Purdue University Researcher Launches CrySyst to Improve Pharmaceutical and Chemical Processes
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — International process systems and operation experts have launched Crystallization Systems Technology Inc. (CrySyst), a high-tech startup designed to streamline processes in the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries. The company’s quality-by-control (QbC) framework focuses on monitoring, modeling, and controlling crystallization.
CrySyst’s technology is based on research published in several journals, including Crystal Growth & Design and Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. The company was co-founded by Zoltán Nagy, the Arvind Varma Professor of Chemical Engineering at Purdue University’s Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, and Botond Szilágyi, formerly a postdoctoral research associate at Purdue and now an associate professor at Budapest University of Technology and Economics.
The Purdue Innovates Office of Technology Commercialization has licensed CrySyst to commercialize its copyrighted technologies, CryMoCo and CrySIV.
Addressing Industry Challenges
Nagy explained that significant challenges in model-based process development involve identifying necessary experiments, selecting appropriate model structures, and obtaining reliable model parameters. “CrySyst’s tools directly address these pain points by providing guided experiment selection, offering a semiautomated framework for model development, and delivering reliable, high-confidence solutions,” he said.
CrySiV and CryMoCo offer a streamlined, systematic approach to the development of crystallization processes, reducing time, material usage, and risk while improving process robustness and scalability. CryMoCo serves as vendor-independent software for monitoring and controlling crystallization processes. It utilizes industry-standard communication protocols and process analytical technology tools along with advanced control methods.
Nagy noted, “This enables the rapid direct design of robust crystallization processes using our innovative QbC framework.”
CrySiV is a user-friendly crystallization simulator based on the population balance model. It enables the digital design of crystallization processes, including kinetic parameter regression, process simulation, and visualization features. The software also includes process optimization features for crystallization and integrated crystallization-wet milling processes, employing state-of-the-art numerical methods.
According to Nagy, CryMoCo and CrySiV provide:
- An intuitive and user-friendly interface.
- State-of-the-art numerical solvers.
- A structured workflow.
Solutions for Pharmaceutical and Chemical Companies
Pharmaceutical and fine chemical companies often encounter process development challenges due to limited material availability, resource constraints, and lengthy optimization timelines. Nagy stated that “These challenges can be effectively addressed through model-based digital design and model-free direct design approaches, which have seen increasing adoption.”
“However, to achieve widespread implementation, there is a critical need for systematic workflows and robust tools to support their integration into industrial practice. This is what CrySyst solutions address,” he added. “We are committed to helping our clients develop and scale their process technologies faster, using less material. We offer specialized software products for model-free and model-based crystallization process design as well as consultancy and training services for problem-solving with our software tools.”
Nagy and Szilágyi secured funding from the Enabling Technologies Consortium, which included over ten major pharmaceutical companies. Nagy said that their tools were developed based on feedback received from crystallization scientists within the member companies to address industry needs.
