Microwaves measure properties of liquids
The common belief is that electron microscopy (EM) can only be used on dry samples because of the vacuum inside the microscope’s column. This is no longer the case, as researchers can now visualize fully solvated nanoscale objects in liquids such as water from cryogenic to room temperature conditions. Room temperature in-liquid observations are achieved by squeezing the sample into a nanofluidic chip with a very narrow with a very narrow gap (down to 50nm) between two ultrathin membranes, so that the electron beam can get through the “sandwich” and reach the image detector.
In 2019, the WIN membership expanded beyond the Faculties of Science, Engineering and Mathematics to welcome the first researcher from the Faculty of Environment. Goretty Dias is a sustainability scientist and industrial ecologist and is an associate professor in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development.
As Canada’s largest nanotechnology institute, committed to United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN) actively celebrates emerging leaders in the field of nanoscience and nanotechnology. These individuals from across the globe whose research aligns with one or more of our thematic areas and the UN SDGs are eligible for the WIN Rising Star Award in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology.
Innovation, research and discovery are key factors in maintaining and growing Canada’s socio-economic well-being, to benefit all Canadians. The Canada Research Chair Program is investing $140 million toward 182 new and renewed Chairs at 34 institutions. The University of Waterloo had three chairs renewed, including Chemistry's Derek Schipper.
What if you could spray away COVID-19? That’s the idea behind an anti-viral surface coating being developed in a collaborative project between by researchers at The Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN) within the University of Waterloo and SiO2 Innovation Labs. The coating will kill the COVID-19 virus immediately upon contact with any surface.
A WIN member has won $265,000 in federal backing to develop a palm-sized device capable of detecting COVID-19 infection within 30 minutes.
Carolyn Ren, a professor of mechanical and mechatronics engineering and WIN Member, will lead the one-year project by a team that includes professors Emmanuel Ho (also a WIN member) of the School of Pharmacy at Waterloo and fellow WIN member and Keith Fowke of the University of Manitoba.
Last week, this year's Vanier Scholarship award winners were announced. Among the prestigious group was 2019 and 2020 Nanofellowship winner Christian Ieritano, one of three winners from UWaterloo.
A biotechnology company co-founded by a Waterloo Engineering alumnus has been awarded almost $300,000 in government funding to develop a portable diagnostic test for COVID-19.
Nicoya, a Kitchener-based provider of advanced analytical instruments for the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, grew out of a Capstone Design project by nanotechnology engineering student Ryan Denomme (BASc ’10, MASc ’12).
The funding is part of a challenge issued by the Public Health Agency of Canada and the National Research Council of Canada.
In a world where just about everyone has a smartphone it also means that almost everyone has become an amateur photographer. In 2019, more than 657 billion smartphone photographs were taken – and many of them blurry. But help is on the way. A promising new student venture, Scope, is hoping their invention of a new type of optical zoom lens system with electronically tunable optical power will help people take better photos while reducing the battery use, costs, and processing power of smartphones.