Battle prep · 2011-05-06 · Photo credit: Defence Research . and Development Canada, 2010. (c) Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2010. 14. The definitive source for lab

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Inside Canada’s military research labs

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LAB BUSINESS January/February 2011 3

9 Suzuki CommentDavidSuzukimeditatesonthenewsofrecentmassdeathsinbirdpopulations.

10 Application NoteDoHealthCanada’spoliciesundercutthemovementtowardpolymolecularsasscientistsstrivetomakenaturalmedicineslegitimate?

13 Alternative EnergyAmanturnshishouseintoathermodynamicslaboratory.Hediscoverslivingoff-gridispossible—andrelativelyeasy.

20 Safety ZoneGoodpracticespreventcutsandneedleinjuriesinthelab.

26 Sitting WithMeetNilsPetersen,DirectorGeneraloftheNationalInstituteforNanotechnology.

Jan./Feb. 2011 www.labbusinessmag.com


inside

standards5 EDITOR’S NOTE

6 NEWS

22 TECH WATCH

24 LAB WARE

COVER STORY Defence Research and Development Canada researches more efficient ways for Canada’s soldiers to fight. LAB Business goes inside the Toronto laboratories to investigate military research into simulation training technologies.

ON THE COVER: Soldiers train how to land helicopters on a flight simulator.

Photo credit: Defence Research and Development Canada, 2010. (c) Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2010

14

January/February 2011 www.labbusinessmag.com


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Regulating botanicals

Living off-grid

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Inside Canada’s military research labs

Battle prep

25

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BDH, a brand name recognized worldwide for quality and reliability, is available exclusively through VWR International. BDH brand products continue to set the standard for both chemical purity and analytical methods, and are regularly referenced in scientific papers.

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VWR, forms of VWR and the VWR logo and/or design are either registered trademarks® or trademarks™, or service marks SM of VWR International, LLC in the United States and/or other countries. ©2009 VWR International, LLC. All rights reserved.

The BDH portfolio consists of:

• NEW Molecular Biology Reagents

• Reagent Grade Salts, Solvents, and Acids

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• Histology Solvents and Regents

• Silica Gel

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Atlanta, Georgia, USA March 13 - 18 www.pittcon.org

Network with thousands of the world’s leading scientific minds, get a

hands-on look at the latest innovations, and experience all the compelling

educational opportunities Pittcon has to offer. Science is the attraction,

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Serving Canadian Laboratories and Lab Suppliers since 1985

Publisher Christopher J. Forbes & CEO [email protected]

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Contributors David Suzuki

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Director of New Business Jacquie Rankin Development [email protected]

Marketing Heather Kerr Manager [email protected]

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Production Roberta Dick Manager [email protected]

Production Joanna Forbes Co-ordinator [email protected]

Lab Business is published 6 times per year by Jesmar Communications Inc., 30 East Beaver Creek Rd., Suite 202, Richmond Hill, Ontario L4B 1J2. 905.886.5040 Fax: 905.886.6615 www.labbusinessmag.com One year subscription: Canada $35.00, US $35.00 and foreign $95. Single copies $9.00. Please add GST/HST where applicable. Lab Business Subscription and circulation enqui-ries: Garth Atkinson, [email protected] Fax: 905.509.0735 Subscriptions to business address only. On occasion, our list is made available to organizations whose products or services may be of interest to you. If you’d rather not receive information, write to us at the address above or call 905.509.3511 The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part or in whole without the written consent of the publisher. GST Registration #R124380270.

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editor’s note

This issue of LAB Business profiles Defence Researchand Development Canada Toronto, the laboratorywhere our military experiments with simulators and

newwaystotraintroopsandcareforwoundedsoldiers.Wevisited themilitary labs inNovember. It’sa strange

placetovisit.Tightsecurity,topsecretclearances,anduni-formedsoldierswhopatrolthegroundmadethesiteacuri-osityforme.Thesubtextofthelabs—therealitythatthelabengineers better ways to help soldiers wage war and to

recoverfrombattlefieldtrauma—madetheinstallationstillmorecurious.Wemakeamistakewhenwevenerateourmilitary.Wemakeamistakewhenwelet

warmongersgetawaywithcallingcriticsofthemilitaryunpatriotic,whenweletnostal-giatrumpreason,whenweletourselvesfallintotheunrealityofheroworship.

Ourcoverstoryisn’tcriticismofCanada’smilitaryandit isn’tacelebration.It isaglimpse inside the laboratories our governmentuses tomake fightingmore efficient.And,aswenoteneartheendofthestory,themilitaryiseagertocommercializetheirresearch.Justincaseyou’reinterested.

Iguess you can call this LAB Business magazine version4.0. We started out selling mail-based advertisementsmore than 25 years ago and expanded to become

Canada’s premiere laboratory-centric print magazine. Afewyearsago,weofferedLABasadigitalmagazinetogiveyoutheoptiontoreduceyourpaperconsumptionorsimplyreadthemagazineinamoreconvenientformat.Now,we’vetakenthenextstepbycombiningourtwoindustry-leadingpublicationsinone,flipstylepackage.

Both magazines maintain an independent editorialfocus.ThismeansLAB readerscangeta tasteof thebigstoriesinbiotech,andBioreaderscanlearnmoreaboutthecuttingedgelaboratoryresearchthatplacesCanadaamongtheworldsmostinnovative.

WelcometoLAB4.0.

ChrisForbesPublisher

Militant curiosity

LAB, version 4.0

RobertPriceManagingEditor

Atlanta, Georgia, USA March 13 - 18 www.pittcon.org

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6 January/February 2011 LAB BUSINESS

news beat

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A Quantum Leap in NetworksResearchers at the University of Calgary, in collaboration with the University of

Paderborn,inGermany,aremakingsignificantstridestowardsthedevelopmentofquantumnetworks.

“Wehavedemonstratedforthefirsttimethatacrystalcanstoreinformationencodedinto,what’s called inquantummechanics, entangledquantumstatesofphotons,” saysUniversityofCalgarypaperco-authorDr.WolfgangTittel.

Tomaintainthefragilequantumlink,theresearchersusedacrystaldopedwithrare-earthionsandcooleditto-270C.Atthesetemperatures,materialpropertieschangeandallowed the researchers to store and retrieve the photons to which information wasencodedwithoutmeasurabledegradation.

“Thisdiscoveryconstitutesanimportantmilestoneonthepathtowardquantumnet-works,andwillhopefullyenablebuildingquantumnetworksinafewyears,”saysTittel.

Quantumnetworkswillallow,amongotherthings,unbreakabledataencryption.

Scientists found that the pleasurable experience

of listening to music releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain important for more tangible pleasures asso-ciated with rewards such as food, drugs and sex. The new study from The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital at McGill University also reveals that even the anticipation of pleasurable music induces dopamine release.

