Science that gets under our skin

Scientists are on a quest to create materials that mimic the sensory abilities of human skin for uses like the surfaces of robots and prosthetics. This skin-like salt-infused gel is a step towards that goal.

Clean energy hub makes its debut

Catalyst (noun): an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action. ‘Catalyst for change’ is such a well-worn phrase that it has lost much of its descriptive power. But in the case of a new materials research centre in Mississauga, it is apt on so many levels that it’s hard to avoid.

Mapping metals in feathers

Researchers shine a (very) bright light on duck feathers, revealing a sensitive technique for environmental monitoring. Like the proverbial canary in a coal mine, birds of all kind can act…

Chicken, chocolate and celiac disease

What do poultry, chocolate, bananas and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower have in common? They all contain an essential amino acid called tryptophan, which launches a biochemical…

Tracking COVID-19 with wastewater

How the virus’s chemical signature gives advance warning of the rise and fall of community transmission.
As the pandemic’s second wave tightens its grip across the country, researchers, municipalities, and public health agencies are experimenting with a COVID-19 early warning system that tests wastewater for the virus’s unique chemical signature. Swab tests for the coronavirus are expensive and we aren’t capturing enough data for a true picture of how many people are infected, say epidemiologists.

Medical masks that kill the COVID-19 virus

Researchers put anti-microbial mask coatings to the test. Triiodide, salt, and graphene-nano silver take their turn on the lab bench. Face masks with COVID-fighting coatings may be the next frontier…

Getting maple syrup to show its true colours

Gold may be among the most distinctive colours in nature, but the element shows a very different character at smaller scales. At sizes of less than 100 nanometers, they absorb…

Wrestling with wine and water

For all the economic and social benefits that the wine industry has brought to Ontario’s Niagara peninsula region, this expanding sector has also introduced a major environmental challenge to the…

CNC-IUPAC Travel award winners announced

Travel award winners announced CIC and the Canadian National Committee of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (CNC-IUPAC) are pleased to announce the winners of their 2020 travel…