CUE students excel at national chemistry conference

In a remarkable display of talent and commitment, students from Concordia University of Edmonton (CUE) made an impact at the Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition (CSC 2023). Our chemistry program shone bright amongst the nation’s elite academic institutions in two oral and four poster presentations.

CCCE/CSC is Canada’s largest chemistry convention held annually by the Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC) and the Canadian Society for Chemistry (CSC).

Presenters at the conference highlight the dedication of CUE professors to their students. Dr. Makan Golizeh, Assistant Professor, Chemistry said, “I am proud of our chemistry students, two of which won second best poster presentation award, in competition with Canada’s best universities.

“Last year many conference attendees did not even know CUE existed. This year CUE had a strong presence, relative to its size, with two students winning a CSC award. This is encouraging to both our chemistry students and faculty,” he adds.

Seth Nobert first received presenting experience at the CUE Annual Research and Innovation Conference (CARIC 2023) in May, presenting his work on heavy metal scavenging. His second project at the CSC, however, involved collaboration with Dr. Emmanuel Mapfumo, Associate Professor, Biological and Environmental Sciences, and centered around the Superworm project, with the aim of understanding potential applications of superworm larvae to breakdown polystyrene in landfills.

Switching from one project to another can be challenging, says Seth, but it also offers valuable learning opportunities. “It’s very difficult at first because you focus so much time working with one instrument or one side of science and then you have to completely change your thinking and learn new techniques. So it can be difficult, but it’s a great way to learn all sides of chemistry and it’s given me a lot of great opportunities,” Seth explains. Working on different projects allowed him to explore different sides of the field, such as electrochemistry, food chemistry, and environmental chemistry.

CUE Student Brendan Michalczyk made waves at the CSC for his exceptional work on nanotechnology and quantum dots. He won second place in the Division of Surface Science Student Poster Competition “Nanotechnology has emerged as a groundbreaking field, offering immense possibilities for various applications in fields ranging from electronics to medical imaging,” says Brendan. 

Brendan’s project focused on silicon quantum dots, which are nanoparticles with sizes ranging from one to 100 nanometers. “Quantum dots possess unique properties, such as photo luminescence, making them invaluable for applications like LED electronics, solar panels, and biological imaging,” Brendan explains. By adding different surface groups to silica nanoparticles, Brendan aimed to enhance their functionality and explore a new approach to surface modification.

Seth attended the CSC the previous year only as an observer, but this year marked his debut presentation. Seth explains that attending conferences provides valuable exposure to other researchers’ work and helps students gain a better understanding of the research community. 

“Last year was my first year in the lab, so I didn’t have any substantial projects to present. We went there to learn and hear about other people’s projects and to get a feel for it,” he mentions.

Seth attributes his success to the hard work and support from his professors and colleagues. “I felt that between the work that my professors put into me and other students in the lab, I and others felt like we really have to perform. They’ve done so much to help me succeed, that I also want to give back,” he says.

Brendan’s participation in the national conference marked a pivotal moment in his research career. Competing against graduate students, professors, and industry professionals in the surface science category, he delivered a captivating presentation. Despite initial nerves, Brendan’s vibrant personality and ability to communicate complex concepts in layman’s terms worked to his advantage. “I’m pretty extroverted by nature and I tried to make my presentation engaging and accessible to a diverse audience,” says Brendan.

The conference not only provided a platform for showcasing his research but also facilitated networking opportunities. Brendan said, “I met professionals from different universities and industry sectors, exchanged business cards, and received invitations for potential collaborations.” 

Seth said he had the opportunity to do significant research this year at CUE. “We found that phytic acid, which is abundant in bran and seeds, and polycarboxylic acids revealed their potential as powerful heavy metal scavengers, surpassing the performance of synthetic chemicals, such as EDTA, which have been the gold standard for heavy metal capture. This was exciting because there is very little information on this right now. And, it was also really cool to use X-ray spectroscopy, which is not commonly used for this analysis.”

During the research process, Seth encountered obstacles, such as difficulties working with certain technologies. “In the beginning we went a totally different route. We went with electrochemical methods first, which are another way of measuring heavy metals, but we found it was inconvenient, because we needed larger amounts of samples, and there were so many difficulties performing the measurements. So we ended up completely switching and going to X-ray spectroscopy, which made it a lot easier for me.”

The Superworm project thrived on the collaboration of CUE professors Dr. Emmanuel Mapfumo, Dr. Deborah Hemmerling, and Dr. Cecilia Bukutu’s work, and led to the exploration of potential partnerships with organizations, such as the Westlock Regional Waste Management Centre, where they aim to evaluate the applicability of the project for waste management.

“Seth did excellent work on the analyses of degradation products in excreta (or frass) of superworms that had been fed an expanded polystyrene diet for 4 weeks. Seth took advantage of the opportunity that our CUE senior undergraduate students have to work on exciting projects such as our Superworm project.” said Dr. Mapfumo

Students received funding to perform their research and/or attend the conference through CUE Student Research Grants program. They also gained a great deal of support from mentors and CUE’s Office of Research. 

“CUE’s Student Research Grant covered a significant portion of my travel expenses, including accommodation and meals,” says Brendan.

“Attending conferences at the national level, not only gives CUE more visibility, but it also allows students to build connections with their peers as well as renowned scholars in their field. As an example of this, our students received several offers for graduate positions from top-tier Canadian universities, as well as proposed research collaboration and investment.” – Dr. Makan Golizeh

When asked for Seth’s advice for aspiring researchers, he said, “Honestly there’s so many paths you can take in research, you’d have to find what you love. All of us researchers think differently. You have to find what your niche is and pursue it well.

“And hopefully find a supervisor who will allow you to pursue whatever you want to do, which makes a big difference. When you actually have an interest in it, you’re more motivated to spend long hours in the lab or grind through long calculations,” Seth adds.

Brendan’s advice to students is to “enjoy yourself. There are so many new and exciting fields in chemistry to learn and grow from. Take in as much as you can.”

Seth and Brendan’s success serves as an inspiration to aspiring scientists and highlights the importance of seizing opportunities in the pursuit of scientific breakthroughs.