Anna Leung

Deuteration scientist Anna Leung works for the Deuteration and Macromolecular Crystallisation (DEMAX) Platform, part of the Scientific Activities Division at ESS. The DEMAX platform exists to produce deuterium-labelled molecules and materials for neutron scattering users.

Anna completed a PhD in synthetic chemistry at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, and then moved to the National Deuteration Facility at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Sydney, where she synthesized selectively and completely deuterium-labelled molecules for a range of experimental techniques, including those using neutrons. In 2016 Anna moved to ESS, where she continues to use chemical synthesis to produce deuterium-labelled molecules for neutron experiments. In addition to standard techniques, Anna is interested in using novel methods for producing deuterium-labelled molecules to augment the possibilities offered by traditional synthesis. One example is the use of chemoenzymatic synthesis of deuterium-labelled molecules – using enzymes in place of chemical catalysts when it is more efficient to do so.

The ESS chemical deuteration laboratory is the organising node of the Deuteration Network (DEUNET), which is a consortium of laboratories within Europe and around the world with complementary expertise in producing deuterium-labelled materials. Collaboration between the DEUNET members leverages the skills of the different laboratories, reduces the need for duplication of efforts, and enables projects which would be impractical for a single lab to attempt alone. Under the DEUNET, Anna works on collaborative projects such as the synthesis of deuterated poly(lactic acid) (a bio-renewable and biodegradable plastic) with Forschungzenstrum Jülich (FZJ) in Germany and the synthesis of novel detergents with the ISIS Deuteration Laboratory in England.

As part of Work Package 2 of BrightnESS², the chemical deuteration laboratory at ESS is further developing methods of chemoenzymatic synthesis of deuterium-labelled molecules. Particularly, this project extends the enzymatic synthesis of deuterated molecules to phospholipid molecules, which are useful for a number of applications including food and drug delivery and drug mechanism studies. This class of molecules is used for neutron scattering and reflectometry experiments, but the complexity of producing the deuterated molecules limits their availability to neutron users. Using enzymatic synthesis in place of traditional synthesis has the potential to simplify their synthesis and increase availability, to enable more and better neutron experiments. This deuteration pilot project is a collaborative project between ESS and the ISIS Deuteration Facility located in Oxford, England. It benefits from complementary expertise in chemical and enzymatic synthesis of deuterium-labelled molecules at the two facilities; and from the active neutron scattering community at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, who routinely use deuterium-labelled molecules in their neutron experiments.