Josie Zemanek and Naomi Schoeck caught the attention of Kirsty Duncan, federal minister of science and sport on Wednesday, as they navigated their miniature remote operated vehicles in a tub full of about 60 litres of water.
The minister was at UVicB次元官网网址檚 Bob Wright Centre to announce $355,000 in funding towards a pair of UVic initiatives, part of DuncanB次元官网网址檚 tour to promote an unprecedented $42 million investment in university research through the Canada Foundation for Innovation.
Duncan even tried to control one of the ROVs, though it proved a lot harder than it looked. The duo of Girl Guide Pathfinders built the ROVs using SeaPerch.orgB次元官网网址檚 open technology, with the support of the Ocean Networks Canada. It was a fitting demonstration having two young women, aged 12 and 14, showing a passion in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The $355,000 investment is split between another pair of young women who are starting research labs at UVic. Civil engineer Heather Buckley receives $135,000 going towards the development of a test strip that will recognize harmful toxins in drinking water, designed for people in mining-impacted communities. Leigh Anne Swayne, a cell microbiologist, will receive $220,000 towards toward the $550,000 upgrade of her labB次元官网网址檚 confocal microscope for brain research.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e at the beginning of the process,B次元官网网址� Buckley said. B次元官网网址淭here are field technologies that exist right now but they tend to be very complicated, with lots of pipetting and agents needed that you can run out of in the fieldB次元官网网址� This allows an ordinary person to test water.B次元官网网址�
Dr Leigh Anne Swayne explaining brain research at UVic, including the development of nanotechnology at UVic. Swayne Iab getting a $220,000 boost towards super microscope
B次元官网网址� The Saan Man (@TravisAPaterson)
The goal is to identify harmful byproducts of mining such as arsenic, mercury, chromium, cadmium and lead and lead to the development of a method of extracting valuable metals from mine tailings.
B次元官网网址淭he problem of drinking water contamination in mining-impacted communities is one of chronic, long-term illnesses, and I am committed to making low-cost test-strip technologies that are available anywhere in the world where contamination of the water system due to mining is a concern.B次元官网网址�
For SwayneB次元官网网址檚 research team, the powerful confocal microscope can observe cellular processes as they occur as part of their work to understand neuron changes related to neuro-developmental conditions such as autism.
B次元官网网址淚t also allows us to attract the top researching talent in the country to come and work in our lab,B次元官网网址� Swayne said.
The microscope upgrade will add function and higher resolution to B次元官网网址渞eveal new things that we donB次元官网网址檛 yet know to look forB次元官网网址� she said, B次元官网网址渒ind of like getting glasses that suddenly make what youB次元官网网址檙e looking at so much clearer.B次元官网网址�
