Molecular Spectroscopy and Process Analysis - A blog from our member Dr Allyson McIntyre

Post date: Aug 25, 2017 8:16:15 AM

Hi I’m Allyson McIntyre and I am a process analysis specialist working in the pharmaceutical industry. My research focus was in the area of mid-infrared spectroscopy, although, I have worked across a range of spectroscopies during my time working in the process analytical field, however, mid infrared spectroscopy still has to be my favourite technique. I have always been interested in science and maths and loved problem solving so finding a degree in forensic and analytical chemistry seemed to be a great fit for me. It was through my placement year as an analytical scientist I really developed my interest in using analytical technologies to solve problems for process chemistry and I had the opportunity to apply this in real time using spectroscopy during my final year research project. I found the area fascinating and loved the idea of being able to understand what was going on throughout a process rather than at the end of a process as with traditional analytical methodologies. I was then lucky enough to secure a PhD in applying mid-infrared spectroscopy for in situ process analysis, where I got to further develop my spectroscopy and chemometric skills applying mid-infrared spectroscopy to many different applications. Some examples of the applications ranged from simple chemical systems and reaction monitoring of fermentation processes to development of a mid-infrared method to detect counterfeit whisky. The things you can study using spectroscopy are endless and can be achieved in real-time which is why it is so widely used for process analysis. During my time in industry I have applied different spectroscopies to help with problem solving and reaction monitoring of chemical processes. Quite often I will have to use a combination of techniques to help with the process understanding, which has lead me into the area of automation. I now try and use automation to enhance the data and information we can get from our experiments and using this extra information to couple spectroscopy data with process data to improve our process understanding. I feel very privileged to have been able find a career that allows me to fulfill my interests and help others understand their processes in more detail to allow them to make informed decisions about their projects.