Andrew Muscroft-Taylor

Andrew Muscroft-Taylor

Andrew has a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Canterbury. He followed it with a three year post-doc in biochemistry, studying protein chemistry and enzymology, to explore an interest in the subject. 

The skills he gained in the post-doc have been a valuable addition to his work as a chemist at IRL. “If you are making inhibitors, it helps to understand both sides – the chemistry to make them and the biochemistry involved in their testing and use, he said.

“The team leaders here were keen to build expertise in biochemistry, to help interpret the biochemical results we get back from our collaborators, and to find out which tests we could do ourselves. Biochemistry is a rapidly changing field and I was able to bring some of the latest knowledge to the team.

“I started here in 2010 and have a two-year fixed term contract. That gives me time to look around at the different parts of the business and see what I might want to do next. There is so much going on here—it’s a really stimulating place to be.

“There is very good support in the team. I was given a buddy when I first arrived, who showed me where everything was and helped me find my feet. We talk about our work communally and advise each other, which means you don’t get stuck on a problem.

Andrew was keen to stay in New Zealand after his post-doc and wanted to try working in a commercial rather than academic environment. “The technical ability of the staff here is very high, but they also have excellent theoretical knowledge.

“In the end I decided I enjoyed chemistry more than biochemistry. I like the certainty you get with smaller molecules – you know for sure that in a reaction A is going to B, you’re not just inferring it from your results. As my supervisor used to say, proteins were far too big for me.

“Chemistry is a hands-on sport, with theoretical and practical elements that use both sides of the brain. I enjoy designing pathways to a target compound and improving on known synthetic routes, but you never know if something will work until you try it. You might come up against problems with poor yields and selectivity that can’t be overcome.

“One of my current projects is making an anti-cancer compound based on a natural product. The company founder took it as a therapeutic to treat his cancer and it worked well, so he started the company to explore its activity. The client is interested in scaling it up for GMP manufacture if all goes to plan, and that could happen in our GlycoSyn facility on site.

“I also really enjoy living in central Wellington, which is only 20 minutes from work. The city is a vibrant and interesting place to be, with great shows and restaurants on our doorstep.”