Jennifer van Wijngaarden, professor of chemistry at 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Science, has been named a fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC), a prestigious recognition awarded to members who have made outstanding contributions to the field of chemical sciences. 

This distinction acknowledges her impact across multiple areas, including scientific research, mentorship and public outreach.

The CIC fellowship is a senior class of membership reserved for individuals who have demonstrated excellence in scientific and technical contributions, service to the CIC and its affiliated societies, leadership in science and engineering management and efforts in education and public awareness. Fellows are selected through a rigorous nomination and peer-review process before being approved by the CIC Board. 

Van Wijngaarden鈥檚 internationally recognized research employs cutting-edge spectroscopic techniques in the microwave and infrared regions to explore molecular structures and dynamics. Her work has advanced the understanding of short-lived molecular species relevant to astrochemistry, combustion and chemical vapour deposition. 

Her research directly supports global sustainability efforts by contributing to advancements of two key United Nations鈥� Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDG 7 鈥� Affordable and Clean Energy; and SDG 13 鈥� Climate Action. 

Beyond her research, van Wijngaarden has made significant contributions to the chemical sciences community. She has played a pivotal role in the Canadian Society for Chemistry (CSC) through positions on the accreditation committee, including as a Physical, Theoretical and Computational Division executive and as director of conferences on the board. She has also provided leadership on scientific grant evaluation panels and governance roles with Canada鈥檚 largest national science facility, the Canadian Light Source. 

鈥淚 am deeply honoured to be recognized as a CIC fellow,鈥� says van Wijngaarden, who also serves as the Chair of 91亚色's Department of Chemistry. 鈥淪cientific progress is driven not only by research but also by collaboration, mentorship, and knowledge-sharing. I am grateful for the opportunities to contribute to the CIC community and to help inspire the next generation of scientists.鈥�

Courtesy of聽YFile

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91亚色鈥檚 Office of Sustainability, in partnership with the Faculty of Science and Facilities Services, hosted a successful Bioblitz event during Campus Sustainability Month in October, inviting the 91亚色 community to explore and document the diverse species of plants, animals, and other organisms found on the Keele and Glendon campuses. Participants used the iNaturalist app to record their findings, contributing to a valuable inventory of local biodiversity. The event saw a fantastic turnout, with 37 participants making 790 observations across 326 species on 91亚色鈥檚 campuses.   

A standout contributor was Alice Kostin, a neuroscience student from the Faculty of Science, who made an impressive 164 observations of 79 different species, earning her recognition for her dedication to documenting campus biodiversity. Kostin鈥檚 efforts earned her first place and a $50 reward on her YU Card. 

鈥淧articipating in 91亚色鈥檚 Bioblitz was a chance for me to explore Canada鈥檚 diverse beauty right here on our campus,鈥� she said. 

The event showcased a wide range of wildlife, from familiar species like gray squirrels and Canada geese to rarer sightings, including a white-throated sparrow, red-tailed hawk and even a coyote. The data collected will play an important role in advancing 91亚色鈥檚 sustainability goals, particularly through the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Living Planet @ Campus program, which encourages students to actively participate in biodiversity conservation and environmental stewardship. The event also included walks on campus, which were led by professors Gordon Fitch, Alex Mills and Laura McKinnon, as well as Valerio Larivera, supervisor of grounds management.  

The Bioblitz event aligns with 91亚色鈥檚 Sustainability Strategy, supporting the University鈥檚 efforts to regenerate local ecosystems and foster biodiversity on campus, creating a healthier and more inviting environment for all. It also provides students with valuable opportunities to engage in environmental initiatives and contribute to 91亚色鈥檚 pursuit of a WWF Living Planet Leader certification. 

鈥淭he Bioblitz is about more than just species identification 鈥� it鈥檚 about fostering a deeper connection to the natural world,鈥� said Mike Layton, chief sustainability officer. 

Community members are encouraged to contribute to  year-round and to keep an eye out for another Bioblitz event this spring. For information about how to get involved in sustainability on campus or how to join the WWF Living Planet Leader certification, visit the Sustainability at 91亚色 website. 

Courtesy of YFile

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91亚色 is taking a leadership role in addressing one of the world鈥檚 most pressing issues 鈥� water sustainability. The University is serving as the academic lead for a pioneering virtual course titled 鈥淚ntroduction to Big Data for Water Sustainability,鈥� run by the United Nations Institute for Training & Research (UNITAR) Global Water Academy.

The seven-week course, which began recently and runs until Dec. 3, aims to tackle the complex challenge of global water insecurity. With more than two billion people lacking safe access to clean water, the need for innovative solutions in water sustainability management has never been more critical.

Professor Sapna Sharma in 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Science, who designed the curriculum, emphasizes the urgency of the situation. 鈥淲e are in need of practical and effective solutions to water sustainability management that are relevant at both local and global scales, and based on a data-driven strategy,鈥� she says.

The course content focuses on harnessing the power of open-access data, novel technologies, inclusive international collaborations and Indigenous knowledge integration. By combining these elements, the project aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of water sustainability on a global scale.

