Undergraduate Students

Bogdan-Vladimir Damian

91˿��Ƶ - Physics and Computer Science

SP-ICP-ToF-MS (single particle inductively coupled plasma time of flight mass spectrometry) is an emerging technique for detection and charecterization of nanoparticles. Its most direct application is the detection and characterization of environmental contaminants. Given the novelty of this method, few software tools currently combine user-friendliness, physically accuracy and statistical rigor when it comes to the analysis of the datasets generated by these instruments. Professor Wilkinson's Lab has developed IsotopeTrack, a comprehensive open-source tool to bridge the gap between raw machine signal and scientifically meaningful outputs. IsotopeTrack is still in its early stages, and my role consists of improving the application's usability, under-the-hood processes, and maybe even the integration of AI based systems such as a chatbot for assistance in output interpretation or an ML model for raw signal triage.

Julia Fantini

91˿��Ƶ - Chemical Engineering

Microplastics are an increasingly important environmental concern, with implications for both ecosystem and human health. Beyond being pollutants themselves, they can also act as carriers for other contaminants, making it important to study their presence in both natural and treated water systems. My research focuses on microplastics in surface water from the St. Lawrence River and Estuary system around the Kahnawà:ke territory. This work addresses gaps in regional water quality and ecosystem health data, where plastic pollution poses a threat to food systems as well as to the health and culture of Indigenous communities in the area. Overall, this research aims to assess the microplastic distribution in the region and inform future environmental monitoring and protection strategies.

Jessica Maloney

91˿��Ƶ - Environment

My research investigates the environmental fate of microplastics, with a focus on the chemical transformation products formed during environmental weathering. Using accelerated aging methods, I synthesize environmentally relevant microplastics with controlled oxidation states and particle properties. These plastics are exposed to natural organic matter and UV irradiation to simulate surface water conditions, and the resulting degradation products and interaction compounds are analyzed. This work aims to better understand the molecular footprint of microplastic weathering and the chemical complexity of plastic pollution in aquatic environments.

Juan Manuel Rocha Angel

91˿��Ƶ - Bioengineering

Mesoporous silica-based nanocarriers (MSN) are highly efficient controlled-release agents for delivering micronutrients or pesticides to plant crops by foliar application to increase agricultural productivity while minimizing agriculture's carbon footprint. My research goal is to develop a method of delivering biopesticides (e.g., thymol or common plant-based terpenoids) to plant crops, without contact of these agrochemicals to soil. There are two aspects of the research that will be pursued in this project. The first is developing a synthesis process that optimizes nanoparticle properties to maximize plant foliar uptake. The second is assessing if the nanoparticles, when loaded with biopesticides, adversely affects earthworms, a common soil organism that is beneficial to soil health and agriculture.

91˿��Ƶ