A student discusses dye oxidation results.

This April, the second year students of the Chemical and Biosciences Co-op diploma program presented the results of their independent research projects, representing many hours of hard work over the preceding four months. Each group of students worked independently under the supervision of a faculty member to perform a unique project designed to investigate various aspects of chemical or biological sciences. The projects were extremely varied and represented the wide array of skills taught in the program. The topics investigated were:

• Testing rice for arsenic using inductively coupled plasma – optical emission spectroscopy
• Environmentally-friendly oxidation of dyes in wastewater via tungstate-catalyzed peroxide
• Antimicrobial properties of plant extracts
• Genetically modified foods in common grocery products
• Rates of methicillin-resistant bacteria in the general population
• A “green” solvent for use in liquid chromatography

Students presented a number of surprising and interesting findings, including evidence that at least one brand of “organic” snack foods contained genetically modified corn. Some of the student groups may go on to present their work at the upcoming Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC) event, June 6th at the Victoria Inn, right here in Winnipeg.