Health Futures
Sustainable Futures
Technological Futures
WaterFEL: Canada’s only Infrared Free-electron Laser
The new WaterFEL facility at University of Waterloo is set to be North America’s only dedicated infrared free‑electron laser (IR‑FEL) user facility when it opens in 2028 and will unleash extraordinary capabilities for scientists. It will enable ultra‑precise molecular and material analysis, from tracking chemical transformations in wastewater to pinpointing disease biomarkers in personalised medicine. With interdisciplinary strength in physics, engineering and AI, Waterloo is poised to become a global hub of laser‑driven discovery, solving challenges in health, environment and technology.
Envisioning the Future
As part of Waterloo's long-term strategic vision of the Global Futures, to envision the future of humanity and our planet, WaterFEL takes a bold step towards addressing some of the biggest challenges facing our world today.
Crossing the intersections of health research, environmental research, and discovery as we make waves in new technology, the WaterFEL facility is not only a gateway to transforming molecular analysis, but also the foundation for groundbreaking interdisciplinary advancement. This facility will position the University of Waterloo at the forefront of laser technology and scientific innovation on the continent.
- WaterFEL represents a groundbreaking advancement in health-focused research, offering transformative applications in disease detection, imaging and therapeutics. By leveraging the IR-FEL's unique analytical capabilities, researchers can enhance disease screening methods, enabling earlier and more precise diagnoses.
- As we strive to protect our water and water systems as Earth's most vital resource, WaterFEL will help our scientists identify and develop solutions for "forever chemicals", to address water contamination and support remediating and mitigating complex challenges.
This future is not just a dream, but a tangible goal the University of Waterloo can achieve within the next 15-20 years.
Impacts of the WaterFEL Facility
Understanding metabolic disease: Preventing disease before it begins
The IR-FEL will revolutionize our understanding of metabolic disease by using light to track and redirect human metabolism in real time. This facility will give researchers the tools to:
- Watch molecules moving around cells, nanosecond by nanosecond
- Detect the earliest molecular missteps that lead to diabetes and obesity
- And ultimately, redirect the chemistry of life to prevent disease before it begins
This is not just research.
It’s the future of medicine, illuminated.
Taking on one of the greatest environmental challenges of our time: Cleaning Earth’s water
Eradicating toxic forever chemicals and restoring the health of our water, soil, and the ecosystems using the power of light. Using the IR-FEL, researchers will:
- Track pollutants molecule by molecule, even in trace amounts
- Uncover how PFAS and other contaminants bind, spread and resist breakdown
- Pioneer light-triggered solutions that dismantle these toxins at their core
This is more than scientific discovery.
It’s a revolution in environmental protection, sparked by science, driven by advanced technology.
Targeting Cancer with Light: Precision from the inside out
Waterloo Science is advancing a bold new frontier in medicine. We are unlocking the secrets of how drugs move, interact and activate inside the body to design treatments that are smarter, faster and more precise. With the IR-FEL, researchers will:
- Reveal the biomarkers of cancer and create a complete chemical map of the disease
- Expose hidden chemical reactions that determine treatment success or failure
- Engineer next-generation therapies that reach the right cells, at the right moment, with the right impact
This is not just a new tool.
It is a turning point in the fight against cancer, led by light and guided by science.
Decoding the Universe: Connecting the cosmos to the lab
By pairing the Infrared Free-Electron Laser with data from the James Webb Space Telescope, we are recreating and decoding the chemistry of the universe, one molecule at a time. We will:
- Re-create the extreme conditions of deep space in real time
- Characterize the molecules that may be present on distant planets and stars
- Unlock chemical clues to the origin of life on Earth and beyond
This is more than space science.
This is the chemistry of the universe, revealed through Canadian science.
Read updates about the IR-FEL, and research from Dr. Scott Hopkins
Waterloo breaks ground on cutting-edge laser facility
The Infrared Free Electron Laser user facility is the first of its kind in North America and will support a broad range of research applications from health to the environment.
Unveiling new horizons in health research
Waterloo’s new Free Electron Laser will reveal hidden details in biological samples, enhancing our understanding of treatments and therapies.
Free Electron Laser facility at Waterloo gets $10M funding boost
The Government of Canada announced that the University of Waterloo Canadian Free Electron Laser project will be getting $10 million in funding from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to put towards the $50+ million facility to be built on the Waterloo Campus.
Dr. Scott Hopkins using Artificial Intelligence for on-the-spot cancer diagnosis platform
Awarded $250,000 from the Cancer Digital Intelligence’s Grand Challenge, Hopkins aims to improve treatment options for brain and spine cancers.
Together, we redefine possibility.
Your support for the IR-FEL will impact the future of healthcare, discovery and innovation.