Eco Friendly Tuneable Microwave continuous Flow Reactor for the Synthesis of Lecucettamines in Therapeutic Activity Against Alzheimer's Disease (MICRO-THERAPY)

Framework: FP7 — People
Programme: Marie-Curie Actions
Theme: Marie Skłodowska-Curie
Destination: Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways
Action type: Support for training and career development of researchers (Marie Curie)
Countries involved: United Kingdom,France,France
Call:  (FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IAPP, 2011)
Start date: 2011-10-01
End date: 2015-09-30
Duration (months): 48.0
Total project cost (EUR): 653242.0
EU funding (EUR): 653242.0
Participants: 3
Project status: CLOSED

The four-year MICRO-THERAPY is a fully integrated interdisciplinary proposal which will develop a new area of competence in the three partners, Liverpool John Moores University, University of Rennes1 and ManRos Therapeutics. It brings together a powerful set of partners covering fully the three key aspects - microwave engineering, chemistry and biology to create new technology and sustainable technical and scientific expertise applicable to the bio-pharmaceutical industry. The proposed research programme is unique in terms of generating a tuneable, multipurpose, microwave, continuous, atmospheric pressure, flow reactor for the efficient conduct of various chemical reactions for the synthesis of Leucettamines to be used against Alzheimer’s disease. Unlike the restricted batch reactors a continuous microwave reactor has the potential to operate at high production rates simply by virtue of offering continuous throughput and, more significantly, by being easy to replicate allowing scale up the process for bulk production at commercial rates. In addition the system will operate for the first time with tuneable frequency microwaves in the range 2.45 – 8GHz in order to optimise the process to produce higher yields with reduced separation costs. This is unlike current microwave synthesis where the source is only operated at one fixed frequency of 2.45GHz and is therefore not necessary have the optimum operating frequency to suit various chemicals reactions at different temperatures. The timeliness of MICRO-THERAPY is a response to demand for new ways to produce chemicals for the therapeutic activities against Alzheimer’s disease. However, such a reactor also has scope fore much wider application The main objectives of this project are to: 1. To use the project to develop new cross-disciplinary expertise through the recruitment of experienced researchers to work particularly at LJMU and UR1, but also incorporating expertise at MRT thereby providing new training and development opportunities for young and experienced researchers at the partners, blending an expanding knowledge base and unique skills to produce key proficiencies. 2. To specifically develop a multipurpose prototype reactor for the synthesis of bulk quantities of chemicals on a continuous basis by using novel atmospheric pressure, continuous microwave flow reactor. 3. To select the reaction time, flow rate, microwave power and frequency within the operating range 2.45 to 8GHz to produce chemicals with high yield, low waste and using low power in comparison with the conventional techniques.

Keywords: chemistry,engineering,biology