1. Chemical Engineering
Chemical Engineering mainly focuses on scientific, engineering and technical issues such as chemical transfer processes, chemical thermodynamics, separation engineering and chemical reaction engineering. It develops new theories, methods and technologies of process systems engineering to guide the process development, equipment design and plant renovation in chemical industry. The discipline emphasizes both experimental research and computational simulation-based studies. Its main research directions are:(1) Chemical Reactors and Process Intensification Technology(2) Separation Processes and Technologies(3) Resource Chemical Engineering and Technology(4) Chemical Process Equipment and Applications
2. Chemical Technology
Chemical Technology refers to the production processes and technologies primarily based on chemical methods, aiming to create new substances by altering material composition and structure, with a focus on addressing product routes and methodologies. The discipline of Chemical Technology in our university has been awarded the title of Innovative Discipline with Outstanding Contributions in Hubei Provincial Universities by the People's Government of Hubei Province. Its main research directions are:(1) Petroleum Refining and Petroleum Product Processing(2) Green Chemical Synthesis Technology(3) Comprehensive Utilization and Processing of Resources(4) Synthesis and Design of Fine Chemicals
3. Biochemical Engineering
As an interdisciplinary subject integrating biology, chemistry, engineering and other disciplines, Biochemical Engineering investigates the fundamental theories and engineering technologies of processes involving organisms or bioactive substances. It is an important branch and prioritized secondary discipline of the first-level discipline Chemical Engineering and Technology, playing a pivotal role in the industrialization of biotechnology. The secondary discipline of Biochemical Engineering in our university is a Key Discipline of Hubei Province. Its main research directions are:(1) Biomass Energy(2) Microbial Fermentation Engineering(3) Biomaterials(4) Environmental Microbial Engineering(5) Biopharmaceuticals
4. Industrial Catalysis
Industrial Catalysis is a key branch of Chemical Engineering and Technology. It mainly focuses on the design and preparation of catalysts for chemical industry, catalytic reaction kinetics, catalyst deactivation mechanisms and regeneration; explores novel catalytic reaction routes, optimizes product preparation methods and develops environmentally benign catalytic processes; and researches on resource comprehensive utilization and new product development via catalytic technologies. Its main research directions are:(1) Catalytic New Materials and Technologies(2) Catalytic Reaction Engineering(3) Environmental Catalysis
5. Medicinal Chemistry
Medicinal Chemistry is a discipline researching drug structures and activities, covering core contents such as drug discovery, molecular design, synthesis, bioactivity testing, structure-activity relationship (SAR), as well as separation, purification and structural modification of natural active ingredients. Its research mission is to discover lead compounds and conduct structural optimization, and explore new high-efficiency and low-toxicity new chemical entities (NCEs) for new drug development.
6. Pharmaceutics
Pharmaceutics is the discipline dedicated to preparing raw drugs into dosage forms for disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Its core contents include basic theories of pharmaceutical preparations, dosage form design, production technology, rational application, and the relationship between dosage forms and drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME). Its research mission is to design and develop safe, effective, stable and easy-to-use pharmaceutical dosage forms.
7. Pharmacology
Pharmacology investigates the interaction rules between drugs and organisms as well as drug action mechanisms, mainly encompassing two domains: pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. Pharmacodynamics clarifies the effects and mechanisms of drugs on organisms, while pharmacokinetics elaborates on the processes of drug absorption, distribution, biotransformation and excretion in vivo, along with the time-dependent changes of drug effects and blood concentrations. Its research mission is to provide theoretical basis for clarifying drug actions and mechanisms, improving drug quality, enhancing efficacy and reducing adverse reactions; and to support new drug research and development, explore new drug applications, as well as provide data for investigating cellular physiological, biochemical and pathological processes.
8. Master of Engineering Program in Materials and Chemical Engineering
Evolved from the former Master of Engineering program in Chemical Engineering, the Master of Engineering program in Materials and Chemical Engineering covers two fields: Materials Engineering and Chemical Engineering. Its main research directions are:(1) Efficient Conversion and Utilization of Energy and Mineral Resources(2) Chemical Product Engineering and Advanced Chemical Materials(3) Novel Reactors and Chemical Process Intensification(4) Pollution Control and Resource Utilization in Chemical Processes(5) New Energy Materials and Polymer Functional Materials(6) Novel Inorganic Functional Materials and Thin-film Materials(7) Membrane Materials and Membrane Separation Technology
9. Pharmaceutical Engineering
Pharmaceutical Engineering is an engineering discipline focusing on large-scale R&D and industrial manufacturing of drugs, with its research object targeting the industrial realization approaches of drugs with specific therapeutic functions. Its research scope covers the entire engineering chain of drug research, production and circulation, including drug design, synthesis, screening/preparation, pharmaceutical technology, pharmaceutical factory design and construction, pharmaceutical machinery, and dosage forms (including design, synthesis and application of pharmaceutical polymers and excipients). Solving these engineering issues relies on the integration and collaboration of pharmacy, chemical engineering and technology, and biology disciplines. Its main research directions are:(1) Pharmaceutical Process Development and Engineering Design: Based on chemical reaction engineering, it clarifies the integration and intensification rules of engineering unit facilities, providing theoretical and practical basis for the design, installation and operation of equipment for drug synthesis.(2) Chemical Pharmaceutical Technology and Engineering: From the perspective of Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP), it clarifies the micro and macro rules of mass and energy transfer in pharmaceutical processes of different scales, laying theoretical and practical foundation for the design, installation and operation of cGMP-compliant drug preparation equipment.(3) Formulation Technology and Pharmaceutical Polymers: From the perspective of pharmaceutical engineering, it conducts experimental research on formulation technologies and pharmaceutical polymers to improve bioavailability, stability and preparation yield of products. It reveals the physical and chemical properties of pharmaceutical polymers, develops formulation materials and new technologies meeting the requirements of sustained/controlled release, targeting delivery, enhanced bioavailability, improved stability and taste masking, providing theoretical and practical support for the design, installation and operation of formulation engineering equipment.
10. Pharmaceutical Chemistry
Relying on the basic theories and methods of chemistry, Pharmaceutical Chemistry is a specialized basic discipline tailored to the characteristics of drugs as special compounds. Its main research directions are:(1) Drug Design and Synthesis: Based on structure-activity relationship (SAR), it adopts combinatorial chemistry, computational chemistry and other methods to design new chemical entities (NCEs) with specific bioactivities; meanwhile, it studies reaction types and mechanisms of drug synthesis to lay theoretical foundation for drug manufacturing.(2) Pharmaceutical Process Research: Based on green chemistry, it explores new routes via synthetic design methods in organic synthesis, optimizes process parameters through orthogonal design or uniform design, and controls pharmaceutical processes combining reaction mechanisms and material properties to ensure drug products meet quality standards and national specifications, in line with the guiding principles of safety, economy and simplicity for drug route development.(3) Formulation Process Research: From the perspective of pharmaceutical preparations, it conducts experimental research on formulation technologies and pharmaceutical polymers to improve bioavailability, stability and preparation yield. It reveals the physical and chemical properties of pharmaceutical polymers, develops formulation materials and new technologies for sustained/controlled release, targeting delivery, enhanced bioavailability, improved stability and taste masking, providing theoretical and practical basis for the design, installation and operation of formulation engineering equipment.
