Cambrian College has opened a $1.97-million lab designed to provide chemical analyses for industry partners.
The Chemical Analyses and Scientific Services Lab (CASS), located at the college’s Sudbury campus, will serve industries including agriculture and food, construction, energy, environmental sciences, life sciences, mining, and pulp and paper.
Services provided include sample preparation and digestion for a variety of materials; sulfur and carbon analysis; precious and base metal detection; micropollutant and persistent organic pollutant quantification; microbial and genetic assays; and live cell imaging.
“There is a lot of chemistry involved in major industry, and many companies don’t have in-house expertise or equipment to do some of the novel analysis and testing that needs to be done to stay competitive, and that’s where our CASS Lab comes in,” Mike Commito, director of Cambrian R&D, said in an April 4 news release.
“It’s a game-changer for the region.”
Of the cost, FedNor and NOHFC each provided $887,000, with Cambrian covering the remaining 10 per cent.
The project is part of Cambrian’s Research Capacity Development Project, which to date has received $2.5 million in federal funding and $2 million from the provincial government.
“Students who use the lab will gain valuable experience and networking opportunities that we know leads to future employment,” said Shawn Poland, Cambrian’s interim president.
“Faculty and our research team benefit by broadening their skills and experiences while staying current with the latest trends and technologies. Thank you to FedNor and NOHFC, and our local representatives for supporting this project.”
