Researchers – Molecules and Materials for Sustainability

The Avis Lab studies both fundamental and applied aspects of food and plant microbiology. More specifically, we are interested in microbial food spoilage and plant pathology. Our main focus is the use of alternatives to synthetic chemicals to control the growth of microorganisms on crops and during food storage. The resulting effects of this research is meant to increase food yield and reduce food loss, which can have a positive impact on food security and environmental sustainability.

We are investigating the use of beneficial microorganisms (biological control agents), as well as microbial and plant extracts and purified natural antimicrobial compounds as potential alternatives to control harmful microorganisms. These novel control measures are meant to mitigate problems associated with some synthetic control measures such as risks to health and the environment as well as to delay or eliminate the onset of resistance development in the targeted microorganisms.

Our laboratory uses a multidisciplinary approach including basic microbiology, biochemistry, bio-analytical and bio-physical chemistry, membrane and lipid chemistry, as well as molecular biology, genetics, and genomics.

The Barry Lab is interested in the development of precursors and processes for atomic layer deposition (ALD) and was the first academic research group in Canada to work in this field.

We have previously discovered processes for the deposition of the coinage metals (Cu, Au), used in microelectronic chip manufacturing and sensing applications. Our present research is centred on earlier transition metals (Co, Ni, Mo, W) for next-generation nano-electronic interconnects, as well as upgrading additive manufacturing processes through thin film coating and sequential infiltration.

As synthetic chemists, we try to determine the mechanism of the surface chemistry and thermal decomposition routes to better design precursors and tune our processes. We look at many different processes and target films, but the theme of mechanistic inorganic chemistry can broadly be drawn through our work.

For more information, visit the Barry Lab.

Dr. DeRosa’s Lab, the Laboratory for Aptamer Discovery and Development of Emerging Research (LADDER), seeks to develop biosensors and “smart” materials based on DNA aptamers, single stranded DNA or RNA sequences that specifically bind to a diverse variety of targets. Projects in our lab draw on inorganic, organic, materials, and nucleic acids chemistry. Several main research themes are outlined below:

1. Human and Ecosystem Health: We have several projects where we apply our aptamer technology to problems in health. We have developed MRI and CT contrast agents that use aptamers for targeting. Working with colleagues in neuroscience, we have developed an aptamer-based tool to study, and perhaps one day treat, Parkinson’s Disease. We have also discovered aptamers for
2. Molecules and materials for sustainability: Our research on aptamers for controlled release applications is being to “smart” fertilizer technology. Fertilizers play a critical role in increasing agricultural outputs but at high economic and environmental cu_event_costs. The smart fertilizer concept involves the use of aptamers to recognize chemical signals that are exuded from crop roots to trigger the release of nutrients on demand, lowering cu_event_costs for the farmer and lessening environmental impact.
3. Food Safety, Security, and Analytical Methods: The presence of unsafe levels of contaminants in food is a growing public health problem that requires new technology for monitoring the food continuum from production to consumption. Aptamers for food safety targets, such as parasites, bacteria, and mycotoxins, have been discovered and tested in the LADDER. Our main interest is to develop low‐cu_event_cost, sensitive, robust biosensors for the detection of targets, mycotoxins in particular, at early stages in the food production chain (e.g. farm and grain elevator).

For more information, visit the LADDER.

The Environmental Biogeochemistry and Biotechnology (EBB) Lab explores how microbes and the chemical reactions they drive influence the fate of critical materials and environmental contaminants. Our research integrates microbial cultivation, advanced analytical chemistry, and high-resolution imaging to better understand biochemical transformations for metals and organic pollutants. Many research projects also leverage in-demand computational skills to analyze large-scale environmental chemistry, DNA, and RNA data to characterize biogeochemical cycles in diverse habitats.

We foster a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment spanning chemistry, biochemistry, earth science, and engineering. We work closely with partners in government including Environment and Climate Change Canada and Natural Resources Canada to translate our research into effective environmental policies that protect Canadians. We also work closely with partners in the solid waste and biotechnology sectors to develop environmental remediation strategies tailored to their needs. We are committed to inclusive mentorship and work with students to design projects that help them build skills in line with their career goals. Our team’s overarching vision is to develop sustainable, microbe-driven strategies for waste management tailored to real-world applications.

If you want to learn more about projects where you would be a good fit in the EBB lab, check out our website to learn more: https://carleton.ca/envbiotech/

The Hosseinian Group conducts research in the area of phytochemistry/food biochemistry, focusing on:

• The extraction and characterization of novel biomolecules (mainly phenolic lipids and their interaction with dietary fibre) from agri-food by-products/waste;
• Investigating their structure-function relationship (biotransformation) in microemulsions/encapsulations in food and biological membranes (liposomes/artificial cell membranes);
• Enhancing antioxidants and anti-inflammatory activity for human health and well-being;
• Applying techniques (e.g. fermentation and germination) to reduce anti-nutritional factors in foods;
• And developing biomaterails from agri-food by-products/waste.

These novel biomolecules can have considerable potential for food science, agriculture, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, animal science and health science applications. Our lab is now more than 90% solvent free with innovative green techniques (SC-CO2 and Ultrasound) used to extract biomolecules.

