Solids exist as crystals, amorphous or subcooled liquids. The degree of crystallinity determines the long range order in a solid phase. Molecules when transferred from the solution to the solid phase may take many different crystal forms (polymorphs, solvates/hydrates, salts, co-crystals). Theoretically, there are 230 space groups describing the diversity of a crystalline material. About […]

I began my research in May 2018 in the MJA lab at Ryerson University with the research topic of porphyrin silanes. The opportunity to work in Dr. Anderson’s research lab at the University of Oxford would allow me to expand my knowledge of porphyrins, as his research focuses on -conjugated porphyrin nanostructures. My project with […]

In March of 2018, the Jaque Group of the Autonomous University of Madrid reported for the first time the development of lightactivated, remote-controlled microrotors for potential applications in temperature sensing, i.e., microparticles exhibiting rotational motion upon irradiation with near-infrared light, from which the temperature of a liquid medium can be inferred. This novelty opens the […]

Ce projet consiste à la mise au point de nouveaux procédés de fonctionnalisation par plasma du verre. À travers la synthèse d’un film mince, nous modifierons la surface du verre et étudierons les effets antibuée produits. Cette étude permettra de développer un procédé alternatif aux solutions existantes. La nature chimique du film mènera à une […]

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is thought to be caused by accumulation of protein, called “beta-amyloid” in the brain. This protein has been shown to accumulate on the surfaces of brain cells, deforming and damaging their outer surface (called the lipid membrane). There is a major open question however: what factors make brain cells sensitive to beta-amyloid? […]

NanoDendrix™ is a completely natural form of glycogen, sourced and produced from plants by a patented green process developed in Guelph, Ontario. Recent studies have revealed many valuable properties and performance characteristics of NanoDendrix, such as its antimicrobial effects, which have wide-ranging implications for clinical use. The proposed internship will evaluate NanoDendrix for use in […]

De nos jours, les ordinateurs, les téléphones cellulaires et beaucoup de gadgets électroniques voient leur taille diminuer de plus en plus au fur et à mesure que les années passent. Actuellement, la technologie de ces dispositifs électroniques est basée sur le silicium. Or, le silicium atteint les limites de sa performance plus la taille des […]

In a colloid-polymer mixture, the addition of non-adsorbing polymer can control the magnitude as well as the range of an effective attraction between micron-sized colloidal particles. In such a system, various phases, including network-forming gels, can be observed. With tunable interactions, such systems could also be used for the studies of phase transition kinetics. An […]

Synthetic polymers will be explored as a vehicle to deliver DNA to cells for potential gene therapy applications. Charge-shifting polycations with varying rates of degradation will be studied to test the effectiveness of DNA release, as well as eventual uptake and conversion of the DNA to produce a targeted protein (i.e. transfection). The varying rates […]

In light of our dramatic environmental situation, we are faced with implementing carbon-neutral power sources. The sun offers a nearly endless supply of energy that can be converted into consumable power with the use of photovoltaics. While current photovoltaics are rather efficient, they are expensive to manufacture and install. A new branch of photovoltaics, organic […]

Due to the limited sources of fossil fuel and growing demand of world-wide energy, research on inexpensive alternative energy sources has significantly increased past few years. While the conventional silicon solar cells are expensive, they are also unable to provide enough energy density for current and future societal needs. Semiconductor polymers are excellent candidates as […]

Enzymes are macromolecules that speed up the rate of chemical reactions by many orders of magnitude. Different classes of enzymes are present in a cell at different copy numbers to control and fine-tune its metabolism. The kinetics of enzymes differs depending on the physical properties of the local surroundings. Due to the high complexity of […]