Supervisors available for the 2012-2013 academic year
Please note that other potential supervisors may be added at a later date
A) Carleton University Supervisors
1) Tyler J. Avis – Food Microbiology, Chemistry, and Biochemistry
Present projects focus on interdisciplinary studies on novel antimicrobial compounds that are safe and efficient alternatives to synthetic chemical pesticides in food and agricultural sciences including:
- Discovery and use of natural antimicrobial products
- Mode of action of antimicrobials
- Use of microbial biological control agents
Techniques include:
- Basic microbiology
- Biological assays
- Extraction, purification and identification of novel compounds
- Analytical chemistry
- Fluorescence and other advanced microscopy techniques
- Membrane biochemistry
Other projects in food chemistry and biochemistry include:
- Identification and characterization of bioactive, nutraceutical, and other functional compounds from plants, yeasts, and mushrooms
2) Peter Buist
- Synthesis of phenolic compounds of interest in food science and nutrition
3) Farah Hosseinian – Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals
Antioxidants, anti-inflammatory and anti-stress of bioactives in foods and human health, environmentally friendly extraction techniques.
Projects are:
- Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of wheat, rye and triticale bran
- Antioxidant activity in food and cell membrane
- Anti-inflammatory activity using cell culture containing inflammation lines
- Prebiotic/Probiotic activity of cereals, oilseeds and berries in dairy products, mainly yoghurt
- Anti-stress properties of melatonin in sour cherries using cell culture and animal models
- Environmentally friendly extraction methods
- Microwave technology
- Supercritical CO2 extraction
4) Edward P.C. Lai – Analytical Chemistry and Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Particles
1. Food sample preparation and analytical techniques to facilitate rapid, high sensitivity analysis of Escherichia coli
2. Selectivity studies in food analysis for natural and synthetic hormone (bio)chemicals in red wine, coffee and milk.
3. Development of molecularly imprinted polymers (polyaniline, polyfuran, polyindole, polycarbazole, polyazulene, or polythiophene) for solid phase extractions in nutraceutical food analysis
4. Evaporative light scattering detector – what can it do for food analysis by HPLC?
5. Syringe filters with 0.1-um membranes – are they worth more than $1 each for particle size analysis in food?
6. Cross-linkers in polymer particles – how can they modify the binding capacity and kinetics for estrogen analysis in nutraceutical foods?
5) Kenneth B. Storey
Project interests on antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of fishes (fish tissues) with different diets from food waste/leftovers (e.g. bran, flaxseed meal).
Kenneth B. Storey, F.R.S.C.
Canada Research Chair in Molecular Physiology
Professor of Biochemistry
Carleton University
Homepage: http://www.carleton.ca/~kbstorey
6) Apollinaire Tsopmo – Food Chemistry, Oxidative Stress and Antioxidants
Current projects focus on the search of novel antioxidant molecules that can be used to prevent oxidative deterioration of foods and to reduce oxidative stress in human.
- Antioxidant compounds in human:
Digest human milk (HM) with gastric and intestinal enzymes mimicking in vivo conditions, separate the constituents by chromatographic techniques and identified them by mass spectrometry and NMR. Evaluate the ability of compounds to scavenge free radical, chelate metal and prevent lipid peroxidation.
- Bioactive peptides from oats:
Prepare protein isolates and digest them with enzymes. Separate hydrolysates from enzymatic digests into several fractions using ultrafiltration membrane. Evaluate antioxidant potential of the different fractions.
7) Wayne Wang
Our group is mainly involved in fundamental research in organic optoelectronic materials and devices, which is driven by almost infinite spectrum of functional possibilities and freedom in molecular designs and syntheses. We are particularly interested in three distinct properties, namely chromogenic, photovoltaic and chiroptical properties, of organic near-infrared (NIR) materials having the low-bandgap p-conjugated donor-acceptor chromophore and redox-active meta complexes. For the NIR chromogenic properties, we explore and study the tunable photo-/electroluminescence, electrochromism, photochromism, thermochromism, and piezochromism. The photovoltaic property is targeted specifically within the spectral range of 800-1600 nm, for potential bio-imaging, security ad telecom applications. Some 4908 projects are listed below and some can be tailor-made for students in biochemistry and other programs upon request.
Projects include:
- Food Sensors: Fiber-optic fluorescence detection of heavy metal ions in food.
- Near-Infrared Metal Complex Materials. The project aims to develop novel ruthenium, nickel and platinum complexes and polymers for various applications. The colorless organic materials that strongly absorb above 1000 nm are challenging to make but very useful as solar heat absorbers in building and automobiles and as security materials. The NIR fluorescent materials are to be tested in light-emitting diodes for invisible information-secured display. Other unique properties of these novel materials will also be studied. The NIR photovoltaic materials will be used in a device for solar energy conversion.
- Optical Sensors Based on Fluorescent Polymers for Explosive and Biological Hazard Detection. A new series of highly fluorescent polymers will be prepared and tested for sensing TNT and TATP (shoe bomber) explosives and biological hazard materials.
- Biomass-based, Bio-compatible Polymers for Biomedical Applications. This project aims to develop bio-compatible polymers based on L-lysine (amino acid derived from corn) for use as dental materials, medical adhesives and bone scaffold.
B) External Supervisors
1) Jesse Bertinato
Research Scientist
Nutrition Research Division, Health Canada
Sir Frederick G. Banting Research Centre
251 Sir Frederick Banting Driveway
Ottawa, ON, Canada
The area of research is minerals in nutrition. The project will be on examining the benefits and adverse effects of salt substitutes.
2) Robert Dabeka
Research Scientist
Food Research Division
Bureau of Chemical Safety
Health Canada
The project involves the contribution of fluoride in water used to process foods to the concentration of fluoride in the processed foods, and is pertinent for estimating dietary intakes.
3) Judith Frégeau-Reid
Research Scientist
Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Center
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
960 Carling Ave
Ottawa, Ontario
The project has two aspects:
1. How much soybean flour can be added to wheat flour and still produce a dough quality profile and bread loaf volume that are acceptable and
2. In the same context, compare the performance of several genetic lines of soybean that differ in the types of protein present rather than in the amount of protein to check if the absence of certain protein sub-units has an impact on the wheat-soy interaction for acceptable loaf volume and dough quality.
4) Renso Vettoretti
General Manager Corporate Operations
Healthcare Food Services
1010 Dairy Dr.
Ottawa, K4A 3N3
Healthcare Food Services Ont. Inc. has 6 processing lines where a number of its products require on floor Quality Assurance checks. Theses checks encompass organoleptic testing, physical weighing of filled products and other quality checks such as appearance. Research projects would be product specific and include:
– Collection of data for each quality check
– Assessment of variance/statistical analysis of such checks
– Recommendations to modify/improve quality checks based on results
5) Chaowu Xiao
Research Scientist
Nutrition Research Division
Bureau of Nutritional Sciences
Food Directorate, HPFB
Health Canada
Tunney’s Pasture
Ottawa, Canada
The area of research interest is to understand the interaction of dietary proteins or bioactive components and development of chronic diseases.
Project 1: Assessment of nutritional quality and safety of soy proteins and associated factors.
Project 2: Effect of different dietary proteins (animal or plant proteins) on the development of fatty liver, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.