Thesis work: Hygroscopic alteration of pharmaceutical materials

Job description
Mechanistic understanding of hygroscopicity alteration of pharmaceutical materials

Do you want to study and explore the solid state landscape of pharmaceutical materials in the company that follows the science and turns ideas into life changing medicines? Then AstraZeneca might be of interest to you!

Program area: Chemistry and Physics
Student location: AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
Start: January 2021 (flexible start from October)
Supervisor: Dr. Okky Putra and Dr. Phil Corner (Solid state senior scientists, Early Product Development and Manufacture, Pharmaceutical Sciences) and  Prof. Lars Öhstrom and Dr. Francoise Mystere Amombo Noa (Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers Tekniska Högskola)

Opportunity
We have an exciting opportunity for a Master’s student to investigate and improve understanding of hygroscopic behavior in pharmaceutical materials. This opportunity will let you access world class instrumentation in solid state chemistry that exists both in AstraZeneca Gothenburg and Chalmers University, such as single crystal X-ray diffractometers and high-resolution powder X-ray diffractometers.

Background
Hygroscopicity is one of the most important physicochemical properties in the pharmaceutical field and may limit the development of drug candidates. One of the ways to alter hygroscopicity of a drug molecule is changing its crystal structure to reduce the interactions between hydrophilic moieties in the drug molecule with water using crystal engineering approaches (polymorph selection, co-crystallization, and salt formation). In this case, understanding the crystal structures of drug molecules is unequivocally important to provide molecular understanding of the alteration of hygroscopicity.



Responsibilities
Task and methodology
Salt and cocrystal screening
Characterization of solid form: TGA, DSC, DVS, PXRD, SCXRD including some simulation




Qualifications
Basic understanding of solid state chemistry and its related techniques




Application
Randstad Life Sciences is cooperating with AstraZeneca in this recruitment process. We only handle applications sent through Randstad’s website.

All chosen candidates need to pass a background check and an alcohol and drug test before starting the project.

Deadline for application: 2021-09-19

For more information: Kerstin Karlsson kerstin.karlsson@randstad.se or Veronika Knudsen veronika.knudsen@randstad.se



About the company
At AstraZeneca, we turn ideas into life changing medicines and strive to continuously meet the unmet needs of patients worldwide. Working here means being entrepreneurial, thinking big and working together to make the impossible a reality. If you are swift to action, confident to lead, willing to collaborate, and curious about what science can do, then you’re our kind of person.

Our Gothenburg site is one of AstraZeneca's three strategic science centers. We thrive in a multinational environment working cross-functionally across the globe with AstraZeneca colleagues as well as academic and industry partners. Our way of life is to foster a working environment that nurtures collaboration, openness and innovation. Therefore, we have created space for meetings, socializing and relaxation, where spontaneous meetings can give birth to new innovations. The unexpected ideas or thoughts that can come from a chat over something as simple as a cup of  coffee or a stroll on our “walk and talk” meeting trail. AstraZeneca is an equal opportunity employer. AstraZeneca will consider all qualified applicants for employment without discrimination on grounds of disability, sex or sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity leave status, race or national or ethnic origin, age, religion or belief, gender identity or re-assignment, marital or civil partnership status, protected veteran status (if applicable) or any other characteristic protected by law. AstraZeneca only employs individuals with the right to work in the country/ies where the role is advertised.