{"id":5186,"date":"2025-04-10T13:01:44","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T17:01:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/its-cuthemedev1.carleton.ca\/chemistry\/?p=5186"},"modified":"2025-08-15T11:56:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T15:56:15","slug":"a-sweet-solution-carleton-students-innovation-could-transform-maple-syrup-harvesting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/chemistry\/2025\/a-sweet-solution-carleton-students-innovation-could-transform-maple-syrup-harvesting\/","title":{"rendered":"A Sweet Solution: Carleton Student\u2019s Innovation Could Transform Maple Syrup Harvesting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n A Sweet Solution: Carleton Student\u2019s Innovation Could Transform Maple Syrup Harvesting\n <\/h1>\n \n \n <\/header>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n
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By Ahmed Minhas<\/p>\n

Photos provided by Shahad Abdulmawjood<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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There are few things as Canadian as maple syrup; found in nearly every household, its creation is a delicate process. Every spring, producers tap maple trees to harvest sap but as the temperature rises, the trees begin to bud.<\/p>\n

This triggers a chemical shift that creates \u201cbuddy sap,\u201d which is unusable for syrup production. There\u2019s no taste or smell to warn producers, leaving them to discover the mistake only after boiling \u2014 by which time the batch is already spoiled.<\/p>\n

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Carleton University PhD student Shahad Abdulmawjood with Brian Barkley, owner of Barkleyvale Farms in Chesterville<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

For decades, producers have relied on observational knowledge\u2014such as watching for frog activity or listening for certain birds\u2014to decide when to stop collecting sap. These land-based indicators, rooted in deep connections to the natural world, can be effective but require careful attention and experience to interpret.<\/p>\n

Thanks to research by Shahad Abdulmawjood<\/a>, a Chemistry<\/a> PhD student at Carleton University<\/a>, a simple test strip could make detecting buddy sap easier and instantaneous.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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From Passion to Innovation<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Abdulmawjood\u2019s research focuses on developing lateral flow assays \u2014 imagine a household COVID-19 or pregnancy test \u2014 that can identify buddy sap.<\/p>\n

The test strip is designed to detect two key amino acids, asparagine and methionine, which break down when the tree buds, producing compounds responsible for buddy sap.<\/p>\n

By using aptamers \u2014 synthetic DNA molecules designed to recognize these compounds \u2014 the strip provides producers with a fast and reliable way to determine if their sap is still usable.<\/p>\n

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\u201cInstead of going through the whole production process and realizing too late that the sap is bad, this test will allow producers to check before they start,\u201d said Abdulmawjood.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Abdulmawjood\u2019s interest in this research stems from her love for maple syrup. When she learned about the challenges producers face in detecting buddy sap, she was immediately intrigued.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always loved maple syrup and when I heard about this problem, I knew I wanted to find a solution,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Her enthusiasm led her to take ownership of the project, determined to create a scientific alternative to the traditional methods producers have used for generations.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to take out the guesswork and give producers an accurate way to know when their sap is no longer any good,\u201d she said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Research That Aims to Boost Profits for Maple Syrup Producers<\/h2>\n

Maple syrup production faces pressures from climate change and trade tensions with the U.S., making it crucial to meet market standards. Avoiding wasted production costs will help Canadian producers stay competitive and maximize profits in an increasingly challenging economic landscape.<\/p>\n

Over the past two years, Abdulmawjood has worked closely with several producers, sending them prototype test kits for use in real-world conditions.<\/p>\n

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Abdulmawjood with Frank Heerkens, owner of On the Bend Sugar Shack<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cLast year, I sent kits to four producers and this year, we expanded to seven,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Their feedback helps improve the test\u2019s accuracy. Though initial results are promising, Abdulmawjood is still refining her prototype.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, I\u2019m calling this my first-generation test strip,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s still work to be done, but we\u2019re seeing promising results.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Her research has gained industry attention and received funding from the North American Maple Syrup Council and the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers\u2019 Association, which awarded a $25,000 grant.<\/p>\n

Beyond improving efficiency and preventing losses, the test could open new opportunities for producers. While most maple syrup makers want to avoid buddy sap, some U.S. craft brewers have expressed interest in using it to create uniquely flavoured beer. This unexpected demand could create niche markets for buddy sap, giving producers more options and revenue streams.<\/p>\n

As she moves forward, Abdulmawjood hopes to perfect the strip and bring it to market, providing maple syrup producers with a practical tool to maintain product quality and protect their bottom line.<\/p>\n

With the potential to save time, reduce waste and even open new markets, Abdulmawjood\u2019s test strip could be a game changer for the industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has the potential to make a real impact,\u201d she said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cAnd that\u2019s what excites me the most.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013
\nOriginal Post: Carleton Student’s Innovation Could Transform Maple Syrup Harvesting<\/a><\/p>\n

Wednesday, April 2, 2025 in Faculty of Science<\/a>, Innovation<\/a>, Research<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Ahmed Minhas Photos provided by Shahad Abdulmawjood There are few things as Canadian as maple syrup; found in nearly every household, its creation is a delicate process. Every spring, producers tap maple trees to harvest sap but as the temperature rises, the trees begin to bud. This triggers a chemical shift that creates \u201cbuddy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5187,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/chemistry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/chemistry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/chemistry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/chemistry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/chemistry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5186"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/chemistry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5186\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5189,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/chemistry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5186\/revisions\/5189"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/chemistry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/chemistry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/chemistry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/chemistry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}