This application aims to catalyse and sustain a new dimension in UK research capability in physical organic chemistry. Our strategic alliance in physical organic chemistry will provide a unique continuum of expertise to tackle research opportunities in areas as diverse as materials chemistry, synthesis methodologies and pharmaceutical discovery and development. It will have the capability to address issues from solid-state to solution and gas-phase, from small molecules to biopolymers, and from nanoscale to pilot plant. We focus on topics of international significance to industry worldwide as well as to academic chemistry, that will help to (i) drive the creation of 21st-century electronic materials, devices and technologies (ii) understand and exploit methodologies for assisting chemical reactions with the potential to revolutionise energy use in chemicals and pharmaceuticals industries (iii) provide new and more effective medicines through understanding molecular recognition in pharmaceutical systems including drug-receptor, drug-drug and drug-carrier complexes. Its importance is underlined by the initial substantial support from diverse sectors of the chemicals and pharmaceuticals industry that we have so far put in place. It will initially lead to 26 new appointments, and we look forward to even more dynamic growth as the program unfolds.

The PSIBS Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) will focus on the development of the physical sciences of imaging and the computational analysis of image data to address key problems in the biological and biomedical sciences.The importance of Imaging to Bioscience and Medicine has been highlighted both by the N111 and the UK research councils.There is art apparent and growing need for people with these skills within UK industries with diverse business focuses (proposal section 3). This is reflected by their involvement in this PSIBS DTC and their contributions to the training.Two key benefits of training cohorts of students rather than individually funded students are: (1) The PSIBS multi-disciplinary taught programme that will upgrade the skill- and knowledge-base of traditional UK bachelors-level single-discipline graduates to underpin and enable cross-disciplinary PhD research. (ii) The students will develop extensive and cross-disciplinary links and networks, both with other PSIBS students and the many PSIBS academics, which will persist throughout their future research careers.Imaging technology is evolving faster than the standard grant turnaround time and dynamic, responsive PhD research within a critical mass of experts will enable (a) rapid response and (b) cutting edge research against our overseas competitors (proposal section 4).