The research team measured dopamine release in response to music that elicited “chills,” a well-established marker of peak emotional response to music. A novel combination of PET and fMRI brain imaging techniques revealed that dopamine release is greater for pleasurable versus neutral music and that levels of release correlate with the extent of emotional arousal and pleasurability ratings.

“These findings provide neurochemical evidence that intense emotional responses to music involve ancient reward circuitry in the brain,” says Dr. Robert Zatorre, neuroscientist at the institute. “To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that an abstract reward such as music can lead to dopa-mine release. Abstract rewards are largely cognitive in nature, and this study paves the way for future work to examine non-tangible rewards that humans consider rewarding for complex reasons.”

New Dino IdentifiedA University of Alberta palaeon-

tologist identified a fossilized jaw bone as belonging to a new species flying reptile that lived around 70 million years ago.

Victoria Arbour says she was stumped when the small piece of jaw bone was first pulled from a fossil storage cabinet in the U of A’s paleontology department.

Arbour, a PhD student, com-pared the fossil to known species of pterosaurs.

“The teeth of our fossil were small and set close together,” Arbour says.

This, among several other char-acteristics, led Arbour to believe the reptile was a scavenger of the late Cretaceous period.

The fossil is not only a new spe-cies. It’s also the first pterosaur of any kind to be found in British Columbia. It was found on Hornby Island, off the coast of Vancouver Island.

The findings were published online in the Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences.

Your brain on ROCK’N’ROLL

Wolfgang Tittel



Two York University-led industry-aca-demic partnerships received a total of

$1,237,136throughtheNaturalSciencesandEngineering Research Council of Canada’sStrategicProjectsGrantsprogram.

SergeyKrylov,aprofessorintheFacultyofScienceandEngineeringandCanadaResearchChair in Bioanalytical Chemistry, received$773,200 over three years to explore newtherapiestotreatmetastaticcancers.

Difficulties detecting and eradicatingtumors contributes to cancer mortality rates. Krylov’s research usesAptemers,shortDNAstrandsthatselectivelybindmoleculesoncellsur-faces,astracersformetastaticcancertumorsand,potentially,asvehiclestodeliverdrugstometastaticcells.

Laurie Wilcox and Ali Kazimi received $463,936 to assess humanresponsestomovingcontentinstereoscopic3Dfilm.

Jim Mirkopolos, vice-president of operations for Toronto-basedCinespace Film Studios, is the project’s industry collaborator, providingspacetosetupandtestastereoscopic3Dinstallationwhereaudiencemem-bersevaluateavarietyof3Dfilmconfigurations.

MottLab.indd 1 8/16/10 4:11 PM

R&D funding in Canada slightly down

Research and Development spending in 2010 dropped slightly versus 2009,

according to new information from Statistics Canada.

An initial report from Stats Canada says total R&D spending intentions in Canada are antici-pated to amount to $29.2 billion in 2010, down 0.6 per cent from preliminary R&D expenditures for 2009.

The majority of intended R&D spending in 2010 ($14.8 billion or 51 per cent) will be spent by companies in the business enter-prise sector, a 2.6 per cent decrease from 2009.

R&D spending in the higher education sector should increase by one per cent, to $11.2 billion. Federal government spending should follow suit, growing by 4.5 per cent.

Stats Canada also released information on Canadian doctor-al graduates.

Canada produces roughly one-tenth the doctoral graduates of the U.S. By 2007, 12 per cent of Canadian doctoral recipients from 2005 were living in the U.S. The majority of those graduates were planning to return to Canada eventually.

Among the most likely to with-draw to the U.S. after graduation were students in the life sciences, who found themselves immedi-ately employed following gradu-ation.

Fund

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Commercializable Research

Sergey Krylov



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news beat

New research from the Canadian Centre for Climate ModellingandtheUniversityofCalgarysaystheimpactofrisinglevelsof

carbondioxideintheEarth’satmospherewillcontinuetoinfluencetheclimateforat leastthenext1000years.ResultsofanalteredclimateincludeacollapseoftheWestAntarcticicesheetbytheyear3000andaneventualriseintheglobalsealevelofatleastfourmetres.

Thestudyisbasedonaseriesofbest-casescenarios.“Whatifwecompletelystoppedusingfossilfuelsandputnomore

carbon dioxide in the atmosphere? How long would it then take toreverse current climate change trends and will things first becomeworse?”saysDr.ShawnMarshall,CanadaResearchChairinClimateChange.

Canada fares well in the future model, experiencing a completereversaloftheeffectsofglobalwarmingwithinamillennium.

PartsofNorthAfrica,however,willexperiencedesertificationandtheWestAntarctic ice sheet is likely to collapsedue to increases anincreaseinoceantemperatures.

ResearcherswillnextbegintoinvestigatemoredeeplytheimpactofatmospheretemperatureonoceantemperaturetohelpdeterminetherateatwhichWestAntarcticacoulddestabilizeandhowlongitmaytaketofullycollapseintothewater

Ice Sheet Collapse Imminent

RNA EXPOSEDResearchers from the University of California

and San Francisco developed a new method of cell observation.

Combining advanced computer technology, DNA-sequencing technology and biochemical techniques, Dr. Jonathan Weissman, professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, observed cells converting DNA into RNA, unravelling the mystery of the genetic on and off switch.

Until recently, scientists believed that less than five per cent of the human genome is tran-scribed and turned into RNA. Recent advancements, how-ever, show that a majority of the DNA is transcribed.

Weissman and L. Stirling Churchman, also of the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, set out to study the transcription process.

Using the genome of baker’s yeast, a well-known and previously mapped genome, the scien-tists were able to watch the transcription process directly by incorporating their own maps of RNA production.



Aflockalypse Now

By David Suzuki with Faisal Moola

OnNewYear’sEve,5,000red-wingedblackbirdsdroppedoutoftheskyinBeebe,Arkansas.Necropsiesrevealednoevidenceofpoisoningbutdidindicatethebirdshadsuf-

fered massive internal trauma. Days later, fisherman observedschoolsoffishfloatingbellyuponChesapeakeBay.InEngland,tensofthousandsofdeadcrabswasheduponlocalbeaches,andreportscomeinalmostdailyofpenguins,turtles,andevendol-phinsdyingunexpectedly inthewild.Aretheseeventssignsofthe“aflockalypse”,asthemediahavedubbedtherecentdie-offs?Theanswerisyes.Andno.

Ourinherentloveandrespectforthenaturalworldcompelsustotakenoticewhenanimalsdie in largenumbers,butobserva-tions going back more than a century suggest that the mass-mortality events of recent weeks aren’t as unusual as we mightthink,andtheyareoftentheresultofnaturalcauses,suchasadverseweather,diseaseout-breaks,orstressassociatedwithlong-distancemigration.

