E University o Glesga will leuk at foo tae mak a common chemical purification method mair eco-freendly. Thanks tae a grant fae the Royal Society o Chemistry, resairchers will focus on flash chromatography, a technique eesed in labs aa ower e warld.

Led by Dr. Joseph Cameron an Dr. Alex Loch, e project will assess e environmental impact o the process fae stert tae finish. They aim tae find weys tae re-eese chromatography columns an recycle pairts o the equipment, includin metals. Their resairch will leuk intae foo mony times columns can be re-eesed an fit happens til e devices at e eyn o their life.

Dr. Cameron explained e issue, sayin, “Flash chromatography is e basis for foo we purify wir chemicals, but it is quite resoorce intensive in terms o the materials eesed. Despite bein eesed extensively in labs aroond e warld, there’s surprisingly little information tae haun aboot e sustainability impacts o different approaches tae chromatography.”

E team howps their wark will help labs, baith in skweels an industry, tak on greener methods. Industry has aaready led in iss area due tae pressure tae cut emissions an follae new environmental laas. Dr. Loch noted, “Iss will be the first project tae examine flash chromatography wi iss degree o braid focus. We howp iss project will establish wir model an reputation in iss area, an aat it will lead tae industry pairtnerships tae tak e wark forrit in e future.”

An unnergraduate student fae the School o Chemistry will gie a haun wi experiments, gainin skills an helpin push sustainability efforts forrit.

Iss project is een o 25 receivin fundin fae ower seiven kintras throu the Royal Society o Chemistry’s Sustainable Laboratories Grant. Syne 2023, e program has awairded ower hauf a million pund tae promote greener lab wark warldwide.

E resairch cwid apen e door tae mair sustainable practices in chemistry labs aawey.