Battery Workforce Challenge party
The Chemical Engineering Department is hosting a special graduate lecture on Optimizing Experiments: From Data-Driven to Intrusive Model-Based Methods.
Abstract :
Humanity faces multiple converging crises such as pandemics, climate change, ecosystem degradation, and environmental pressures from rising global prosperity. We urgently need transformative solutions. At the same time, the past three decades have also witnessed sterling advances in genomics, synthetic biology, and computation, which have re-cast living systems as programmable platforms for innovation. Biology has now matured into a form of infrastructure - an enabling layer upon which solutions to health, the energy transition, material de-fossilization and the circular economy can be built.
Just as physical infrastructure underpinned the industrial age and digital infrastructure drives the current information age, biological infrastructure now offers the foundation for a sustainable one. Engineered biological systems can facilitate a more rapid response to emerging threats, enable sustainable resource recovery, as well as upcycle waste into high-value products. In this sense, biology is no longer confined to the laboratory; it is becoming the scaffolding of a new industrial paradigm where living and designed systems work in concert to sustain civilization.
Join us for a CERC Research Lecture by:
Professor Ruibing Wang PHD, FRSC
Wednesday, November 19th 1:30-2:30pm
PSE (E7) 7th Floor – 7303
The Chemical Engineering Department is hosting a special graduate lecture on Polymeric Applications of Waste Mussel Shell.
The Chemical Engineering Department is hosting a special graduate seminar on Materials and interfaces for the next generation batteries.
The Chemical Engineering Department is hosting a special graduate seminar on Environmental Sustainability Challenges in Canadian Healthcare.
Biological systems are essential in biopharmaceuticals, where rising demand requires efficient bioreactor operation. Scaling from lab to industry is limited by gradients from poor mixing, reducing yields through cell stress and adaptation. This work quantified dissolved oxygen, pH, and kLa gradients in a 20 L bioreactor. While cell density and metabolite gradients were inconclusive, metabolic responses were modeled with modified Monod kinetics, which adapted well to differing conditions.
Photopolymerization reactions have been explored and utilized since the time of the ancient Egyptians; however, development of new photopolymerization methodologies and applications continues at an ever more rapid pace. Traditionally, photopolymerization of multifunctional monomers results in highly crosslinked materials suitable for applications as optical lenses, optical fiber coatings, and dental materials. These reactions are ubiquitous not only because of the nature of the final polymer product, but also for the characteristics of the reaction itself. Photopolymerizations are far more energy efficient than their thermal counterparts, are typically performed in a solventless manner that is more environmentally compatible, the reactions occur rapidly at ambient conditions, and the polymerization can be controlled in both time and space.
Abstract:I
It is clear, that by mid-century, to avoid the worst-case scenarios of anthropogenic climate change, our society will have to rely on sustainable and renewable resources rather than fossil fuels. Biomass is a key proposed component of several climate mitigation strategies, with substantial involvement of future energy and material systems. The general objective of my research is utilizing biomass, photo/bio/electro-catalysts, and cell factories to design and fabricate renewable and sustainable bioproducts and systems, via bioinspired routes, for Energy, Environmental, and Biomedical application. These hybrid technology approaches provide potential route to economically viable energy production (hydrogen + biofuels) + biomass CO2 captured negative emission technologies (NET) (biomaterials + biochemicals), thus are clearly an important early step in the complete decarbonization of our society. In this presentation, I will introduce our new technology platform of using photocatalysis and photo/electro-bio hybrid system for biomass valorization. I will also talk about our recent progress on design and fabrication of cellulose based materials with genetically engineered proteins for biomedical application