Historical perspectivesInanalyzingbirdcounts,journalrecords,andother observations dating back to the late19th century, European researchers foundfrequent reports of deaths of birds in thehundreds and thousands. One massive killoccurredinspring1964,whenanestimated100,000kingeiders,representing nearly a tenth of the species’ western Canadianpopulation,perished in theBeaufortSea.These large,beautifulducks starvedwhenpoolsofopenwater among the sea-ice re-frozesuddenly,preventingthemfromgettingtothefoodinthewaterbelow.Morerecently,anestimated40,000individualbirdsfrom45different specieswerekilledonApril 8, 1993,when atornadocrossedtheirmigrationroutesoffthecoastofLouisiana.

Whilethesuddendeathofwildlifeingreatnumbersisalarm-ing,theunravellingofentirefoodwebsishappeningallaroundusandeveryday—butinafarlessobviousmanner.Witheverypatchof forest cut, wetland drained, or grassland paved, our ongoingdestructionofwildlifehabitat is leading topopulationdeclines,andevendrivingsomespeciestoextinction.

Accordingtotheexperts,morethan17,000plantsandanimalsarethreatenedwithextinctionbecauseofhumanactivity,mostlythroughhabitatloss.Thisincludes12percentofallknownbirds,nearly a quarter of known mammals, and a third of known

amphibians.Climatechangeispredictedtosharplyincreasetherisk of species extinction within our own children’s lifetime.Accordingto theIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange,20to30percentofplantandanimalspeciesassessedwilllikelybeat increased riskof extinction ifglobal average temperaturescontinuetorisewithescalatingemissionsofcarbonpollution.

ThiswildlifecrisishasbeendescribedasasilentepidemicbyscientistslikefamedHarvardentomologistE.O.Wilson,becauseitreceivessolittleattentionfromgovernments.TheDavidSuzukiFoundationrecentlyreleasedastudyofgovernmentrecordsshow-ing that nearly half of all known wildlife species in BritishColumbia are at risk, includinggrizzly bears, caribou, andorcawhales. Yet, B.C. has no endangered species law to protect itswildlifeandhabitatfromlogging,mining,urbansprawl,andother

humanactivity.

Vulnerable lifeCanadahasafederalendangeredspecieslaw,but the government is dragging its feet onimplementing it. As a consequence, somewildlifepopulations,likethenorthernspottedowlinsouthwesternB.C.,havedeclinedpre-cipitouslyunder thewatchofourpoliticiansand are now on the verge of extinction inCanada.

Theunsettlingeventsofrecentweeksrevealtheinherentvul-nerabilityofwildlifetosuddenanddramaticpopulationdeclines,oftenasaresultofnaturalcauses.Thisisallthemorereasontoensurewedon’texacerbatethechallengesfacedbywildlifeinanincreasingly busy world. We need to reduce the environmentalstressorsthatweimposeonwildlife,sothattheycanbettercopewithandsurvivethechallengestheyfaceeveryday.Weneedtoeliminatedangerouspesticidesandothertoxicmaterials,protectthehabitatofendangeredplantsandanimalslikecaribou,andgetseriousabouttacklingclimatechange.

It’s good thatpeople are concernedabout the recent animaldie-offs,butifwereallycareaboutthefutureofwildlife,weneedtostartpayingmoreattentiontoourownroleintheextinctioncrisis—and urge our elected officials to take concrete steps toprotectthebiologicalrichnesswithwhichourplanetisblessed.

Dr. David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author, and chair of the David Suzuki Foundation. Learn more at www.davidsuzuki.org.

... a study of govern-ment records [shows] that nearly half of all

known wildlife species in British Columbia

are at risk...

suzuki comment

Mass animal die-offs and the ongoing extinction crisis


Botanical DRUGS

Botanical drugs can be just as dangerous as pharmaceuticals, but Health Canada isn’t treating them equally

application note



By Jason Hagerman

Evolution of a policyNewresearchexploringpotentialapplicationsofbotanicalprod-uctsappearsregularly.In2004,asinterestinpolymolecularther-apiesgrew,HealthCanada installedaregulatorysystemtodealwithpolymolecularproducts.

Thesystemwasbuiltonsixyearsofdiscussionwithindustryandpolicy-makerstoaddressastraightforwardconcern.

JaquelineShan,ChiefScientificOfficeratAfexaLifeSciencesInc.,makerofCold-FX,rememberswhatitwasliketooperatebeforeCanadahadanyregulationssurroundingbotanicals.

“Becausetherewerenoregulations,wehadtoeitherregisterasafoodproductorgothroughdrugapprovalwiththeU.S.FoodandDrugAdministration,”saysShan.“Wewantedtobeinthetherapeuticareaforcoldandflu,sowewentthroughtheFDA.”

ThischoicemeantAfexawoulddesignCold-FXaccordingto

Botanical DRUGS

the pharmaceutical development pathway from the beginningwhich,accordingtoShan,paidoffinthelongrun,asCanadianregulationseventuallyrequiredthesame.

ShortlyafterHealthCanadainstallednaturalhealthproductregulations,theregulatorybodywasoverrunbyapplicationsfromboth new products and products that had already been on themarket,someforyears.Thebacklog,accordingtobothShanandDufour,wasaqueueoftwoyears.

“IbelieveHealthCanadathoughtitwouldbeeasilymanage-able.Maybetheydidn’tknowhowmanyproductswereoutthereormaybetheydidn’tfullygrasphowcomplextheseproductsare,”saysDufour.

The evidence a natural health product requires to make ahealth claim is similar to a pharmaceutical product. Afexa, forexample, provided data from a series of double blind placebo

The term “polymolecular” is fairly new, but polymoleculars aren’t. They are ginseng, guarana, aloe, marijuana, echinacea, St. John’s Wort and hundreds of thousands of other plant and animal products that go by the names “botanicals,” or “natural health products.”

These products may act like drugs but Health Canada does not treat them like drugs, thanks to a policy by Health Canada to pre-approve all natural health products. Polymoleculars enter the Canadian market—by the thousands every year—without the same oversight given to drugs.

Health Canada’s policy for polymoleculars has left some, like lawyer Lucie Dufour, wondering if Canada takes botanical products seriously enough.

Products attempting to act on the same level as pharmaceutical drugs, she says, should be treated as drugs.

“Polymolecular products are wonderful, but we need to make sure that the regulatory process for approving them is well applied and respected. If it is not, we will lose credibility,” says Dufour.



controlledtrials.Consumersandmanufacturersvoicedconcernsoverapproval

timestheythoughtexcessive.In response, Health Canada introduced an interim review

process.Theideawastoeliminatethepossibilityoflengthyback-logsbyprovidingpre-screeningandpre-approval.

Claimsheldforanextendedperiodoftime,orclaimsonprod-uctspreviouslyavailabletoconsumers,qualifiedthemanufacturerforanexemptionnumber.Anexemptionnumberallowsthesaleof a given natural health product following a pre-assessment.Manufacturersmuststillprovidedocumentationshowingsafety,qualityandefficacy,butthefullevaluationcomeslater.

