Creating shared resources for pharmaceutical technology education—Simulation tools

• pharmaHUB promotes shared resources for pharmaceutical technology education.
• HUBZero infrastructure provides widespread access to online simulation tools.
• Contributors can use Rappture toolkit to migrate existing simulations to pharmaHUB.
• A simulation tool that models roller compaction has been deployed using Rappture.
• Instructional models that integrate Web-based resources are reviewed.

This article describes the use of the HUBZero middleware to create shared simulations of particulate processes in drug product manufacturing. These simulations are deployed on the pharmaHUB.org Web-site and are accessible through a Web-browser. The simulations may be used to introduce basic concepts in solids processing and their application to drug product design and process development. Graphical interfaces that allow students to visualize the models being studied may be constructed with the Rappture toolkit. This toolkit generates an interface from a simple input/output description that is applicable to many simple but useful engineering models. The toolkit allows contributors to convert existing simulation programs, which typically rely on text based input and output, into Web-based tools with graphical interfaces. As an example, the article presents a simulation tool that models roller compaction, a unit operation used in dry granulation processes for drug product manufacturing. The article also reviews instructional frameworks for integrating simulation tools and other shared resources into courses. Supporting materials that provide a more detailed description of roller compaction are also identified.