Our chemical industries team is consistently regarded as the leading choice for developing and implementing IP strategy by some of the most innovative universities and research organisations, start-ups, SMEs, and established corporates found in Australasia and globally.

James & Wells has an experienced team of chemistry specialists, with experience across a range of areas including bioactive compounds, diagnostics, food technology, materials science, and chemical engineering. Examples of technologies that our team has developed specific expertise in include:

Pharmaceutical and animal health products

• Novel bioactive compounds for use as antiviral, antibiotic, antineoplastic, or hypolipidemic agents – including poly(hetero)cycles, polysaccharides, and cyclic peptides.
• Repurposing and next generation patenting strategies for bioactive compounds – including crystal polymorphism, dosing regimens, and combination therapeutic approaches.
• Formulation science (pharmaceutical and veterinary) including coated solid forms, emulsions, suspoemulsions, suspensions, and lipid nanoparticles, the formulations providing controlled or immediate release.
• Natural products, including proteins and plant metabolites for a range of applications including mitigating environmental impact, anti-fungal and anti-viral applications.

Materials Science

• Polymers and polymer chemistry, including radical polymerisation (such as Reversible Addition Fragmentation chain-Transfer (RAFT) polymerisation), self-assembled polymers, polymer-derived ceramics, biodegradable polymers, thermoplastic elastomers and control of the production of polymeric materials (e.g. rheology modification, porosity control, extrusion and shaping processes)
• Packaging materials including paper and fibre-based products and their manufacture; packaging for non-industrial composting, and controlled release of fertilisers.
• Nanotechnology, nanoparticulate materials and nano-structured materials, including processes for their production.
• Other materials for varied applications, including building materials, biodegradable materials, semiconductors.  Applications may include atmospheric water harvesting; seismic and acoustic mitigation; fire rated applications; LED display technologies; electrospun fibres for filtering, carbon fibre composite reinforcement.

Food and Beverages

• New food products (e.g. formulated food products for health benefits, low GI, etc)
• Sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners.
• Modification of food products for preservation and/or modification of organoleptic properties.
• Production and use of fats and oils (including microbial production of PUFAs).
• Dairy products.
• Extracts from natural products for food and beverage applications.

 Industrial Chemistry and Chemical Instrumentation/Analysis

• Process chemistry, including industrial chemistry (mining, oil, and gas) – extraction, concentration and purification techniques.
• Waste stream processing and fractionation.
• Product purification, including zone/fractional recrystallisation.
• Diagnostics, including lateral flow assays.
• Chemical analysis and electrochemical processes, including electrophoretic separation processes and associated instruments and apparatus.

Our chemical industries team is the most experienced chemical industries team in Australasia in defending the patent rights of patent applicants in patent opposition proceedings under the current laws of both Australia and New Zealand. We are uniquely placed to advise innovators on established strategies for success. In the ever-evolving chemical industries sector, our team also have the experience, expertise and confidence to carve out effective new strategies for overcoming complex hurdles in newly developing areas.