How I Spent My Summer Vacation |
| Shane Journeay (photo by Liam Richards) |
There's a big future for small research at the U of S campus
By Jeremy Warren
For The StarPhoenix
"To you, this just looks like water," said Journeay, a toxicology PhD student in the
The nanotube Journeay is studying was designed by an
The goal is to understand how this particular nanoparticle -- about 1/1000th the width of a human hair -- affects living cells and tissues. This information could help prevent possible health hazards from exposure to these nanoscale materials.
Nanotechnology involves engineering materials at the scale of molecules and atoms. Its many applications include sensors for cancer diagnosis, more effective sunscreens, and more efficient consumer electronic devices.
"While researchers have been aware of nanoparticles for decades now, going back to studies on air pollution, the ability to control the design of particles with unique chemistry and function at the nanoscale is relatively new," said Journeay.
Growing numbers of researchers work with nanoparticles. Commercial quantities of nanomaterials will likely be manufactured in the future, he says.
"As greater quantities are produced, more information will be required on the possible environmental, health and occupational safety of this new technology," he said.
Toxicology studies have traditionally focused on large particles. But particles on the nanoscale are much smaller and more reactive, which may predispose them to enter the body in places such as deep lung tissue that their larger counterparts can't reach.
"Our understanding of how nanoparticles interact with living tissue is in its infancy," Journeay said.
"Nanotechnology holds tremendous potential. How do we balance the promising societal benefits of the technology with the potential environmental and health issues?"
Journeay, 27, is one of only 10 Canadians selected by the Canadian Foundation for the
For 10 weeks this summer, he is attending seminars about space technology and policy, and is participating in one of several research projects.
The class includes graduate students and professionals from the space industry, such as NASA executives.
May teach NASA experts
As one of the few Canadian researchers studying the compatibility of nanomaterials on animal and human tissue, Journeay might teach the NASA experts a few things.
Opportunities like this enhance the educational experience of students, he says.
"The sheer potential of nanotechnology keeps me interested in the research. It has been said nanotech could be the next industrial revolution. To be a part of something like this everyday is fascinating," he said.
Journeay has received scholarships from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
His supervisor, Baljit Singh, receives funding from NSERC and the Alberta Agricultural Research Institute.
"I've been really fortunate to have a supervisor who encourages me to get out of the lab and network and meet similar researchers," said Journeay, who is part of a U of S health research group on immunology that brings together the expertise of faculty and students from across campus.
Journeay may have more travelling to do after returning from
*This article is part of a partnership initiative between The StarPhoenix and University of
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