Chairholders
Profile
Suresh Narine
Departments of Physics and Astronomy, and Chemistry
Trent University
Chair title
NSERC/GFO/ERS Industrial Research Chair in Lipid Derived Biomaterials
Chair program
Industrial Research Chairs program
Role
Senior Chairholder since 2010
Summary
Trent University has established the multi-disciplinary "Trent Biomaterials Research Program," directed by Professor Suresh Narine, which focuses on research in fundamental and applied areas central to the development of biomaterials from lipid sources. The Trent Biomaterials Research Program has, as its fulcrum, the NSERC/OSG/ERS Industrial Research Chair in Lipid Derived Biomaterials, held by Dr. Narine, who also holds the Ontario Research Chair in Green Chemistry and Engineering. The industrial partners for the NSERC/OSG/ERS Industrial Research Chair in Lipid Derived Biomaterials, the Grain Farmers of Ontario, and Elevance Renewable Sciences Inc., together, represent a vertical integration of industries involved in the production, processing, and conversion of vegetable oils into high value materials—both edible and industrial. The program has, as its broad focus, the employment of synthetic organic chemistry, materials physics and polymer physics so as to identify, separate and/or modify native lipid molecular ensembles so that unique supramolecular and microstructural arrangements can be built; in turn, defining unique materials with novel physical and chemical properties. The multidisciplinary program focuses on end market utilizations such as functional polymers, lubricants and specialty waxes, and healthful edible materials.
The nexus of urgency created by diverse global concerns related to the environment, climate change, commercial sustainability, renewability of feedstock and health concerns, create powerful social and economic drivers for such research. Some of the larger global issues, which will be addressed in part by this research are:
- the need to reduce CO2 emissions and restore balance to the carbon cycle. Using renewable resources to manufacture biomaterials is an effective method of moving towards carbon balance, replacing fossil oil and designing product life cycles which are carbon-neutral and environmentally responsible.
- the need to reduce toxins that are potentially harmful to humans. Many potential biomaterial products are non-toxic and can be designed to be non-toxic.
- providing technologies, processes and metrics to drive the bioeconomy. As the end of oil becomes an increasingly imminent threat to the sustainability of our way of life and access to modern materials, the production of replacement materials from renewable, biological sources offers a sustainable alternative.
The Chairholder comes from a multidisciplinary academic background in physics, chemistry and food science, with an experience base in lipids from both academia and industry. The Ontario Soybean Growers, now part of the larger Grain Farmers of Ontario, represent some 23,000 Ontario soybean farmers who produce approximately 2.4 million acres of soybeans annually. They are heavily focussed on creating new markets for soybeans through innovation and exploitation of the emerging bioeconomy. Elevance Renewable Sciences Inc. is focussed on the transformation of vegetable oils into a wide range of cost-effective and performance-advantaged specialty chemicals for application across multiple, high-growth product categories.
Partners
- Elevance Renewable Sciences, Inc.
- Ontario Soybean Growers et Grain Farmers of Ontario
Contact information
Departments of Physics and Astronomy, and Chemistry
Trent University
1600 West Bank Drive
Peterborough, Ontario
K9J 7B8
Tel.: 705-748-1011, ext. 6105
Fax: 705-750-2786
Email: sureshnarine@trentu.ca
Website:
http://www.trentu.ca/biomaterials
