For
Canadian
soldiers
fighting
in
hot,
arid
conditions,
a
case
of
severe
dry
eye
can
mean
the
difference
between
life
and
death.
That’s
why
Frank
Gu
is
working
with
Waterloo’s
School
of
Optometry
to
develop
new
eye
drops
using
non-irritating
nanoparticles.
Unlike
today’s
drops,
Gu’s
would
be
used
only
once
a
day.
“Can
you
imagine
our
troops
doing
patrols
and
every
15
minutes
they
have
to
stop
and
administer
eye
drops?”
asks
Gu,
a
chemical
engineering
professor.
“Hopefully
these
drops
can
medically
improve
the
productivity
and
safety
for
the
men
and
women
struggling
in
war
zones.”
Gu
began
his
drug
delivery
research
at
MIT
and
Harvard
Medical
School
converting
conventional
cancer
drugs
into
targeted
“smart
bombs
on
a
nanometer
scale.”
It
was
exciting
work
then,
but
he
says
his
team
of
dedicated
students
and
collaborators
at
Waterloo
makes
all
the
difference.
“These
are
complex,
highly
disciplinary
projects
we’re
working
on
at
Waterloo,
and
to
have
access
to
students
trained
in
nanotechnology
is
an
absolute
thrill
for
me.”
Professor, Chemical Engineering