Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mount Allison University

01/18/2024

The Biochemistry program, and Mount Allison as a whole, lost a great one this week. Dr. Rob Ireland was a brilliant scientist, researcher, educator, mentor, and leader who shaped the lives of countless Mount Allison students, faculty, and staff. Dr. Ireland was a founding member of the Biochemistry program when it was originally housed in the Department of Biology and he created and taught many of the courses we still deliver today. Dr. Ireland mentored many of our most successful alumni, providing them with the skills, confidence, and work ethic they needed to be their best. He was well-respected as a leader and was responsible for bringing forth a plethora of positive, student-focused initiatives on campus. Thank you Rob for your service, dedication, and friendship, your contributions will not be forgotten.

10/31/2022

BIOC3031 (Molecular analysis) students are in the midst of a CRISPR knockout project using E. coli with a glowing reporter protein (GFP). Glowing, mutant bacteria, just in time for Halloween!

10/26/2022

08/26/2022

https://mta.ca/about/news/heart-health-thu-08252022-1222

Mount Allison University biochemistry student Sam McGaw is spending his summer studying heart health and how the amino acid taurine can improve cardiovascular function.

04/13/2022

A message from Dr. Jean-Paul Boudreau, President and Vice-Chancellor.

It is with great sadness that I share the news that beloved chemistry professor Dr. Stephen (Steve) Westcott has passed away.

Steve was an integral part of the Mount Allison community for many years, teaching and mentoring thousands of students during his career. He taught at Mount Allison since 1995 and was a recipient of the Paul Paré Medal and multiple Excellence Awards. A long-time Canada Research Chair holder (more than 20 years), he was a leader in his field and inspired many Mount Allison chemistry students to pursue careers in research. His research group, the Wild Toads, was one of the largest on campus, even welcoming high school students and community members to learn more about the world of chemistry. He was known to many as an amazing teacher, brilliant researcher, and a kind colleague and friend.

In 2020, he shifted his research focus to COVID-19 treatment and recovery with the project, The fifth element: Battle COVID-19. Under his leadership, the Westcott research team, including many Mount Allison students and international collaborators contributed significantly to the field of chemistry, studying the health effects of new compounds based on natural products such as capsaicin (the chemical that makes hot peppers hot), eugenol, and Boron.

Community members can reach out to Multi-Faith Chaplain and Spiritual Care Co-ordinator Rev. Ellie Hummel for support at this difficult time at [email protected] /364-9239. She will be in the Chapel, which is open as a place to gather, share stories, and reflect.

Counsellors are available to students by e-mailing [email protected] or visiting https://oab.owlpractice.ca/mtacounselling to book an appointment.

Staff can access free counselling services through the Employee and Family Assistance Program, which can be accessed through the Faculty & Staff Gateway: https://mountallison.sharepoint.com/sites/Working-at-MtA/SitePages/Employee-&-Family.aspx. There will also be an EFAP-affiliated counsellor, Armand Savoie, on campus today from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. for drop-in support. Armand will be located in McCain 124 and employees can come individually or in groups if they would like to meet with Armand.

For employees who would prefer to connect with EFAP resources virtually, they can contact the EFAP 24/7 via the portal: https://www.workhealthlife.com/ or by calling 1-844-880-9142.

The University flags have been lowered to half-mast.

09/22/2021

Our department has quite a long history and the evidence is still lurking around Sackville. A staff member recently found these chemistry exams from 1939 and 1940 in their barn. The Anderson family figure prominently in Sackville's history so it's not surprising that one ended up in the program!

09/10/2021

Biochemists win big for advances in mRNA vaccines and next gen sequencing! Some great stories about perseverance and pushing through criticism.

Pioneers of mRNA vaccines and next-generation sequencing techniques are among the winners of science’s most lucrative awards.

07/23/2021

Check out this recent interview with Chemistry honours student Padmapriya Srinivasan

We chat with Mount Allison student Padma Srinivasan about a sustainable building material she and her classmates created out of orange peels!

07/08/2021

Cutting edge graduate research from Meli Lab alumnus Johnny Zhang!

Researchers at the University of Toronto, in collaboration with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Public Health Ontario and Mount Sinai Hospital, have developed a COVID-19 antibody test that makes use of a smartphone camera.

07/07/2021

Welcome to the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Mount Allison University! We provide exceptional experiences to our students through innovative and challenging classes and labs, experiential learning initiatives, and research. Our graduates go on to graduate school, professional programs, or careers in industry, government, or with NGOs.