Murray Knight

PhD Researcher

University of Strathclyde

Murray is a CMAC PhD researcher at the University of Strathclyde. His project is focused on the design of an intelligent decision system for the development of efficient pharmaceutical separation processes. This project will use programming and machine learning techniques along with thermodynamic models and molecular dynamic simulations to be able to accurately and precisely predict thermodynamic properties of complex mixtures as well as which experiments to run to generate new data for improving the thermodynamic models. The criteria for these experiments will be chosen by the user who can specify their budget, time constraints, and amount of raw materials. This allows for optimal process design with reliable thermodynamic data as well as an efficient and streamlined way of choosing experiments.

Murray completed his bachelor's degree and masters degree in chemical and Process engineering at the University of Strathclyde in 2021 and 2022 respectively. His final year thesis was on the in-situ utilization of resources to produce useful organic compounds on the surface of Mars. The project gave a comprehensive overview of the environment and available Martain resources, as well as presenting comparisons between the current and developing technology in the subject area, after which a potential process was designed and simulated using ASPEN Plus software, which could run independently to produce methane and oxygen for a fuel blend that could in principle be used by the first crewed mission to Mars as an assent propellant to return to Earth, with the long-term goal of providing fuel for a possible Martian colony.