How Is Peptide Crystallization Screening Used In Peptide-Based Therapeutic Development?

Hannah McLachlan is a Project Scientist IV at Cambrex's Solid State Chemistry site in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she has spent more than a decade working with clients. She holds a Master's Degree in Chemical Engineering with Pharmaceutical Chemistry from Heriot-Watt University and a Ph.D. in Crystallization from the Continuous Manufacturing and Advanced Crystallization Hub at the University of Strathclyde.

She leads Cambrex's peptide crystallization programs, focused on improving the stability, purity, and efficiency of peptide-based therapeutics. Her expertise spans solid-state chemistry and crystallization alongside AI, automation, and software modeling of materials.

Asked how peptide crystallization screening supports therapeutic development, McLachlan points to the properties of the crystalline material it produces. Crystalline forms are frequently more stable and can reach considerably higher purity than the alternatives, and they are easier for clients to store — reducing or removing the need for specialized storage conditions.