A defining feature of this offering is its 鈥渢wo-eyed seeing鈥� approach, which integrates Indigenous knowledge with western scientific practices. This comprehensive strategy aims to expand understanding of global freshwater availability, particularly in unexplored regions or areas with insufficient resource access. As Sharma points out, incorporating Indigenous knowledge is essential for developing effective water management solutions. 鈥淚t allows us to tap into centuries of local expertise and understanding of water systems.鈥�

Each module features an experienced practitioner guiding participants through the process of accessing, using and applying open-access global freshwater datasets. Topics covered include remote sensing technologies, community networks, traditional knowledge and increased accessibility of open-access data.

The project鈥檚 global reach is already apparent. 鈥淭his free, open-access curriculum has approximately 750 registrants from about 120 countries,鈥� Sharma says. 鈥淲e have invited leaders from academia, [United Nations] agencies, governments, [non-governmental organizations] and Inuit communities 鈥� to present guest lectures.鈥� This diverse participation not only showcases 91亚色鈥檚 international influence but also demonstrates its commitment to democratizing higher education. Furthermore, by providing high-calibre knowledge and training in water sustainability to a global audience, the University is helping to increase access to expertise, particularly for those in regions where such resources may be limited.

Building on this global collaboration, the course tackles several key challenges in water sustainability management. These include data accessibility, quantifying water insecurity and developing innovative solutions.

Despite significant annual investments in acquiring, compiling and analyzing data on various water bodies around the world, many researchers and practitioners struggle to locate and effectively utilize these datasets. This gap between data availability and practical application highlights the need for improved data management and sharing practices in the field of water sustainability.

To address these challenges, the course aims to foster creative, data-driven solutions that safeguard freshwater resources and promote equitable access to clean water worldwide. By equipping participants with the skills to navigate and leverage existing datasets, the initiative seeks to connect data collection with real-world application in water management strategies.

Looking ahead, Sharma envisions the curriculum as a catalyst for positive change: 鈥淲e hope that this offering will provide the tools to inspire new approaches to safeguard our freshwater resources and work towards a future of equitable access to clean water across the globe.鈥�

For more information and to register for the remaining sessions, visit the Introduction to Big Data for Water Sustainability course web page.

Courtesy of YFile

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When plants are healthy, they emit red light that is nearly impossible to see with the naked eye, but with a new instrument developed at 91亚色, it's now possible to measure that light whether in a lab or out in the field.

Although it may sound like science fiction to say healthy plants glow, this delayed fluorescence comes from light absorbed from the sun, related to photosynthetic activity and health of the plant. Plants emit this glow after they absorb a flash of light.

"We can tell how healthy the plant is by the robustness of the red light they emit. The weaker the light gets, the less healthy the plant is," says Associate Professor of biophysics of 91亚色's Faculty of Science. "You can't always tell the health of the plant just by looking at it. Often, it will look green and healthy until you test it."

That's where the new, highly sensitive and portable biosensor Mermut and 91亚色 chemistry Professor William Pietro engineered comes in. "We developed a device that can capture low intensity light emission from plants," says Pietro.

The tool, a SiPM (solid-state silicon photomultiplier) -enabled portable delayed fluorescence photon counting device with integrated plug-and-play excitation of a simple LED, can easily be deployed remotely. This enables the device to help measure the health and sustainability of plants, especially those stressed by CO2 emissions, greenhouse gases and extreme weather events, and asses impacts of industrialization. Not only can it be used in a lab but, as it's the size of a briefcase, it can be easily carried from site to site, whether that's crops in Saskatchewan, where Mermut hails from, protected Indigenous lands across Canada, or the rainforests of Brazil.

"The results of this can tell us about the reaction of plants under various environmental conditions, including drought, heat and cold shock stress or after floods. It does this in a powerful new way that enables us to study this phenomenon of plant emission directly in the field. It's so sensitive it can count individual photons, particles of light, emitted from plants," says Pietro.

This wouldn't have been possible even a few years ago. The technology was too large, not portable in the least, complicated, and expensive, all of which precluded field-based studies, until now. Mermut and Pietro are hoping other researchers will also start using the instrument in their studies, perhaps to study impacts of climate change over time on plants.

In the future, they hope to mount the equipment on a drone so it can fly over rainforests, conservation areas and agricultural fields 鈥� which may help farmers address food security 鈥� to gauge their health and how it changes over time or in reaction to environmental stressors.

"This is so important because roughly 20 per cent of oxygen is produced by the Brazilian rain forests," says Mermut, who has experience in creating remotely deployable medical devices for global health applications and space life sciences research. "You can imagine how useful such technology may become in the future, not only for plants, but for humans as well."

The researchers published their proof-of-concept study, in a special issue of the journal .

Already, they are teaching students in the Biophysics undergraduate program in the Department of Physics and Astronomy about the concepts and how to use the research equipment in the , where they can simulate the stresses found in nature in greenhouses, to see the effects on various plants.

It鈥檚 an example of how cutting-edge research is not only being used right away in the classroom, but also out in the field.

PHOTOS: Biosensor 鈥� /news/wp-content/uploads/sites/242/2022/11/IMG_8166-scaled.jpg

Prototypes of the conceptual implementation of the device on a drone used to study and survey fields and forests: /news/wp-content/uploads/sites/242/2022/11/Drone2.jpg, /news/wp-content/uploads/sites/242/2022/11/Drone3.jpg and /news/wp-content/uploads/sites/242/2022/11/Drone4.jpg

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