Transition of solvent interaction research from basic science to applied science

As a graduate course student,i studied the aggregation behavior of the wheat protein gluten,induced by changes in ph and ionic strength,thus beginning my research career in the field of solvent effects. the following 5 years were spent as a post-doctoral reseracher in the u.s.,focused on protein-solvent interactions,which,according to my advisor,dr. timasheff,was too basic to be supported by academic grants. this study,however,answered a number of questions about how different solvents affect behavior of proteins in solution,e.g.,a solubility behavior known as hofmeister series. this research experience landed me an r&d position at a startup biotech company,amgen,where knowledge on solvents played a fundamental role in protein refolding,formulation and chromatography. this demonstrates the unanticipated possibility that an un-funded,basic academic science study earlier can be transitioned later into an industrially-significant applied science. © 2016 bentham science publishers.