Greener chemical reaction for pharmaceutical production awarded $50,000 in development funding from GreenCentre Canada

21-Feb-2011 - Canada

A key chemical process used by the pharmaceutical industry has the potential to become less expensive and more energy efficient, thanks to a green chemistry discovery at the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Laurel Schafer, a professor of chemistry at UBC, has created a method and a compound that affects a crucial chemical reaction in drug production. Current methods of producing this reaction are costly because they are energy-intensive and require multiple steps that generate waste. 

Dr. Schafer's technology reduces extra steps, is energy-efficient and reduces waste byproducts. It also uses less expensive reagents, substances that react with other substances to produce chemical products.

Recognizing the green promise in Dr. Schafer's work, GreenCentre Canada has awarded Dr. Schafer $50,000 in Proof of Principle funding to pursue further development of her technology.

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