make MOFs highly attractive for applications in separation science. One particularly promising but underexplored application is the purification of oligonucleotides and oligopeptides (collectively termed TIDES), which are rapidly growing therapeutics used to treat a wide range of diseases including cancer, metabolic disorders, and neurological conditions. However, current TIDES manufacturing processes are highly inefficient, with purification alone contributing to significant economic cost and environmental impact due to extensive solvent use and poor selectivity.

In collaboration with AstraZeneca, this project will explore MOFs as next-generation sorbents for selective and sustainable TIDES purification. Using both computational and experimental approaches, MOFs will be developed to selectively separate target TIDES over structurally similar by-products. MOF stability and performance will be tested under realistic conditions and benchmarked against current industry methods. The understanding generated of MOF synthesis, structure–function relationships, and adsorption behaviour will facilitate rational material selection and process optimisation, reducing solvent usage and resource intensity in TIDES manufacturing. Ultimately, this project will establish a new paradigm for purification in pharmaceutical manufacturing, delivering more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable production of next-generation therapeutics.

The successful PhD candidate will gain a highly interdisciplinary and industry-relevant skill set central to advancing sustainable pharmaceutical manufacturing. They will acquire expertise in materials chemistry (MOF synthesis and characterisation), computational modelling, and advanced analytical methods for biological macromolecules. This project would suit an ambitious and innovative researcher who enjoys tackling complex challenges, is eager to learn new skills, and is enthusiastic about working within a diverse and interdisciplinary team across academia and industry.