Ambrose Student Places Third in Science Research Conference

Ambrose University is pleased to congratulate Jared VanderZwaag for taking third place in the chemistry section of the Undergraduate Research in Science Conference of Alberta (URSCA). Now in its seventh year, URSCA brings together students, faculty and members of the academic community from across the province who are actively engaged in research activities and committed to advancing scientific innovation at the undergraduate level (concordia.ab.ca). 

Together with his supervisor, Dr. Liza Abraham, VanderZwaag presented research on the synthesis and evaluation of environmentally friendly wound-care products and the application of green chemistry in undergraduate research. Their project focused on the development of two bioinspired, environmentally-friendly wound-care products derived from chitosan and two naturally occurring aldehydes, citronellal and cinnamaldehyde. The products were evaluated for antimicrobial properties and were found to be highly bioactive and therefore could have value in wound care.

Honourable mention goes to third year student Vanessa Boone and class of 2021 graduate Cole Hartung who presented on their BIO 493 independent research projects. Collectively, they examined over 36,000 sequences of DNA from a gene that produces protein essential for animal survival in order to determine if viable mutations could arise anywhere, or, if there are certain regions of the gene and protein that are vital and therefore cannot be modified. The findings from their sample of 16 types of fish indicated that there are 17 amino acids that are identical across all 36,000 fish, suggesting that these 17 amino acids are particularly vital. This is an incredible discovery and we commend their work on this project.
 
Congratulations to all on representing Ambrose so well!