Using analytical and bioanalytical chemistry, the Lai Group focuses on the instrumental analysis of biochemical and environmental samples for public health using capillary electrophoresis, dynamic light scattering, fluorescence spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry and 3D microfluidics. New photochemical, electrochemical and optical phenomena are developed into analytical methods for enhanced sensitivity and selectivity: (a) molecularly imprinted polymers for the selective determination of therapeutic drugs in serum, ochratoxin A in red wine, and estrogenic compounds in wastewater treatment by solid-phase extraction with differential pulsed elution; (b) self-assembled monolayers and electropolymerized thin films for adsorption of toxic metals (Hg²⁺) and mycotoxins; (c) functionalization of colloidal nanoparticles for removal of endocrine disrupting compounds in environmental water and radioactive nuclides (Pu-238, Sr-90, Y-90,) in urine; (d) detection of nanoparticles in environmental water and air samples; (e) DNA binding with inorganic oxide nanomaterial surfaces; (f) interaction of nanoparticles with graphene quantum dots and simulated lung fluid; (g) surface chemistry/biochemistry of nanoparticles as related to electrochemical analysis by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.

Our group is broadly focused on synthetic organic chemistry, particularly on applications in biochemistry and engineering. Our approach to research is highly collaborative with other academic researchers and corporate partners.

In partnership with Prof. Jeff Smith in Chemistry, we developed TrEnDi (Trimethylation Enhancement using Diazomethane, which uses innovative applications of diazomethane to enhance the analysis of certain biological molecules, particularly certain lipids and peptides, via mass spectrometry through the introduction of fixed, permanent positive charge(s). cu_people_phone_ext and expansion of this work is ongoing, with current directions focused on the development of new derivatization reagents, expansion of the scope of substrates suitable for derivatization, and facilitating new fragmentation pathways in tandem mass spectrometry that will facilitate structure identification.

Our group is also currently engaged in a collaboration with Prof. Ron Miller (Carleton University, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) to understand the chemical fate of antioxidants in lubricating oils. This work involves the synthesis of various compounds proposed to be the oxidized antioxidants. This work is aimed at improving the understanding of how lubricants are oxidized and their functional lifetimes.

Our group’s expertise and previous work encompasses the total synthesis of natural products, including lipids, polyketides and terpenes; as well as methodologies, including metal-catalyzed organic processes.

For more information, visit the Manthorpe Lab.

Dr. Kate Marczenko is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Carleton University. Her research focuses on photoresponsive crystalline materials and the fundamental structure–property relationships that govern their light-induced behavior. Her group combines synthesis, crystallography, spectroscopy, and advanced materials characterization to understand and design dynamic solid-state systems. Dr. Marczenko has been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS-D) and the John Charles Polanyi Prize in Chemistry. She is committed to advancing curiosity-driven research while mentoring the next generation of scientists in materials chemistry.

The Rowley Group uses computer simulations to study biological and materials chemistry. We use a combination of molecular simulation, quantum chemistry, and machine learning to understand complex chemical systems and then to use these ideas to predict and design new chemical systems. Our core areas of interest are protein–drug binding, covalent modifier drugs, membrane permeation, and cryo-EM structure refinement. To make our models more accurate and to explore new types of chemistry, we develop new methods for computational chemistry, such as our hybrid neural network potential / molecular mechanical model.

For more information, visit the Rowley Group.

Dr. Sabatino’s lab focuses on research that spans the areas of nucleic acid, peptide and protein chemical biology. Our research aims to develop synthetically modified biomolecules for applications related to human health, nanotechnology and the material sciences. Specific research applications include:

• RNA Biotechnology. The Sabatino lab has pioneered the design and development of a new class of synthetic branch and hyperbranch (dendrimer-type) RNA. These novel RNA structures template the assembly of discrete, higher-order RNA nanostructures for screening and silencing oncogene expression in cancer cell lines resulting in potent anti-cancer effects. The Sabatino lab continues to innovate novel nucleic acid (supra)molecular structures for enhancing their therapeutic applications.
• Peptide and Protein Chemical Biology. The application of cell-targeting and penetrating peptides in nucleic acid (and drug) delivery is an active area of research in the Sabatino group. These high-precision delivery systems aim to advance new drug delivery formulations into clinical practice. Moreover, the Sabatino lab also applies machine learning tools to design and develop novel peptide binding ligands of important immunological receptors for applications in cancer immunotherapy and vaccine development.

For more info visit, the Sabatino Lab

The Tsopmo Lab is interested in the structures of food molecules and their functionalities. Our research focuses on the hydrodynamic properties of proteins and peptides obtained from by-products of food processing and study how they can be used to improve the texture of foods by performing structural characterization using spectroscopic and microscopic techniques.

We investigate the role of antioxidant molecules on health, lipid, and glucose absorption and metabolism. Oxidative damage to biological molecules increases the risks of developing many chronic diseases, and antioxidants molecules are useful in mitigating the risks. Using cellular models and molecular dynamics, the Lab is involved in the discovery of new antioxidant compounds from foods and human milk that reduce inflammation, inhibit lipid and glucose absorption, or decrease the differentiation of fat cells.

Vitamins and minerals are important for various physiological functions, and the Tsopmo Lab examines how the bioavailability of these nutrients is affected in foods grown in soil-less environments (i.e. vertical farming).

Metals such as hexavalent chromium and arsenic are toxic because of their oxidative stress induced damage to nucleotides and biomolecules. We are interested in finding peptides in foods that can reduce their toxicity by converting them to stable, non-toxic species.

For more information, visit The Tsopmo Lab.