Approval conveyor belt?HealthCanadaapprovedalmost16,000naturalhealthproductsinthepasttwoyears.

To some, like Dufour, approval of around 670 products permonthbringsupquestionsofsafety.

“Ifpeoplearesick, iftheywanttoloseweightortreatsomecondition,theyaregoingtojumponaproductthatclaimstohelpthem,”saysDufour.“Ifitturnsoutthatmyefficacyasamanufac-turerwasn’tsogoodormysafetywasn’tentirelyproven,thiscouldaffectCanada’scredibilityandbebadforconsumers.”

Othersbelieve thatdue to thedocumentedhistoryofmanybotanicals, thepre-approvalsystemwasaneffectivemethodforcopingwiththebacklog.

“Someoftheseproductshavemorethan50yearsofrecordeduse,”saysShan.

Ifatraditionalformulationisused,saysShan,thereshouldbenoquestionofsafety.

Otherproducts,likevitaminsandminerals,arebackedupbygeneric research. Claims like calcium supporting bones or aloereducinginflammationareeasilyverified,aslongasthemanufac-turer’smonographmatchesthegenericcounterpart.

Non-traditional formulations, like Cold-FX, are more likepharmaceuticaldrugs,butarestillprivytopre-approval.

“We call ourselves a pharma company, we just develop ourproductfromnaturalsources,”saysShan.“Drugsaredrugs.”

Whilethepre-approvalprocessmaybeagoodideaforprod-ucts that usehistorical formulations or generic research, effect-ivelyreducingthebacklog,peoplelikeDufourbelieveexemptionsshouldnotextendtonon-traditionalformulations.

“Weneedtomakesuretheseproductsaremadeproperly,”saysDufour.“Sometimesevenhighlyregulateddrugsarenot,butifwestart polymoleculars out on the right foot, manufacturers andconsumerswillbebetteroffdowntheroad.”LB

Pharma hits a wallNew polymolecular therapeutics draw on old knowledge. For most of history, recorded and unrecorded, drugs have been natural products.

“It is only really since the discovery of aspirin that we have moved from the original, natural melting pot of things to single, pure molecules in drugs,” says Ken Rosenthal at McMaster University. Following the discovery of salicylic acid in white willow bark, paired with an effective buf-fer by French chemist Charles Frederic Gerhardt and intro-duced to Bayer by Felix Hoffmann, the modern pharma indus-try arose.

“ M o d e r n medicine was drawn towards the identification of individual compounds that would bind to receptors,” says Rosenthal.

And that is how it went for a century.Today, however, proponents of the natural health prod-

ucts industry believe the pharma industry is approaching a wall.

Fewer and fewer lead compounds are being found, according to Shan, and an increasing volume of side effects plague new compounds.

“The industry needs a sort of interruption technology, to alter the path we’re taking and to find a better, more effect-ive drug,” says Shan. “What could be better than going back to nature?”

All of today’s therapies were derived from natural sources, and returning to polymoleculars could provide an interruption.

“Some of our most complex diseases aren’t treated with one drugs, but with many,” says Rosenthal. “Even though there’s been a focus on pure, synthetic compounds, in the end for complex chronic illnesses, people are going back to mixtures. They do this because the virus will mutate away from single drugs.”

With her propensity toward a polymolecular approach, perhaps Mother Nature is the best chemist.

Health Canada approved almost 16,000 natural health products in the past two years. To some, like Dufour, approval of around 670 products per month brings up questions of safety.

application note




alternative energy

By Jason Hagerman

OnAugust14,2003,SusanFrasersataloneonthefrontporchofherhomeintheeastendofToronto.MostcitiesinOntario and a large chunkof thenortheasternU.S.

wereapproachingfivehourswithoutpower,theresultofamassiveblackout.Onthewoodenporch,withthesunsettingandafeelingofhelplessnessrising,Susanthoughttoherself,Ineverwanttobewithoutpoweragain.

Threeyearslater,Susan’shusband,Gordon,developedplanstopower the house with solar energy. Susan’s only stipulation:Gordonmustensurethehousenevergoesdarkagain.

WhatfollowedwastheRavinaProject,anexperimentsetinanaveragehometostudyenergyefficiency.

Off-the shelfTheprojectstartedwiththegoaltoreducethecarbonfootprintofonefamily,butquicklytheprojectedevolvedintoasortofdemys-tifyingcampaignusingconsumer-gradeproductsandmaterials.

“Thephilosophyoftheprojectnowistoinstalloff-the-shelfproducts and show people how solar can really be used by theaverageconsumer,”saysGordon,aretiredcomputerprogrammer,electricalengineerandteacher.

“BothSusanandIbelievewearethelastgenerationthatwillenjoytheworldandallitswondersinitsentirety,”saysGordon.“If there’s going to be any change in how we produce Co2,massesofpeoplewillhavetodemandit.”

In2006, theFrasersoutfitted the roofof their familyhousewitha1,500-wattsolararrayspanning12squaremetres—anoff-the-shelf, consumer-accessible system. A custom designed sup-port system, anchored to steelbolts in thebasement,holds thearrayinplaceandtiltsthepanelsaccordingtothesun’sposition.

InNovember2006, the firstmonthofoperation, thepanelsgenerated37.2kilowatt-hours.Ayear later,70.5kilowatt-hoursflowedtothehouseandbyNovember2010,96.6kilowatt-hours.Today,aboutone-thirdoftheenergyusedbytheFraserscomesviasolar.

With the array operating at peak efficiency in the summermonths,solarenergycanaccountfor95percentoftheRavinaProject’s power. Panel efficiency is critically important if solartechnology is going to occupy a prominent position in futureenergyandtheRavinaProjectisexploringtrickstogetthemostoutofanarray.

In a 2010 paper titled Ambient Heat and Solar PV PowerOutput, Gordon determined that radiant heat adversely affects

Family turns their home into an alternative energy laboratory

solarpanelefficiency.“Whatwefoundwasthatonahotday,whenacloudcrosses

thesunandcausesthepanelstocooldown,oncethesunbreaksthroughagainyourpowerproductioncanactuallybehigherthanyourwattrating,”Gordonsays.

Open source researchInthe2010paper,herecommendsfuturegenerationsofpanelusealithiumoxidenanopasteonthepanelreartoradiateheatawayfrom the skyward side of the array. Or, consumers can simplymovepanelsawayfromtheanchorsurface.

Thesecondpaperpublishedin2010,andthemostpopularonthe Ravina website, explores household thermodynamics andpracticestominimizeheatandenergywaste.

“Themostsignificantthermodynamicchangewemadetothehousewasremovingthefurnaceandhotwaterheaterandinstall-ingaboiler,”saysGordon.

