The power of spin
INNOVATION
There has been so much thought put into anticipating, avoiding, and destroying tornadoes that I became quite intrigued in early 2007 when I received the following...
Read More >>The many faces of bioplastics
POLYMERS
Plastics get a bad rap. While they improve our lives in countless ways, from food safety to medical care, their inertness and disinclination to break down — the very properties...
Read More >>Canadian chemistry in Kuwait
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
This past April, the Kuwait University Department of Chemistry awarded their graduates certificates of accreditation based upon standards set by the Canadian Society for Chemistry (CSC). The initiative to establish...
Read More >>Ancient fracture fluids could support life
GEOCHEMISTRY
The discovery that billion-year-old water collected from a Timmins, Ont. mine has the right chemistry to support life could have important implications for the habitability of other planets. Barbara Sherwood...
Read More >>DNAzyme could silence bad genes
BIOCHEMISTRY
Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have developed an improved system for finding sequences of DNA that can selectively bind and destroy certain RNA sequences. The new molecules...
Read More >>High school teacher honoured with new award
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Awards manager Gale Thirlwall presents Gyro Inman of Earl of March Secondary School in Kanata, Ont. with the inaugural Chemical Institute of Canada Award for High School/Cégep Chemistry Teachers. Inman,...
Read More >>Chimie sans frontiers – chemistry without borders
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
The spectacular stone walls of Québec City — the only North American city with fortifications north of Mexico — provide an impressive backdrop for any meeting. But for the thousands...
Read More >>Students off to Chem Olympiad
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Canada’s top high school chemistry students will represent the nation at the 45th International Chemistry Olympiad July 15-24, 2013 in...
Read More >>Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering Board of Directors Nominations (2013–2014)
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
The Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering (CSChE) Nominating Committee, appointed under the terms of CSChE bylaws Article 8, Section K, has proposed the candidates listed below to serve as CSChE officers and directors for 2013-2014. Emily Moore, CSChE past president...
Read More >>Molten solution
INNOVATION
Neil Camarta just can’t seem to stay retired. After 35 years in the oil industry, including stints at Shell and Suncor, the chemical engineer from Edson, Alta. is now in...
Read More >>Grapevine
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Derek Gray, FCIC, was awarded the 30th annual Marcus Wallenberg Prize May 14 at the opening session of the first FIBRE Network conference, held in Cornwall, Ont. Gray, a McGill University chemistry professor, received the award — worth more than $300,000 — for his pioneering study of nanocrystalline...
Read More >>Inorganic meeting
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
A record-setting 144 inorganic chemists from the universities of Victoria, Simon Fraser, Washington, Alberta and Calgary gathered in Kelowna at UBC Okanagan May 10-12 for the 2013 Alberta/British Columbia Inorganic Chemistry Discussion Weekend. The meeting...
Read More >>Canadian chemistry contest winners
EDUCATION
The winners of the 2013 annual Canadian Chemistry Contest for secondary school students were announced this past June by the Chemical Education Division of the Chemical Institute of Canada. Nearly 600 chemistry students from across Canada...
Read More >>World’s largest green machine
SEQUESTRATION
In May, the National Research Council (NRC), Ontario-based Pond Biofuels and Alberta-based Canadian Natural Resources Limited announced the construction of a $19 million facility that will use algae grown on...
Read More >>Biosynthetic artemisinin leads to cheaper malaria drugs
PHARMACEUTICALS
An international team, including researchers from the National Research Council (NRC), has published a new semi-synthetic method for producing the anti-malarial drug artemisinin. The system combines biotechnology and industrial chemistry to greatly reduce the cost of the drug and its associated therapies. Artemisinin is currently extracted from sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua) at high cost. “The plant produces only about one per cent dry weight...
Read More >>Polymer glue could heal wounds
POLYMERS
A universal biomembrane adhesive developed at the University of British Columbia (UBC) could have applications in tissue engineering, drug delivery or wound care. Phophatidyl choline (PC) is found in the...
Read More >>Molecular motions captured via electron diffraction
TECHNIQUES
A new technique developed at the University of Toronto has captured — with femtosecond accuracy and atomic resolution — real-time images of molecules undergoing structural transitions. (A femtosecond is one...
Read More >>Single-atom catalysts could improve fuel cell performance
ENERGY
Researchers at Western University have deposited clusters of platinum as small as a single atom on sheets of graphene. The structures could improve catalysis in fuel cells and automotive catalytic...
Read More >>Iron-based catalysts could provide greener polymers
CATALYSIS
GreenCentre Canada has signed an agreement to commercialize a new class of iron-based catalysts developed by chemists from the Atlantic region. The molecules could lead to greener processes for everything...
Read More >>Then and now
HISTORY
As horrific as war is, it has historically spurred innovation and the invention of many useful gadgets that benefitted a peacetime citizenry. The Second World War was no exception. To...
Read More >>Chemical outreach through conversation — not ad campaigns
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
We might never be able to get the general public to fully understand and appreciate the chemical sectors and professions — and in my personal opinion we should not waste...
Read More >>Chemists need professional designation for the public good
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Provincial chemical associations across Canada are working very hard right now to get their respective governments to enact legislation formalizing the practice of chemistry. Quebec has already been successful; most...
Read More >>Pfizer case proves disclosure is the best policy
INTELLECTUAL MATTERS
While I wasn’t necessarily looking for them, some may have noticed prominent advertisements last fall announcing that the price of Viagra had dropped considerably. The price reduction was a direct...
Read More >>Humble acetone helped win the Second World War
CHEMFUSION
Say acetone, and what comes to a chemist’s mind? Washing laboratory glassware is a good bet. Actually, the prime use of acetone is to produce polymethyl methacrylate, better known as...
Read More >>Student merit award winners
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
This year’s Canadian Society for Chemistry Merit Award winners are: 1st place, the University of Toronto at Mississauga and honourable mention...
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