Development of new analytical techniques for fingerprinting organic compounds in Archaeological, Chemical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences

同位素分析有可能揭示化学和生物学以及环境、法医和考古学等学科中复杂的化学和生物过程。然而，由于缺乏方法开发，每个学科中都有一些关键领域的同位素分析未得到充分利用。硫和氮化合物在检测化合物来源方面具有重要的环境，考古，法医，药物和生物作用，并且能够理解它们的分馏将使人们更好地了解许多有机过程。此外，对于药物、生物和化学化合物的合成，更好地了解硫和氮化合物中的同位素分馏将有助于发现欺诈性制造的产品、特定的化合物药物来源，并对考古、法医和环境科学等其他领域产生重大的连锁反应。阅读大学（UoR）现在处于一个独特的地位，在这些领域开发新的同位素方法，使用一套新获得的质谱仪，基于化学分析设施的学生将使用。该项目将侧重于开发一系列有机化合物中S和N同位素比率的新分析方法，这些有机化合物通常存在于多学科共同的各类材料中，即：i）蜡和油; ii）脂质和其他有机残留物; iii）药物，药品和考古残留物。

Isotope analyses have the potential to unlock complex chemical and biological processes in disciplines such as chemistry and biology as well as environmental, forensic and archaeological sciences. However, there are a number of key areas within each discipline where isotope analyses are under exploited due to a lack of method development. Both sulphur and nitrogen compounds, have important environmental, archaeological, forensic, pharmaceutical and biological roles in detecting sources of compounds, and being able to understand their fractionation would allow a much greater understanding of many organic processes. In addition, for pharmaceutical, biological and chemical compound synthesis, a better understanding of isotopic fractionation in sulphur and nitrogen compounds would aid detection of fraudulently manufactured products, specific compound drug sources and have significant knock-on effects to other areas such as archaeological, forensic and environmental sciences. The University of Reading (UoR) is now in a unique position to develop new isotope methods in these areas, using a newly acquired set of mass spectrometers based in the Chemical Analytical Facility which the studentship will use. The project will focus on developing new analytical methods for isotopic ratios of S and N in a range of organic compounds commonly found in various categories of materials common to multiple disciplines, namely: i) Waxes and oils; ii) Lipid and other organic residues, and iii) pharmaceuticals, medicines and archaeological residues.