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Dr Sara J. Fraser-Miller

My research primarily explores the use of vibrational spectroscopy and chemometrics for qualitative, quantitative and classification based analysis of a wide range of materials and systems.

Vibrational spectroscopic methods provide a molecular fingerprint of a samples composition and structure in a non-destructive manner. This molecular fingerprint can be probed with the aid of multivariate analysis methods to gain insight into the sample. I have been involved in the use of Raman and IR spectroscopy to explore pharmaceutics1-6, particularly from the perspective of solid state form analysis, using techniques such as low frequency Raman7-15 (Otago) and CARS16-20 (Helsinki). The non-destructive assessment of plant material21 and studying the chemical changes associated with degradation of traditional Māori textiles22-24 and methods of preservation is a particularly interesting application. Biological minerals25-29 are another avenue of interest, with a highlight being the exploration of hypomineralization in teeth from a spectroscopic standpoint30-32. We have also used spectroscopic analysis to assess samples associated with NZ primary industries33-35. A range of other materials have also been explored36-38. More recently, my focus has been shifting to the use of spectroscopy for the diagnosis of gastrointestinal illnesses.

Employment:
2017-present Research Fellow, Chemistry Department and Dodd-Walls Center, University of Otago
2015-2017 Postdoctoral Researcher, Chemistry Department and Dodd-Walls Center, University of Otago
2014-2015 Postdoctoral Researcher, Faculty of Pharmacy, Helsinki University

Education:
2014 PhD Chemistry – University of Otago
2010 PGDipSci Chemistry – University of Otago
2009 BSc Chemistry – University of Otago

Selected Publications:

