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Our News

October 2021

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The effect of cannabinoids on thin-film morphology is published in Advanced Functional Materials

In this work, Zach takes a deep dive into the morphological changes induced in thin-film devices upon analyte exposure, shedding more light on the mechanism of cannabinoid sensing by OTFTs. 

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October 2021

On the cover of Chemical Communications

Emilie and Nick's work developing a CEST-MRI contrast agent for mapping Vitamin B6 utilization is featured on the cover of Chemical Communications.

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August 2021

Emilie Is Accepted to the QAQCC NSERC-CREATE Program!

Along with co-supervisor, Dr. Cory Harris, Emilie will undertake novel approaches to the non-destructive analysis of cannabinoids in live plants. More to come soon...

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August 2021

Our MR Solutions MRI Has Been Upgraded to 7 T!

We can now perform mouse and rat imaging at 1.5, 3.0, and 7.0 T. 

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August 2021

Our Second Generation HydrazoCEST MRI Contrast Agent for Mapping Vitamin B6 Metabolism Is Published in Chemical Communications!

Emilie and Nick led the team in exploring the structure-activity relationship for aldehyde sensing using a hydrazinonicotinic acid core, resulting in Vitamin B6 metabolism mapping in human lung cancer xenograft models.​

Published in the 2021 Emerging Investigators themed collection

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July 2021

Finding Glycoproteins Quickly and Easily, Published in New Journal of Chemistry

Alexia and Tara published work applying one of Mojmir's aldehyde-reactive fluorophores to the specific detection of glycoproteins in native gels with ng-level sensitivity!

Published in the 2021 Emerging Investigators themed collection

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June 2021

Sweet Synthetic Methodology Published in Carbohydrate Research

Mojmir's work generating the rare carbohydrate D-Tagatose from readily available D-Fructose has initiated a new line of research for our group.

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October 2020

Solution Screening for OTFT Optimization Published in ACS Advanced Materials & Interfaces 

Zach developed methodology to use solution-phase spectroelectrochemistry to predict the performance of thin-film transistors for cannabinoid sensing.

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July 2020

Included in ACS Sensors Rising Stars in Sensing Special Issue

Zach's work developing rapid, on-the-spot sensors for cannabis was included in a special virtual issue on Rising Stars in Sensing, curated by Prof. Shana O. Kelley.

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May 2020

Yen & Christine defended their M.Sc. degrees

Congratulations to Yen Truong and Christine Wong for defending their M.Sc. degrees.

May 2020

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Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute Funding Received

Through the gracious support of the CCSRI, and in collaboration with Dr. Christine Addison, we have been awarded an Innovation Grant to evaluate aldehydes as imaging biomarkers of lung cancer prognosis using our radiotracer [18F]NA3BF3.

January 2020

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Funding for new PET/CT received

Thanks to generous funding from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and the Province of Ontario, as well as support from the Vice-President Research Dr. Sylvain Charbonneau, we will be acquiring a new PET/CT to continue our radiotracer development program.

November 2019

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Ekidna Sensing, Inc., is launched!

Based off of our cannabinoid analysis technology, we have launched Ekidna Sensing, Inc., in order to commercialize our rapid, on-the-spot cannabinoid testing. More information can be found here.

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October 2019

On the cover of ACS Sensors

Zach's work developing rapid cannabinoid sensors was featured on the cover of ACS Sensors.

August 2019

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NSERC CGS-M & Michael Smith Supplement

Émile was awarded a Canada Graduate Scholarship (MSc) and a Michael Smith Supplement that will allow him to travel to work with Dr. Peter J.H. Scott at the University of Michigan. Great work Émile!

May 2019

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Technology for on-the-spot Cannabinoid analysis is patented!

In collaboration with Dr. Benoît Lessard and Dr. Cory Harris, we have filed a patent to protect our technology for rapid, low-cost, and accurate chemical analysis of cannabis plants and plant-derived products.

August 2019

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Our graduate students receive scholarships

Three of our graduate students, Nick Calvert, Yen Truong and Alexia Kirby, have just received the Ontario Graduate Student scholarship to support their studies. Congratulations Nick, Yen and Alexia!

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April 2019

Radiotracer for mapping aldehydic load in live subjects is published in Chem Comm

In this work we continue to build on the N-aminoanthranilic acid moiety for rapid, catalyst-free complexation of aldehydes in living systems, developing a radiotracer capable of mapping aldehydic load in living subjects using Positron Emission Tomography.

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February 2019

On the cover of ChemBioChem Probes & Sensors Special Issue

The cover illustrates our fluorogenic probes capable of speciation of biogenic aldehydes through fluorescent fingerprinting

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February 2019

On the inside front cover of Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry New Talent Special Issue

Here we apply our fluorogenic sensor for live cell imaging of aldehydic load following the induction of electrophilic stress. On the cover, labelled cells are raining down in front of a graffitied wall.

November 2018

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Our work on aldehyde fingerprinting on ChemistryViews

Recent work on the fluorogenic fingerprinting of biogenic aldehydes was reported in ChemistryViews. See the article here.

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November 2018

Imaging Aldehydic Load in live cells published in special issue

Expanding upon the capability of our fluorescent imaging of aldehydes, we have published work fully characterizing the reactivity of our aldehyde-conditional fluorogenic agent, as well as demonstrated its application to the imaging of Aldehydic Load via live cell microscopy. This work was an invited contribution to a New Talent issue of Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry.

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October 2018

Fluorescent fingerprinting of aldehydes published in special issue

Our collaborative effort with Dr. Rolland-Lagan on identifying biogenic aldehydes through curvature analysis of excitation-emission matrices was published as a Very Important Paper in a special issue on Probes in Chembiochem.

August 2018

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Our graduate students receive scholarships

Two of our graduate students, Yen Truong and Alexia Kirby, have just received the Ontario Graduate Student scholarship to support their studies. Congratulations Yen and Alexia!

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May 2018

Hosting Kelsee, Grace, and Tyra in our lab was a blast!

Thanks to support from the Verna J. Kirkness Foundation, Kelsee, Grace, and Tyra visited us from indigenous communities across Canada so we could give them a taste of the work we do in the Mol Med Lab. Listen to the story on CBC's Ottawa Morning here.

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March 2018

Aldehyde-conditional CEST-MRI contrast agent published

Our work developing a CEST-MRI contrast agent that selectively "turns on" when covalently bound to aldehydes was published in Chemistry: A European Journal.

August 2017

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We are CIHR funded!

A Project Scheme grant in collaboration with the Rayner (UOHI) and Pratt (uO Chemistry) groups entitled "Aldehydes, Antioxidants, and Atherosclerosis: Translational prognostic molecular imaging with novel prognostic and companion diagnostic agents" was supported by CIHR.

March 2017

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Industrial partnership established with Qu Biologics

Through an NSERC ENGAGE grant, we have initiated a collaboration with Qu Biologics to use PET/MRI to investigate the fate of their site-specific immunomodulators in mice.

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February 2017

Patent filed for our aldehyde sensing compounds

Our imaging and sensing probes for biogenic aldehyde detection was filed by uOttawa, opening up our technology for further development and industrial partnerships.

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October 2016

Our MRI has arrived!

An MR Solutions tunable field 3.0 T MRI obtained with CFI funding is now installed and ready to be used for pre-clinical contrast agent development.

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