Strategicallyplacedcurtainsandelectricheatersinterruptheatlossinthewintermonths.

Theprojectisopensource.AllinformationgeneratedthroughRavina is available for free online and anybody who wants cantakeandbuildonit.

“Thepublicneedsthisinformation,”saysGordon.“Whenyouscrapeawayalltheinterestingthingsinourproject,itreallycomesdowntodemonstratingthatit’spossibletouseoff-the-shelfstufftominimizeourenvironmentalimpact.”

TheRavinaProjectwillupgradetoamoreadvancedarrayinthe next three to five-years in an attempt to generate enoughenergy to power an electric car, phasing out petroleum-basedtransportation.LB

The Ravina Project


lab spotlight

Simulating RealityResearch into simulators at Toronto’s DRDC prepares soldiers for the battlefield

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Simulating RealityA researcher prepares to enter dive chamber to test new decompression tables.

Developing training for military personnel is a challenge.SendingatraineeupinaCC-130Herculesaircraft,ahulk-ingfour-propellertrooptransportaircraftwiththecapacity

tocarry78combattroops,isexpensive.SendingnavydiversfarintotheAtlanticOceantotrainfordeepwaterdivesisdangerous.

Themostpracticalwaytotrainisthroughsimulation.ThankstotheresearchanddevelopmenthappeningatDefenceResearchandDevelopmentCanadaToronto,researchintosimulatedenvi-ronmentsismakingtrainingmorerealisticandmoreaffordable.

Simulation OneThickcloudsobscuretheloadmaster’svisionashepeersthroughthewindowintheparatrooperdoorinthetailendoftheCC-130Herculesaircraft.

Withoutwarning,theHerculesbreaksthroughthebottomofthe clouds and into open air, and the loadmaster glimpses histarget.Troopsonthegroundmovewestandthe60paratroopersliningthewallsoftheaircraftneedimmediatedeployment.

The loadmaster relays this information to the commandingofficerandthetroopersdeploy.

“Goodwork,”saythetwotrainersstandingoneithersideoftheloadmaster.

“Thanks,”theloadmasterreplies.Herisesfromhisseat,walksthroughthedooronhisright,climbsaflightofstairsandgrabsachocolatebarfromthekitchenvendingmachine.

Loadmasters are an important member of any large aircraftflightcrew.Theyareresponsibleforsurveyingtheareaaroundtheaircraftoutsideofthepilots’view.Theirobservationsareusedforeverything from search and rescue to air-to-air refuelling andtroopmovementmonitoring.Inhostileenvironments,theload-masterreportsincomingthreatsandstrangemovements.

Untilrecently,loadmastersunderwentyearsoftrainingwith-outeverexperiencingthestressesandchallengesofevaluatingtheairspacesurroundinganaircraft.Trainingtookplaceintheclass-roomunderthetutelageofexperiencedinstructors.

“The old way was fairly artificial,” says Sgt. Pete Corkum,tacticalloadmasterinstructor.Theoldwayhadloadmasterstrainin classrooms to assess threats, conduct search and rescue, andspot air-to-air refuelling. Training during live flight, which initselfwasuncommon,rarelyinvolveddynamicthreats.

By Jason Hagerman



lab spotlight

This all changed when DRDC Toronto developed theHerculesObserverTrainersystem,asystemthatcombinescom-mercialoff-the-shelfparts tomimic the loadmaster’sviewfromtheparatrooperdoorontheHercules.

ThetrainingsystempositionstraineesatafabricatedHerculesparatrooper window. Thetrainee looks out onto a 180degreeconcavescreendisplay-ing a computer generatedsimulation of what could beseen outside. Terrain modelsrepresenting any geographicregions familiarize traineeswith the differences theyexperience when moving tounfamiliarenvironments.

The Hercules ObserverTrainer systemprototypewastested inTrenton,Ontario in2008andenteredintoregularuse in 2009.The system canintegrate missiles, gunfire,helicoptersandfixedwingair-craft into the scenario. Theautomated pilot can deploydefensive measures andmanoeuvresinresponsetotheloadmastertrainee’sreports.

Loadmasters never workalone,andtomakethetrainingexperienceasrealaspossible,theHercules Observer Trainer system can be networked with aflightsimulator.Loadmasterandpilottraineescanrelayinfor-mationback and forthwhilemaking real timeadjustments tothesimulation.

The Hercules Observer Trainer system prototype sits inDRDC Toronto’s Synthetic Environment Research Facility,alongsidetheCF-18Multi-TaskTrainer,a$30millionimmersiveflightsimulator.

“Thismayseemquiteexpensive,butwecanactuallyusethesehighcostdevicestokeepcostsdown,”saysFranklinLue,Group

Leader,OrganizationalEffectiveness.AnytraininginformationstoredbytheMulti-TaskTraineris

classified,andthelabkeepsstrictrecordsofwhoentersthefacil-ity.Noelectronicsofanykind,includingcarkeysthatusecom-puterchipsforsecurity,areallowedwithintheboundariesofthe

SyntheticEnvironmentResearchFacility.Once the trainee takes theirplace in thepilot’s seatof the

simulator,thereardoorscloseandanimageappearsonthe360degreescreen.AccordingtoLue,thisisasclosetobeinginthecockpit as a person can get without actually climbing into arealplane.

Aftertrainingonthesimulator,traineescanreviewtheirper-formancesfromvideosavedinthesimulator’sdatabanks.

SERF’ingSERFalsohousesafewothercuttingedgetrainingandsimula-tiontechnologies.

Situated on a hydraulic lift with four adjustable arms is thebare-bonescockpitofasmall,two-seathelicopter.TheHelicopterOperations SimulationTrainer is a one-of-a-kind simulator totrainhelicopterpilotstolandonshipsatsea.

Nearby,DRDCToronto’sSimulatedOperator forNetworkssoftwareandafabricatedcontrolroomallownetworkedtrainingofflightco-ordinatorsandlandingsignalsofficers.

“Thisisthethingthatstarteditallhere,”saysLue.Landingahelicopteronasmalllandingpadonamovingship

isdifficult,andDRDCresearcheshowtomimicthenaturalenvi-ronment.The simulated effects arenaturalistic.Hydraulic armsproducetheverticalandhorizontalmovementofthehelicopter.

Military research laboratories in CanadaDefence Research and Development Canada operates seven laboratories across Canada that create many of the technologies used by Canada’s military. DRDC Toronto is Canada’s massive hub for research into integrated human effectiveness, including research into how the human body reacts to different emotional and physical stresses, and how military personnel can be trained more effectively with modern technology.

Soldiers practice flight manoeuvres in a flight simulation lab.



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Amassivewallofspeakerspositionedbehindthesimulatorrepro-ducesthevibrationapilotexperienceswhenflying.

Ontheothersideoftheroom,hiddenbesidethemammothCF-18Multi-TaskTrainer,ispossiblythehighestresolutiondis-playintheworld.

