Modern medicine is dependent on advances in chemistry. There is spreading of infectious diseases with drug resistance growing in all countries. In addition to this the increasing cases of non-infectious diseases in an ageing population brings further challenges to healthcare. Among the challenges to developing better healthcare are: 1) lack of basic molecular level understanding of the disease biology, 2) lack of sufficiently advanced tools and methods to detect, monitor the progression and treat diseases, 3) an insufficient array of chemical tools to interrogate and validate novel disease relevant targets, 4) lack of an arsenal of both small and large molecules able to engage drug targets in vivo and thereby ameliorating diseases. Overcoming these challenges can be facilitated through stronger links between universities and the pharmaceutical companies.
The FLUDD Consortia including 2 academic and 1 industrial beneficiaries, aims to train 5 PhD students for a chemistry career in industry. With training in the development of novel late stage fluorination chemistry to populate the chemical and radiochemical space available for drug discovery. With the main focus on novel fluorine-containing fragments, molecules and biomolecules that are not commercially available but required to advance modern medicine.
The research within the FLUDD European Industrial Doctorate (EID) is focused on the following scientific and educational objectives.
The scientific objectives
- Develop novel late stage fluorination chemistry for drug discovery
- Focus on novel fluorine-containing fragments, molecules and biomolecules
The educational objectives
- To train the next generation of doctoral scientists
- Training in the practice of chemical synthesis and radiochemical methods
- Gain an in-depth appreciation of their applications in medicine
