The biannual CORE newsletter has the goal to keep you updated on all CORE related activities. If you have any news, ideas or comments to share feel free tocontact us!
Welcome to the second newsletter from the CORE Network
The CORE Network has been in full operation for 3 years now and we are happy to report that many results on the deracemization of chiral compounds have been achieved, several of which can be found in this newsletter. The ‘core’ of any scientific project is always formed by publications in the scientific literature, but an Innovative Training Network (ITN) such as CORE has in addition a strong emphasis on training of the early-stage researchers (ESRs). This aspect in particular has been very successful. A group of young researchers with many different nationalities have by now (nearly) completed their visits to both partner groups and participating industrial partners. This has given the ESRs a unique perspective on the way science is done in different locations, together with exposure to different cultures. The many joint schools, meetings and workshops have led to genuine bonding between the members, and have generated a positive and friendly atmosphere within the group. This means that the CORE network will result, next to the scientific tool box, in 15 ESRs who are well-equipped to continue their careers in an academic or industrial environment.
We wish you happy reading of the many network activities as well as the exiting science that you will find in this newsletter.
Joop ter Horst (CORE Network Coordinator) and Elias Vlieg (Core Network Dissemination Committee Chair).
Success Stories: CORE Project, European Commission
The European Commission recently published a success story about the CORE ITN:
New processes for safer medicines
The EU-funded CORE project is helping to develop safer, more effective medicines by improving the processes pharmaceutical companies use to separate mirror-image pharmaceutical molecules, which will boost the industry's efficiency and competitiveness. To read the full article, click here: https://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/article_en.cfm?artid=50370
Journal Cover Profile ESR Ryusei Oketani (University of Rouen) was invited to submit for the cover of this issue of Chemistry: A European Journal. The image depicts pyramid‐like tetrahedron of the quaternary phase diagram showing where symmetry breaking can take place. Read the full text of the article at10.1002/chem.201903338. : “Deracemization in a complex quaternary system with a second‐order asymmetric transformation using phase diagram studies” R. Oketani, Francesco Marin, Paul Tinnemans, Marine Hoquante, Anne Laurent, Clément Brandel, Pascal Cardinael, Hugo Meekes, Elias Vlieg, Yves Geerts, and Gerard Coquerel (2019) Chemistry: A European Journal
CORE Research Work Packages
WP3: Towards Continuous (ESRs 1 to 4) With three published papers and more in the making, Work Package 3 is proceeding well towards the goal of continuous resolution of chiral conglomerate-forming compounds and of racemic compound-forming systems at the eutectic. Process simulations and experimental work based on either preferential crystallization and temperature cycling have been the main routes investigated. Clopidogrel, one of the model compounds of interest, has also been used to face these challenges.
WP4: Hybrid Resolution (ESRs 5 to 9) The development of new racemization routes as well as the optimization of process parameters are the main topics covered by Work Package 4. Racemization represents sometimes a bottleneck for Viedma ripening, temperature cycling and second order asymmetric transformation (SOAT), which are the processes studied in this WP. As of now, eight papers have been published and more will soon be submitted. Praziquantel (another model compound suggested to the CORE network) together with Clopidogrel are currently being used by some of the ESRs of this WP.
WP5: Enabling Resolution (ESRs 10 to 15) ESRs of Work Package 5 are currently working on different tasks covering i) co-crystal predictions and analysis for new conglomerate-forming systems; ii) conglomerate detection using second harmonic generation (SHG); iii) resolution of racemic systems through their stable/metastable conglomerate and of conglomerate co-crystals by means of preferential crystallization processes and iv) development of Process Analytical Tools (PAT) for online monitoring of resolution processes. Three publications by this WP are now available and more have been submitted/ will soon be submitted.
Activities
CORE Events
The final CORE Workshop took place from 8-11 October 2019 in Erlangen, Germany hosted by Beneficiary Partner Friedrich - Alexander University Erlangen - Nürnberg, Germany (FAU). This event ended with a mini open symposium on Friday 11 October, with keynote speakers:
During the CORE project, the 15 ESRs spend part of their research training with network partners undertaking visits/ secondments. The goal of each visit/ secondment is to prepare joint scientific papers. For all ESRs, visits/ secondments are planned at the secondary supervisor institute, at an academic partner as well as at an industrial partner. In addition to their knowledge skills development, the secondments provide interdisciplinary training and intersectoral awareness will be facilitated. The duration of each secondment is planned together with the host supervisors.
Recently Completed:
Carola Tortora, Friedrich - Alexander University Erlangen - Nürnberg, Germany (FAU) Host: Merck KGaA - Central Process Development PM-OT / Cryst.Lab PM-OTS-D, Germany, June-September 2019.
Lina Harfouche, University of Rouen, France
Raghunath Venkatramanan, University of Strathclyde, UK Host: Corbion, The Netherlands, May-September 2019
Giuseppe Belletti and Jan-Joris Devogelaer, Radboud University Nijmegem
Aliou Mbodji, University of Rouen, France Host: TeraCrystal, Romania, July 2019
Brigitta Bodak, ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich), Switzerland Host: Process System Enterprise (PSE), UK, May-July 2019.
Ongoing: Ghufran ur Rehman, University of Manchester, UK. Host: ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich), Switzerland, September-October 2019.
Upcoming:
Ghufran ur Rehman, University of Manchester, UK. Host: Merck KGaA - Central Process Development PM-OT / Cryst.Lab PM-OTS-D, Germany - November 2019.
Shashank Bhandari, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany. Host: Process System Enterprise (PSE), UK, November 2019.
Maxime Charpentier, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland UK. Host: Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands, Spring 2020 tbc.
CORE Blog
The most recent blog post by ESR Maxime Charpentier (University of Strathclyde) "Experiences of a Newcomer" in which he discusses his experience joining the project late and what he has learned in the network so far!https://coreitn.wordpress.com/2019/10/22/experiences-of-a-newcomer/ …
External Upcoming Events
BACG51: British Association for Crystal Growth 51st Annual Conference, 6 - 9 July 2020, Glasgow, United Kingdom
ISIC21: 21st International Symposium on Industrial Crystallization, 8 - 11 September 2020, Potsdam, Germany https://dechema.de/en/ISIC_21.html
CGOM14: 14th International Conference on Crystal Growth of Organic Materials, 13 - 16 September 2020, Brussels, Belgium https://www.cgom14.org/