The Ultra High Resolution Display and Image GeneratorHardwarecanproduceresolutionsofupto5120by4096pixels,animagesocrispthereisnodiscernabledifferencebetweenitandtheworldoutsideyourbedroomwindow.

“Fighterpilotsrequirehighresolutionimagesforthepreci-siontheirrolerequires.Thiscouldprovidethatlevelofdetail,”saysLue.

Simulation TwoFreezing cold water surrounds the diver as she descends. Thepressurebuildsonherearsandeyes.

“That’s100metres,letsholditthere,”echoesavoiceoverherheadset.Thediverfloatsforawhileindarkness.

Thenlightseruptallaroundher.“Comeonout,”callsthevoice.Thisdiveissomewherenorthofnumber2800conductedat

DRDC Toronto’s Diving Research Facility. Inside the facility,restingon theconcrete floor, sitsagiant,pill-shapeddive tank.The insideof the tankhouses three chambers: a floodedwater

chamber,aneutralcentraltransfersphereandalivingchamber.The 7.3 metre by 2.4 metre water chamber is used to test

underwater equipment and procedures. Researchers flood thechamberwithmorethan20,000litresofwaterthatcanbechilled3CtosimulateCanadianunderwaterenvironmentsandpressur-izeduptoadepthof1,700metres.

Ontheotherendofthedivetank—intheothersideofthepill—isthelivingchamber,aslightlysmallerbutmorehospitablesectionofthefacility.Thelivingchambercontainsbunks,afoldawayeatingareaandprovisionforentertainment.Dopplermoni-toring equipment allows scientists and medical personnel tomonitorthedivers’decompressionstressduringthedive.

Inthecentreofthelongtubeisthetransfersphere.Itallows

Canada’s Military by the Numbers9,000: number of sailors12,500: number of air force personnel 19,500: number of soldiers 20,000: number of administrative and support workers 25,000: number of trained reservists



lab spotlight

personneltosendsupplieswhiletheothertwochambersremainpressurizedatdepth.

“It isdifficult todiagnosedecompressionsickness,”saysNeilHolden, Project Officer, Experimental Diving and UnderseaGroup.“Buttheinformationwegatherherehasenormouspoten-tial.We’vedone400man-divesandnoincidentsofdecompres-sionsickness.”

TheDivingResearchFacilitywasusedtovali-date DCIEM/CF Air and HeO2 DivingDecompressionTables,whichareused across theworldinsport,commercialandforeignmilitaries.

Thefacilitywasusedtotestseveraldivingtech-nologies,includingaspecializedbreathingappara-tus for Canadian Forces divers, a non-freezingdivers’breathingregulatordesignedspecificallyforCanadiancoldwateroperations,andtheCanadianForces MCM diving system, including weightvests,lighting,anddiverinformationdisplays.

Simulation ThreeInatraininglab,concealedwithinatwistinglabyrinthofcorridorsanddoorways,soldierslearnfieldtacticsbyplayingacooperativevideogame.

It’s called Virtual Battle Space 2, a program developed byBohemiaInteractive.

In-game training sessions are recorded and saved for laterviewingandanalysisbyparticipants, trainers,commandingoffi-cersandDRDCemployeeswhoworktostudyandimprovetheuserexperience.

Therecordingplaysliketheopeningsequenceinamovie.Inthevideo,CanadianForcesarmouredpersonnelcarriersroll

throughthegrassyplainsofAfghanistan.Dramaticmusicechoesbehind the squawkingof the soldiers’ radios.The frame freezesandthenamesofeachactivemilitaryunitinthescenarioappearinblocklettersunderthepersonnelcarriers.

The frameunfreezes and the cameraangle swings to anewperspective,trailingbehindandabovetheadvancingAPC,reveal-ingacommunityofsmall,stonehouses.Abeardedmanwearingaturban,abaggyshirt,andcottonpantsstandsinadoorway.TheCanadianForcesrollpast.

Here,thevideoofthetrainingsessionends.

“The rest is classified,” says Dr. Matthew Duncan, Head,CollaborativePerformanceandLearningSection.“Wecan’tshowyouwhattheyactuallydo.”

Inthisroom,laidoutmuchlikeacomputerlabinauniversity,sitdozensofdesktopcomputers,eachrunningtheVirtualBattleSpace.Separatorsbetweenseatedsoldiersensureeachsoldiercanonlyseewhatisonhisorherscreen.

“Itrunsprettymuchlikeyouraverage3-Dfirstpersonshoot-ertypeofvideogame.But,ofcourse,it’sbeensetupsothatthegraphicsreflectrealmilitaryhardware.Thevehicles,theweapons,theuniforms—everything—allsuitwhatevernationisgoingtobedoingthetraining,”saysDuncan.

Fromtheircubicles,soldierscommunicateviaheadsets,withsimulatedstaticandbackgroundnoisefromthegame.

IntheVirtualBattleSpace,traineescancustomizescenariostoincludeeventslikevehiclebreakdowns,roadblocksandIEDs.

CommercializationDRDCTorontoburstswithmilitary-orientedsimulatorresearchand technology.Aside fromtheHerculesObserverTrainer, theSyntheticEnvironmentResearchFacilityandtheDiveResearchFacility,thesprawlingfacilitycontainsaclimateresearchfacilitythatsimulatesenvironmentalconditionstroopsmightencounter,from Arctic cold to rainforest heat and humidity. A hypobaricfacilitysimulateshighaltitudeconditionsforaeromedicaltrainingandequipmentdevelopment.Anoisesimulatorfacilitygeneratescombatsoundstostudytheeffectsofnoiseonhearingandcom-munications. A human centrifuge simulates G-forces for pilottrainees.

DeputyDirectorGeneralKeithHendyhopestoattractmoreinterestfromoutsidethemilitarytocommercializeproductsoverthenextfewyears.

“Thisisaplacewhereyoucanseetheresultofyourresearch,andIthinkmanyscientistslikethat,”Hendysays.LB

Canadian Military BankrollMilitary spending in Canada is growing. In 2005-2006, Canada’s national military expenditures reached approxi-mately $15 billion. Spending surpassed $18 billion in 2008-2009, the result of a pointed effort to modernize the military. Increases in military spending were scaled back in the 2010 budget by about $525 million, but Canada’s goal of a modern, intelligent and prepared military main-tains central position in federal government expenditures. In 2010, National Defence Canada estimated that military spending accounted for one-fifth of total government direct spending. The lion’s share of spending is allocated to “gen-erating relevant, responsive and effective combat-capable, integrated forces,” according to National Defence Canada.

Soldiers train for battle by playing a video game.

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Lacerationsare thenumberonerisk in labs, says theWorldHealthOrganization,accountingfor32percentoflabinju-ries.

