WCEC Lifetime Achievement Award

Professor Livingston, Vice-Principal for Research and Innovation at Queen Mary University of London, was lauded for his pioneering work in polymer membranes for molecular separations by organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN). He was named one of three global recipients of the WCEC Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrating his exceptional contributions to chemical engineering, particularly in enabling the separation of molecular mixtures in organic liquids.

"In addition to advancing fundamental knowledge, Andrew has played a key role in the commercialisation of membrane technologies for industrial applications, both as a scientist and an entrepreneur. Few membranologists have made such substantial contributions to both scientific understanding and technological development." — Jerry Lin, Regent's Professor of Chemical Engineering at Arizona State University

EPSRC Grant: Sustainable Separation Membranes

Professor Livingston has secured a major £1.7 million grant from UKRI's EPSRC as part of a larger £7.5 million initiative for UK manufacturing. The project, "Sustainable Separation Membranes for Green Pharmaceutical Manufacturing," will be led by Queen Mary University of London in partnership with Imperial College London and industrial collaborators including Merck, Exactmer, and AstraZeneca.

Environmental Impact

The project aims to tackle the substantial environmental impact of current pharmaceutical manufacturing. Traditional methods for separating chemical compounds, such as boiling and distillation, are incredibly energy-intensive, contributing significantly to global carbon emissions and accounting for 10-15% of all industrial energy consumption.

Innovation Approach

The research team will focus on developing innovative membrane technologies that can efficiently separate different molecules in a liquid without the need for energy-demanding heating or boiling. This "liquid-phase separation" approach promises to drastically reduce the energy footprint of drug production.

The comprehensive approach to sustainability includes:

• Creating computer models to assess environmental impact of membrane production and use
• Developing greener manufacturing methods for membranes (eliminating toxic solvents)
• Finding methods to prolong membrane lifespan
• Enabling adoption of environmentally friendly "green solvents" in the industry
• Processing new drug modalities such as peptides, oligonucleotides, and ADC linkers
• Developing new membranes from bio-derived or recycled polymers

"Although I am incredibly proud to receive this lifetime achievement award, I really feel like my research and innovation is just getting started and the best is yet to come - and so I am delighted to be awarded this EPSRC grant which will enable us to pursue new questions of urgent importance. I am looking forward to working with our collaborators and so – lets go for it!" — Professor Andrew Livingston

Industry Impact

The academic/industry partnerships embedded in the project will ensure that the innovations directly contribute to enabling the manufacture of medicines with a significantly reduced environmental footprint, ultimately supporting sustainable growth across the UK.

Recognition by Nanyang Technological University

The appointment of Dr. Zhiwei Jiang and Dr. Chunchun Ye as Nanyang Associate Professors (NAP) acknowledges their outstanding contributions to membrane science and engineering. The NAP programme is designed to identify and nurture early-career scholars with the potential to become world leaders in their fields, offering a unique platform for these researchers to establish independent laboratories, mentor students, and drive innovative research.

Research Achievements

Dr. Jiang has been instrumental in advancing the design and fabrication of high‑performance organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) membranes. His work on cross‑linked polybenzimidazole membranes has improved the long‑term stability and flux of OSN membranes, enabling greener chemical separations and new industrial applications.

Dr. Ye specialises in the synthesis of precision polymer membranes and the development of novel fabrication techniques, including interfacial polymerisation. Her research has expanded the capabilities of membrane technologies to handle harsh solvents and complex feed streams, opening new avenues for pharmaceutical and fine‑chemical manufacturing.

Looking Forward

As NAP faculty at NTU, both Dr. Jiang and Dr. Ye will establish their own research programmes while maintaining strong ties with the Livingston Group. Their new positions will foster international collaboration, facilitate joint projects on sustainable membrane technologies, and provide unique opportunities for students and postdocs to experience research environments at both Queen Mary University of London and NTU.

We congratulate Dr. Jiang and Dr. Ye on this well‑deserved recognition and look forward to the continued impact of their work on the field of molecular separations.

Research Summary

This study explores a novel approach to separating azeotropic solvent mixtures using organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN). By integrating experimental data and theoretical modeling, the team demonstrated the separation of toluene/alcohol mixtures using epoxysilicone membranes.

Model-Driven Innovation

A non-ideal solution-diffusion model, enhanced by Flory–Huggins thermodynamics, accurately predicted membrane performance. The findings highlight how sorption effects dominate the separation mechanism, offering new predictive capabilities without exhaustive experiments.

