Healthy dose of chemistry coming to Montreal
To mark the International Year of Chemistry, the 94th Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition will take place at the Palais des congrès de Montréal from June 5 to 9, 2011. The gathering is the largest annual event in Canada to focus on science and the practice of chemistry.
Ann English, director of the Centre for Biological Applications of Mass Spectrometry at Concordia University and Robert Prud’homme, director of the Department of Chemistry at the Université de Montréal, are chairs of the event’s scientific and organizing committees, respectively.
Participants will become better acquainted with the latest research and scientific breakthroughs. “The conference theme, Chemistry and Health, emphasizes chemistry’s importance in all spheres of human activity — especially in the realm of health,” note the chairs.
Below are some symposia highlights:
Research on biopolymers and biomaterials
Scientists are focusing on spider silk and the byssal threads of the blue mussel. Among materials with medical applications, the development of a biodegradable polymer should draw attention along with contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), artificial synapses and cell-recovery strategies for tissue implants.
Canadian chemists and cancer therapeutics
The cancer therapeutics symposium presents the work of Canadian researchers who are tackling mechanisms linked to suicide and cell proliferation and the development of medication to treat hormone-dependent cancers.
The search for new energy sources
Extensive research is underway in Canada on solar energy, lithium batteries and fuel cells. Different symposia focus on the latest advances in this field.
Applied nanotechnology
This symposium presents industrial, medical and agricultural applications for new nanoparticles and nanomaterials developed in Canada.
Nanoparticles and toxicity
The use of nanoparticles in chemical processes, everyday consumer products and the biomedical field has encouraged researchers to better understand their impact on the environment. The “Toxicity and Mobility of Nanomaterials in the Environment” symposium sheds light on the impact of nanoparticles on animals and plants, their interaction with soil and inorganic matter, and the need to develop tools to detect nanoparticles.
Development of green materials
The “Green Materials: Formulation, Fabrication and Processing” symposium highlights the development of green materials in Canada, including nanocrystalline cellulose, bioplastics and biocomposites.
Plenary lecture by the recipient of the 2008 Nobel Prize for Chemistry
Roger Tsien of the University of California at San Diego will give a lecture entitled “Building Molecules to Image Electric Fields and Disease Processes” on Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at 11:20 a.m. in Room 517D.
Related links:
• 94th Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition
• International year of Chemistry
• Concordia Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• The importance of good chemistry
• Université de Montréal
To interview a speaker, please contact:
Robert Prud’homme
Director, Département de chimie
Université de Montréal
Email: re.prudhomme@umontreal.ca
Sources:
Julie Gazaille
Press Officer
Université de Montréal
Telephone: 514-343-6796
Sylvain-Jacques Desjardins
Senior Advisor – External Communications
Concordia University
Telephone: 514-848-2424, ext. 5068