January 9, 2007

NORTHERN ONTARIO RECEIVES $151,228 FOR RESEARCH

Under the Research Infrastructure component of the Ontario Research Fund (ORF), today the McGuinty government is announcing the investment of close to $11 million for 68 innovative projects in communities across the province. In northern Ontario, $151,228 will be invested in two projects.

SUDBURY

Laurentian University

Dr. Redhouane Henda

Pulsed electron deposition facility for value-added advanced materials processing

Led by Redhouane Henda, this Laurentian University team is focusing on developing advanced, novel high-temperature coatings, such as ceramics and catalysts. The ceramics that could emerge from the research could be useful in the mining, petroleum, and aerospace industries. Catalysts when used in natural gas would allow for a much cleaner burning process, helping to meet increasingly rigorous emissions standards.

Laurentian University

Dr. Sabine Montaut

Mass spectrometer for identification of bioactive natural products

Researchers at Laurentian University will examine plants that may have cancer-preventing properties. Led by Sabine Montaut, they will use a mass spectrometer to study plants related to broccoli, Brussels sprout, cabbage, cauliflower and kale from the rassicaceae family. Mass spectrometers are very useful in characterizing organic compounds. Cancer-preventing properties are connected to sulphur-containing compounds such plants produce. Dr. Montaut and her colleagues will screen other cruciferous plants from other species for similar compounds. The team will also seek out cancer preventing agents in plants used in folk medicine. They expect their work to produce a better understanding of the relative contributions of various plant components to cancer risk reduction. These plants processed into food supplements may offer economic opportunities to pharmaceutical and food producers.

For a complete list of awards and a detailed breakdown of the funding under this round of the ORF, please visit www.ontario.ca/innovation.