Impact on Industrial Separations

This work shows that OSN membranes can act as a “bridge” across azeotropes—potentially replacing high-energy pressure swing distillations. The findings open doors to integrating membranes within distillation columns, saving energy and simplifying process design.

Congratulations to Dr. Cook and Dr. Peeva for this outstanding contribution to sustainable chemical engineering and membrane science!

Breakthrough in PEGylation Consistency

The study, led by Professor Andrew Livingston, addresses challenges in PEGylation—a process where poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is attached to drugs to prolong circulation in the bloodstream. Conventional PEGylation methods result in inconsistent mixtures of different PEG chain lengths, making drug characterisation difficult.

Single Molecular Weight PEG

The team developed a method to produce PEG molecules of a precise, defined molecular weight in scalable quantities. This allows for better control over PEGylation, reducing batch variation and improving drug reliability.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

The research was a collaboration between Queen Mary’s School of Engineering and Materials Science and the Barts Cancer Institute, merging expertise in materials chemistry and biomedicine. Dr. Maria Burggraef noted the value of combining disciplines to achieve impactful outcomes.

“With our research, we aimed to find a way to create a PEG molecule of a single, specific molecular weight... to make the PEGylation process more consistent, reduce batch variation and improve drug efficiency.” — Professor Andrew Livingston

Industry Collaboration

This research was carried out in collaboration with Exactmer Ltd., demonstrating the power of academic–industry partnerships to translate advanced materials research into pharmaceutical innovation.

The breakthrough marks a promising step toward improving therapeutic effectiveness and highlights the power of interdisciplinary collaboration in solving complex biomedical challenges.

Publication Overview

The study, published on 13 November 2024:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}, tackles a long‑standing problem in protein PEGylation: commercially available PEG reagents exhibit dispersity, which leads to batch‑to‑batch variations and analytical difficulties during characterisation:contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}. Dr. Maria Burggraef and collaborators developed a defined, dispersity‑free poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) reagent to overcome these limitations:contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}.

Innovation: Defined Molecular Weight PEG

The team synthesised a precisely defined 5 kDa methoxy‑PEG (mPEG) active ester using an iterative liquid‑phase method based on Nanostar Sieving:contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}. They then compared random PEGylation of bovine serum albumin with the defined PEG reagent versus a conventional disperse PEG. Unlike the disperse PEG, the defined reagent allowed straightforward monitoring of chemical modifications and clear identification of PEGylated fragments using peptide mapping and UPLC‑MS analysis:contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}.

Implications for Therapeutics

By eliminating dispersity, the defined PEG reagent ensures consistent mass and chromatographic behaviour, making it easier to pinpoint PEGylation sites and characterise PEGylated proteins:contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}. This approach could enhance quality control for PEGylated therapeutics, reduce analytical complexity, and improve reproducibility in drug development. The work showcases the Livingston Group’s commitment to combining precision polymer synthesis and advanced membrane technologies to solve industry‑relevant challenges.

Congratulations to Dr. Burggraef and the team for this impactful publication, and we look forward to seeing how defined PEGylation agents influence future therapeutic development!

Recognition of Scientific Excellence

The Royal Society—the world's oldest scientific academy—has honoured Professor Livingston for his distinguished contributions to chemical engineering. His work on molecular separation membranes, purification processes, and high-value pharmaceutical synthesis has shaped both academic research and industrial practice.

Career Achievements

Since joining Queen Mary's School of Engineering and Materials Science in 2019, Professor Livingston has continued to build on a legacy of innovation. His research has been instrumental in developing membrane technologies that transitioned from the lab to industry via successful start-ups. He holds numerous publications and patents and is internationally recognised for his pioneering work.

“I am enormously proud to be elected a Fellow of this historic and esteemed institution. It is a great honour for both myself and Queen Mary... I have been lucky to work with so many talented colleagues whose help has been instrumental in advancing chemical engineering and in receiving this recognition.” — Professor Andrew Livingston

Historical Legacy

The Fellowship of the Royal Society includes scientific giants such as Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Stephen Hawking. Professor Livingston joins their ranks in recognition of his lasting impact on British engineering and global science.

A Note from the Royal Society

Sir Adrian Smith, President of the Royal Society, commented, “Through their careers so far, these researchers have helped further our understanding of human disease, biodiversity loss and the origins of the universe... I look forward to seeing what great things they will achieve in the years ahead.”