  1. Fraser, S.; Gordon, K., Raman spectroscopy in the study of pharmaceuticals: the problems and solutions to sub-sampling and data analysis, Eur. Pharm. Rev 2014, 19, 3-8.
  2. Fraser, S. J.; Oughton, J.; Batten, W. A.; Clark, A. S.; Schmierer, D. M.; Gordon, K. C.; Strachan, C. J., Simultaneous qualitative and quantitative analysis of counterfeit and unregistered medicines using Raman spectroscopy. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy 2013, 44 (8), 1172-1180.
  3. Koskinen, A.-K.; Fraser-Miller, S. J.; Bøtker, J. P.; Heljo, V. P.; Barnsley, J. E.; Gordon, K. C.; Strachan, C. J.; Juppo, A. M., Physical stability of freeze-dried isomalt diastereomer mixtures. Pharmaceutical research 2016, 33 (7), 1752-1768.
  4. Rosenqvist, K.; Airaksinen, S.; Fraser, S. J.; Gordon, K. C.; Juppo, A. M., Interaction of bioactive glass with clodronate. International journal of pharmaceutics 2013, 452 (1-2), 102-107.
  5. Smith, G. P.; McGoverin, C. M.; Fraser, S. J.; Gordon, K. C., Raman imaging of drug delivery systems. Advanced drug delivery reviews 2015, 89, 21-41.
  6. Walker, G.; Römann, P.; Poller, B.; Löbmann, K.; Grohganz, H.; Rooney, J. S.; Huff, G. S.; Smith, G. P.; Rades, T.; Gordon, K. C.; Strachan, C. J.; Fraser-Miller, S. J., Probing pharmaceutical mixtures during milling: The potency of low-frequency Raman spectroscopy in identifying disorder. Molecular pharmaceutics 2017, 14 (12), 4675-4684.
  7. Adhikari, B. R.; Bērziņš, K.; Fraser-Miller, S. J.; Gordon, K. C.; Das, S. C., Co-Amorphization of Kanamycin with Amino Acids Improves Aerosolization. Pharmaceutics 2020, 12 (8), 715.
  8. Bērziņš, K.; Sales, R. E.; Barnsley, J. E.; Walker, G.; Fraser-Miller, S. J.; Gordon, K. C., Low-Wavenumber Raman Spectral Database of Pharmaceutical Excipients. Vibrational Spectroscopy 2020, 103021.
  9. Berzins, K.; Sutton, J. J.; Fraser-Miller, S. J.; Rades, T.; Korter, T. M.; Gordon, K. C., Solving the Computational Puzzle: Towards a Pragmatic Pathway for Modeling Low-Energy Vibrational Modes of Pharmaceutical Crystals. Crystal Growth & Design 2020.
  10. Be̅rziņš, K. r.; Fraser-Miller, S. J.; Rades, T.; Gordon, K. C., Low-Frequency Raman Spectroscopic Study on Compression-Induced Destabilization in Melt-Quenched Amorphous Celecoxib. Molecular pharmaceutics 2019, 16 (8), 3678-3686.
  11. Lipiäinen, T.; Fraser-Miller, S. J.; Gordon, K. C.; Strachan, C. J., Direct comparison of low-and mid-frequency Raman spectroscopy for quantitative solid-state pharmaceutical analysis. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis 2018, 149, 343-350.
  12. Mah, P. T.; Fraser, S. J.; Reish, M. E.; Rades, T.; Gordon, K. C.; Strachan, C. J., Use of low-frequency Raman spectroscopy and chemometrics for the quantification of crystallinity in amorphous griseofulvin tablets. Vibrational Spectroscopy 2015, 77, 10-16.
  13. Ruggiero, M. T.; Sutton, J. J.; Fraser-Miller, S. J.; Zaczek, A. J.; Korter, T. M.; Gordon, K. C.; Zeitler, J. A., Revisiting the thermodynamic stability of indomethacin polymorphs with low-frequency vibrational spectroscopy and quantum mechanical simulations. Crystal Growth & Design 2018, 18 (11), 6513-6520.
  14. Salim, M.; Fraser-Miller, S. J.; Be̅rziņš, K. r.; Sutton, J. J.; Ramirez, G.; Clulow, A. J.; Hawley, A.; Beilles, S. p.; Gordon, K. C.; Boyd, B. J., Low-Frequency Raman Scattering Spectroscopy as an Accessible Approach to Understand Drug Solubilization in Milk-Based Formulations during Digestion. Molecular pharmaceutics 2020, 17 (3), 885-899.
  15. Salim, M.; Fraser-Miller, S. J.; Sutton, J. J.; Be̅rziņš, K. r.; Hawley, A.; Clulow, A. J.; Beilles, S. p.; Gordon, K. C.; Boyd, B. J., Application of Low-Frequency Raman Scattering Spectroscopy to Probe in Situ Drug Solubilization in Milk during Digestion. The journal of physical chemistry letters 2019, 10 (9), 2258-2263.
  16. Novakovic, D.; Isomäki, A.; Pleunis, B.; Fraser-Miller, S. J.; Peltonen, L.; Laaksonen, T.; Strachan, C. J., Understanding dissolution and crystallization with imaging: a surface point of view. Molecular pharmaceutics 2018, 15 (11), 5361-5373.
  17. Novakovic, D.; Peltonen, L.; Isomäki, A.; Fraser-Miller, S. J.; Nielsen, L. H.; Laaksonen, T.; Strachan, C. J., Surface stabilization and dissolution rate improvement of amorphous compacts with thin polymer coatings: can we have it all? Molecular pharmaceutics 2020, 17 (4), 1248-1260.
  18. Novakovic, D.; Saarinen, J.; Rojalin, T.; Antikainen, O.; Fraser-Miller, S. J.; Laaksonen, T.; Peltonen, L.; Isomäki, A.; Strachan, C. J., Multimodal nonlinear optical imaging for sensitive detection of multiple pharmaceutical solid-state forms and surface transformations. Analytical chemistry 2017, 89 (21), 11460-11467.
  19. Saarinen, J.; Gütter, F.; Lindman, M.; Agopov, M.; Fraser‐Miller, S. J.; Scherließ, R.; Jokitalo, E.; Santos, H. A.; Peltonen, L.; Isomäki, A., Cell‐Nanoparticle Interactions at (Sub)–Nanometer Resolution Analyzed by Electron Microscopy and Correlative Coherent Anti‐Stokes Raman Scattering. Biotechnology journal 2019, 14 (4), 1800413.
