BACKGROUNDER

February 19, 2008

DEVELOPING GREENER VEHICLES AND BREAKTHROUGH MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES

Developing Tomorrow’s Advanced Materials Today

 

Ontario is investing $150,000 to support an international collaboration between Ontario researchers at McMaster University and Australian researchers at Monash University to develop the next generation of advanced materials for use in greener vehicles and technologies that can help doctors better understand diseases such as cancer. 

The research will be lead by scientists at McMaster’s Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy (CCEM), a state-of-the-art facility equipped with some of the most powerful electron microscopes in the world.  

Researchers At McMaster And Monash Universities Will Collaborate To Develop New Techniques And Solutions For Working With Nanomaterials

Nanotechnology is the application of science and engineering at an atomic scale. It facilitates the construction of new materials and devices by manipulating individual atoms and molecules, the building blocks of nature. Nanotechnology enables the atom-by-atom design and fabrication of tiny structures that are very small – typically 1 to 100 nanometres (one nanometer is equal to one billionth of a metre). These structures have new properties and powerful applications in medicine and biotechnology, energy and the environment, and computing and telecommunications.

As the use of nanomaterials grows in mainstream manufacturing, many industries are in the market for ultra-high resolution imaging technologies. For example, aerospace and auto manufacturers depend on high-performance materials, and those materials need to be increasingly light and strong to improve performance and fuel economy. Materials that spring from nanotechnology will play a key role.

But manipulating, studying and working with components that are too small to see presents a fundamental challenge. Part of the solution has been to develop more powerful microscopes that can magnify to the atomic scale—as well as examine, cut, and manipulate samples. Technology at McMaster University is giving scientists the ability to do all that and more, using McMaster’s Titan electron microscope, which is able to magnify to a high scale and produce an image of world-record resolution.

Today’s investment is building on this strength, enabling researchers at McMaster University to collaborate with Australian researchers to share expertise and develop new techniques for using McMaster’s Titan electron microscope.
The research will be used to develop cutting-edge materials that will be used in products ranging from lighter and more energy-efficient cars, to breakthrough medical technologies like fluorescent tags that will help researchers better understand cancerous cells and other diseases.

Together, McMaster and Monash researchers will also develop methods to train the next generation of electron microscopy scientists by establishing a worldwide workshop and outreach program that will put McMaster’s CCEM at the forefront of international research in electron microscopy.

Key Facts

• Ontario’s support comes from the McGuinty government’s International Strategic Opportunities Program, which encourages world-class research partnerships between Ontario research institutions and the global research community. 
• Today’s investment builds on the $7.15 million Ontario has already invested in McMaster’s electron microscopy programs.
• There are a wide range of commercial applications for this joint research initiative:
• New green materials to improve environmental protection, such as fuel cells and hydrogen storage materials
• Ultra light-weight materials for automotive applications
• Substances for use in health, such as nanomedicine, drug delivery systems, fluorescent tags for markers of cancerous cells and biosensors for diseases and toxic agents
• Water purification membranes and other water protection materials
• Telecommunications and electronic equipment.

International Strategic Opportunities Program

The goal of the International Strategic Opportunities Program is to improve Ontario’s long-term economic potential by attracting and retaining the best and brightest research talent. The program seeks to:

• Facilitate research of scientific importance
• Increase Ontario’s long-term economic potential
• Attract and retain top international research talent
• Enhance Ontario’s profile in the international research community.

Learn more about the International Strategic Opportunities Program

Learn more about McMaster’s Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy

Learn more about Monash University

Read more about Nanotechnology

 

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