Someoftheseinjurieshappenduringexperimentsaslabwork-ershandlesharps,thosesharp-edgedtoolslikesurgicalblades.Butmorelikelyarethelacerationsthathappenaftertheexperiment.Likewhenalabworkerreachesintoasinkofsoapywatertowashasetofbeakersandcutsherfingeronachippedglass.

Needleinjurieshappenlessfrequentlyinlabs—justsevenpercentofthetime—thankstotechnologiesthatremovemuchoftheriskofthejob.

Whereneedleinjurieshappen,theyusuallyhappeninanimalwork,whenalabworkerhastodealwithmovingtargets,likeakicking dog who doesn’t want his shot or a squirming mouse’stinyleg.

When accidents happenDespite the precautions and trainingslabsinvestinstaff,accidentscanhappen.

“Sometimes you engineer a safe laband sometimes it just has to be workpractice,” saysMichaelHistead,directoroftheOfficeofRiskManagementattheUniversityofOttawa.

Generally,whenacutorneedleinjuryhappens,labworkersshouldaskifanyofthe materials involved in the lacerationincluded viable agents, active chemicalsorbiologicalmaterialthatcancauseharmtoaperson.Dependingonthetypeoflab,theviabilityoftheagentsunderexamina-tionmaydiffer.Actingquicklytoidentifyviableagentsisalwaysagoodpractice.

Ifthelacerationisanemergency,dealwithitasanemergency.Histeadsaysthathaving data sheets about the materialsinvolvedintheexperimentwillaiddoc-torsintreatinginjuries.

And having some kind of reportingmechanismisimportantinreducinghaz-ardsinthelabenvironment.Areportingmechanismcanhelplabmanagersdeter-mine whether the injuries result fromprocedureissuesorhumanerror.

Accreditedlabsmusthaveprotocolsinplacetoreduceinju-ries from sharps. Lab workers should be familiar with theseprotocols,andtheseprotocolsshouldbeaccessibletolabwork-erswhentheinjurieshappen.Aregularauditofsafetyprotocolswill help lab managers assess how closely lab workers followsafetypractices.LB

safety zone

By Robert Price

Lacerations and needle injuriesDealing with sharps requires safe practices and vigilance

The World Health Organization lays out simple strategies for managing sharp edges that cause lacerations in the lab.

Dispose of sharps in puncture-proof, leak-proof sharps containers. Place these containers in places where lab workers can easily access them, like on work benches.

Label containers clearly. Write “SHARPS” on the label and deface the biohaz-ard marking if the container does not contain biohazardous material. When the container is full and ready for disposal, seal the container tightly.

Do not recap needles. If recapping a needle is necessary, lab workers should keep one hand behind the back and “scoop” the cover onto the needle.

Place laboratory glass and plastic ware in sturdy cardboard boxes for transport to disposal. Ensure the box does not weigh more than 40 pounds. Label the box clearly so that housekeeping staff know that the box contains glass. Remember to decontaminate laboratory glass before disposal.

Use tools that can help reduce risk of lacerations. Housekeeping staff should have access to puncture proof gloves and lab workers should use resilient gloves that balance the needs for dexterity with the needs for safety.

Adapted from WHO’s Laboratory Quality Management System Training toolkit.

✔

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Tips

for dealing with sharps5

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The Baker Company’s SterilGARDEnergy Efficiency Engineered bio-logicalsafetycabinetprovidesenergysavingswhilemaintainingsafetyandperformancestandards.

The SterilGARD e3 offers anairflow management system thatrequireslessenergyandimprovesusercomfort by reducing heat, noise and

vibration. The SterilGARD e3 selfadjusts tomaintain the safestopera-tion available in a Class II biosafetycabinet,andistheonlycabinetintheindustryofferingasleepmodethatisinstantlysafeuponexiting.Thecabi-netisavailablein4-foot,5-foot,and6-footmodels.www.bakerco.com

Green Biosafety Solution

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Biosafety CabinetsBiologicalsafetycabinetskeepscientistssafefromthehazardousmaterialsduringstudy

in the lab. InCanada, biosafety cabinets are organized into three classes, aptly titledClassI,ClassIIorClassIII.ClassIcabinetsprovideoperatorprotectionbutdonotprotectthematerialwithin the cabinet. Class II cabinets, primarily used in biomedical research,containsfoursub-groupsbasedonairflowpatternsandexhaustsystems.ClassIIIcabinetsprovidethehighestpossibleprotectionfortheoperator,materialandenvironment.

Belowyouwillfindasampleofindustry-leadingbiosafetycabinetsforavarietyoftasks.

Purifier Logic Class II Biosafety Cabinets from LabconcoCorporationhaveasensorlesssystemthatusespatent-pendingtechnology,dubbedConstantAirflowProfile.ConstantAirflowProfile increases accuracy, reliability and helps eliminate peri-odicrecalibrationofairflowsensorstoensureproperairflowbytenfold.The design is not susceptible to the temperature andhumidity fluctuations that oftenplague thermal anemometer-basedsystems.Testinghasdemonstratedthatairflowismain-tainedwithonlyaonetotwopercentdifferenceinairflowastheHEPAfilterloads.www.labconco.com

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NuAireLabGardESandCellGardEnergy Saver brand of Class IIBiological Safety Cabinets offerproper ergonomics, reduce energyconsumptionandimprovelaborato-rysafety.

NuAire’s Biosafety Cabinetsofferalargerworkzone,heavy-dutyarmrest, unobstructed view andadjustable working height. Theultra-high efficiency DC-ECM

motor reduces energy consumptionandextendsHEPAfilterlife.Whenpersonnel are away, the systemreduces motor/blower operationalairflow and conserves energy whilemaintainingworkzonesterility.

Real-timeairflow,filterlife,timerfunctions and several other featuresare displayed on an LCD touchscreen.www.nuaire.com

ThermoFisherScientificintroduceditsmostenergyefficientbiologicalsafetycabinets,the1300SeriesA2.

Cabinets areavailable inboth thecoated interior andone-piece stainlesssteelinterioroptions,offeringreducedairflowusingasmall,eight-inchaper-turetoextendthelifeoftheHEPAfiltersby20percentwhileconsuming180wattstooperate.

Thefulllineof1300SeriesA2employsauniqueSmartFlowairflowcom-pensationsystemthatmaintainsasafeenvironmentfortheuser.Thisfeatureiscombined with Digital Airflow Verification, which independently monitorsproductandpersonnelprotectionandalertstheuserifsafetyiscompromised.Thelowairflowrequirementsofthe1300SeriesA2canreducenoiselevelsto62decibels.www.thermoscientific.com/bsc

Sanyo’snewCellProcessingWorkStation is a standalone alternativetothetraditionalcleanroom.

Offeringanefficientoperationalcapacity and featuring a contami-nation-freedesign,theworkstationincludes cGMP compliant equip-ment for aseptic processing andprovidesuser-friendlyoperation.