  20. Saarinen, J.; Sözeri, E.; Fraser-Miller, S. J.; Peltonen, L.; Santos, H. A.; Isomäki, A.; Strachan, C. J., Insights into Caco-2 cell culture structure using coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy. International journal of pharmaceutics 2017, 523 (1), 270-280.
  21. Alonso‐Serra, J.; Safronov, O.; Lim, K. J.; Fraser‐Miller, S. J.; Blokhina, O. B.; Campilho, A.; Chong, S. L.; Fagerstedt, K.; Haavikko, R.; Helariutta, Y., Tissue‐specific study across the stem reveals the chemistry and transcriptome dynamics of birch bark. New Phytologist 2019, 222 (4), 1816-1831.
  22. Ford, B.; Hanton, L. R.; Lomax, B. A.; Lowe, B. J.; Gordon, K. C.; Fraser, S. J.; Smith, C. A.; Korsten, A. In Relating colour, chemical and physical characteristics of artificially light-aged New Zealand plant fibres, Proceedings of the ICOM-CC 17th Triennial Conference. International Council of Museums, 2014.
  23. Lowe, B. J.; Smith, C. A.; Fraser-Miller, S. J.; Paterson, R. A.; Daroux, F.; Ngarimu-Cameron, R.; Ford, B.; Gordon, K. C., Light-ageing characteristics of Māori textiles: Colour, strength and molecular change. Journal of Cultural Heritage 2017, 24, 60-68.
  24. Samanali, G.; Paasi, I.; Lowe, B.; Smith, C.; Fraser-Miller, S.; Gordon, K., Understanding consolidants on harakeke fibres using Raman microscopy: Implications for conservation. Journal of Cultural Heritage 2020.
  25. Jansen van Vuuren, L.; Kieser, J. A.; Dickenson, M.; Gordon, K. C.; Fraser‐Miller, S. J., Chemical and mechanical properties of snake fangs. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy 2016, 47 (7), 787-795.
  26. Loch, C.; Swain, M. V.; Fraser, S. J.; Gordon, K. C.; Kieser, J. A.; Fordyce, R. E., Elemental and chemical characterization of dolphin enamel and dentine using X-ray and Raman microanalyzes (Cetacea: Delphinoidea and Inioidea). Journal of structural biology 2014, 185 (1), 58-68.
  27. Stringer, M. D.; Fraser, S.; Gordon, K. C.; Sharples, K.; Windsor, J. A., Gallstones in N ew Z ealand: composition, risk factors and ethnic differences. ANZ journal of surgery 2013, 83 (7-8), 575-580.
  28. Thomas, D. B.; Hauber, M. E.; Hanley, D.; Waterhouse, G. I.; Fraser, S.; Gordon, K. C., Analysing avian eggshell pigments with Raman spectroscopy. Journal of Experimental Biology 2015, 218 (17), 2670-2674.
  29. van Vuuren, L. J.; Loch, C.; Kieser, J. A.; Gordon, K. C.; Fraser, S. J., Structure and mechanical properties of normal and anomalous teeth in the sand tiger shark Carcharias taurus. Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 2015, 3 (2), 29-36.
  30. Bērziņš, K.; Sutton, J. J.; Loch, C.; Beckett, D.; Wheeler, B. J.; Drummond, B. K.; Fraser‐Miller, S. J.; Gordon, K. C., Application of low‐wavenumber Raman spectroscopy to the analysis of human teeth. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy 2019, 50 (10), 1375-1387.
  31. Fraser, S. J.; Natarajan, A. K.; Clark, A. S.; Drummond, B. K.; Gordon, K. C., A Raman spectroscopic study of teeth affected with molar–incisor hypomineralisation. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy 2015, 46 (2), 202-210.
  32. Natarajan, A. K.; Fraser, S. J.; Swain, M. V.; Drummond, B. K.; Gordon, K. C., Raman spectroscopic characterisation of resin-infiltrated hypomineralised enamel. Analytical and bioanalytical chemistry 2015, 407 (19), 5661-5671.
  33. McIntyre, S. M.; Ma, Q.; Burritt, D. J.; Oey, I.; Gordon, K. C.; Fraser‐Miller, S. J., Vibrational spectroscopy and chemometrics for quantifying key bioactive components of various plum cultivars grown in New Zealand. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy.
  34. Tew, X. W.; Fraser-Miller, S. J.; Gordon, K. C.; Morison, K. R., A comparison between laboratory and industrial fouling of reverse osmosis membranes used to concentrate milk. Food and bioproducts processing 2019, 114, 113-121.
  35. Robert, C.; Fraser-Miller, S. J.; Jessep, W. T.; Bain, W. E.; Hicks, T. M.; Ward, J. F.; Craigie, C. R.; Loeffen, M.; Gordon, K. C., Rapid discrimination of intact beef, venison and lamb meat using Raman spectroscopy. Food Chemistry 2020, 128441.
  36. Ma, H.; Lee, L.; Brooksby, P. A.; Brown, S. A.; Fraser, S. J.; Gordon, K. C.; Leroux, Y. R.; Hapiot, P.; Downard, A. J., Scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopy evidence for covalent and noncovalent interactions between aryl films and highly ordered pyrolytic graphite. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2014, 118 (11), 5820-5826.
  37. Eastwood, A.; Oze, C.; Fraser, S.; Cole, J.; Gravley, D.; Chambefort, I.; Gordon, K., Application of Raman spectroscopy to distinguish adularia and sanidine in drill cuttings from the Ngatamariki Geothermal Field, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 2015, 58 (1), 66-77.
  38. Dimartino, S.; Savory, D. M.; Fraser-Miller, S. J.; Gordon, K. C.; McQuillan, A. J., Microscopic and infrared spectroscopic comparison of the underwater adhesives produced by germlings of the brown seaweed species Durvillaea antarctica and Hormosira banksii. Journal of The Royal Society Interface 2016, 13 (117), 20151083.

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