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installationintoexistingornewlabspaces using conventional utilitiesand minimal site preparation. Byusing an H2 O2 decontaminationprocess, the workstation can becompletely sterilized without heatandpreparedforthenextprotocolwithintwohours.

Thefour-portgloveboxdeliversmorethanaconventionalClassII,Type A2 biological safety cabinettypically installed within a clean-room.www.sanyo.com

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Gain New Insights into Familiar Materials.Mettler Toledo’s Flash Differential Scanning Calorimeter expands the boundaries of thermal analysis. The Flash DSC 1 has high cooling (-4,000 C/sec) and heating (40,000 C/sec) rates, which allow scientists to study crystallization and reorganization processes of materials that were not possible until now. It also offers a wide temperature range from -95 C to 450 C in one measurement, along with an ergonomic design. These features enable scientists to uncover material information that was previously hidden.www.mt.com

Posture SaverCarl Zeiss introduced a new generation of ergonomic and compact tissue culture microscopes with the Primo Vert Monitor. The microscope makes the quick check of living cells efficient by replacing traditional eyepieces with an integrated digital camera and LCD display. The monitor can be tilted from 45 degrees up to 80 degrees, so researchers can adjust the LCD monitor to their individual posture. In addition, eyeglasses are no longer an obstacle during microscopic work as they do not have to be removed when checking microscopic images in the LCD monitor.www.zeiss.com/micro

Protect the Lab from AccidentsA clear vinyl pouch for protecting documents and manuals in laboratories and other environments where there is a high potential for splatter and spills is available from RNR Plastics. The Laboratory Documents Protector is made from clear PVC, featuring 12-gauge thick vinyl. They can be custom imprinted in colors with logos and have different color flaps for corporate branding or promotion and include a variety of mounting attachment options such as magnetic strips, eyelets, double-sided tape and adhesive backings.www.rnrplastics.com



Corrosive-Gas ResistantTo overcome the challenges of process control in aggressive environments, Alicat Scientific, Inc. developed the MS and MCS series Mass Flow Meters and Controllers.The 316L stainless steel construction and FFKM elastomeric materials of the MS and MCS series provide metering and control options for the more common corrosive gases and gas mixes used in caustic process environments. The units are calibrated for thirty inert gases and a number of corrosive gases that would damage standard equipment, including ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide. www.alicatscientific.com

Flow ControlFluid Metering Inc., offers the C100A Variable Speed Controller, a new interface for Fluid Metering’s variable speed pumps.The controller features both manual speed adjustment using a front panel mounted rotary dial, as well as electronic speed control via a 4-20mA signal from an external source. Features include IR compensation, current limiting circuit and minimum and maximum speed adjustment, which are all factory preset to best meet specific application parameters. It also incorporates transient voltage protection and an AC fuse.www.fmipump.com

High and DryOHAUS Corporation announces its expanded lineup of MB Series Moisture Analyzers. The MB45, MB35, MB23 and MB25 Moisture Analyzers offer pharmaceutical, chemical, food and research laboratories consistent moisture testing, with high precision readability and strong test repeatability. The flagship MB45 boasts readability of 0.001 g, repeatability of 0.015 per cent and sample capacity of 45 g.All analyzers display percent moisture, solids and regain, as well as time, temperature and weight of the test sample.www.ohaus.com

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sitting with

Dr. Nils Petersen is the current Director General of the National Institute forNanotechnologyandaprofessorinthedepartmentofchemistryattheUniversityof

Alberta.APh.D.graduateoftheCaliforniaInstituteofTechnology,whereheearnedtheHerbertNewbyMcCoyAwardforbestChemistryPh.D.thesis,Dr.Petersenheldposi-tionsatCornellUniversity,WashingtonUniversityMedicalSchoolandtheUniversityofWesternOntariobeforerelocatingtoAlberta.

Q:Is the use of nanotechnology in consumer products like sunscreen and paint a useful application of technology?A: I can’t saymuch about cosmetics industries, because I don’t knowa lot about it specifically.But theplacesI’veseenitused,Ibelieveithasattributesthatarereal.

Personally,Ithinkcosmeticsaregimmicksinthefirstplace,butit’ssatisfyingaconsumerneed.Atthesametime,someoftheseproperties,luster,reflectivity,thatnanoparticlesmightimpart,arequire

real.Butaretheyimportantinthisfunction?That’sthegimmickyaspectofit.Ifyoulookatotherthingslikecoatings,thereisevidencethatnanomaterialsdoprovidestrengthening

properties,abrasiveresistance.That’sreal.Againthough,isthisreallythecriticalfeatureofthematerial?Rightnow,wedon’tknow.

OneofthethingsIrememberfromearlyon,peoplewerequiteexcitedbecausenanotechnologywasusedinthewallsoftennisballs.Theballslastedtwiceaslongbecauseofthestrengththesematerialsprovided.That’sthepropertyofthatparticularmaterial,butdoyouwanttopaytwiceasmuchforit?Haveyougainedanythinginarealsense?

Q:Is this drive towards nano-everything in consumer products just a fad? A:There’safinelinebetweenmarketing,Isuppose,andrealvalueinaproduct.

Icouldarguethatputtingsilvernanoparticlesintoacuttingboardmightborderonmarketingmorethanrealvalue.Butputtingsilvernanoparticlesintowoundhealingproducts,thatisrealvalue.

Let’slookatsomeexamples.Ijustmentionedthewoundhealing.That’sarealapplication,it’sanimpor-tantone.Itisworkingandbeingusedglobally.

Thisisreallyimportantbecauseitaddressesanissuethathasotherwisebeenextremelydifficulttodealwith.Chronicwoundsindiabeticpatients,forexample.

Youlookatsomethingmoreadvancedtechnologically,youcanexplorethedevelopmentofgiantmag-neto-resistance.Thisisafundamentalfindingofmagneticpropertiesintinymagneticparticlesthatarenowincorporated intomemorydrives forcomputers.Thereyouhave thediscoveryofaphenomenonthat isuniqueforthenanoscaleinthesemagneticproperties,thatthenhasledtoanimprovement,almostrevolu-tion,intheapplicationofmemorydrives.

Q:What other applications might we see for nanotechnology?A:Texturingsurfacesatthenanoscalecanleadtorealimprovementsinabrasionresistance.Thathasledtocoatingsforpipelines,forexample.Thatnowmeansyoucanhavethesepipelineslastlongerandbemoreresistanttothewearandtearthathappensduringnaturalflow.That’sarealandveryimportantapplicationofsomenanotechnologyprinciples.

We’reseeingthingsparticularlyinthecatalyticworld.Theabilitytomanipulatematerialsandstructuresatthisscaleallowsustogetbettercatalyticactivityforlessuseofthecatalyst.Manyofthesecatalystsareprecious materials like platinum and other rare earth metals. They are being utilized far moreeffectively.LB

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