January 2009

l’actualité chimique canadienne canadian chemical news ACCN

january| janvier • 2009 • Vol. 61, No./n o 1

®

for SustainaBility

novel approaches to drug screening and tailored therapy

A Publication of the Chemical Institute of Canada and Constituent Societies / Une publication de l’institut de chimie du canada et ses sociétés constituantes

Contents

January| Janvier • 2009 • Vol. 61, No./n o 1

7 Feature

20

22

14

Compiled by Chris Rogers

Articles

Departments 4 6

Guest Column Chroniqueur invité

By Richard Paton

News Nouvelles

Q & A with Brian Wastle Vice President of Responsible­Care at CCPA

16

Engaging Responsible Care

18

A Strong Commitment NOVA Chemicals and Responsible Care

By Lisa Labelle

11

Industrial Briefs

12

Chemfusion

20

Why Buy Professional Liability Insurance?

28

Recognition reconnaissance

30

22

Events Événements

Genomic approaches to screening and target discovery

31

58th CSChe conference 58e congrès de la SCGCh

34

careers carrières

By Joe Schwarcz, MCIC

By George Mihalovich

By Michelle D. Brazas

24

Fibre Reinforced Concrete A New Horizon in Composite Material

By Samir Sanyal

www.accn.ca

ACCN

Guest Column Chroniqueur invité

Executive Director/Directeur général Roland Andersson, MCIC Editor/Rédactrice en chef Terri Pavelic Staff Writer/rédacteur Chris Rogers

Innovation critical to our sustainable future Chemical companies are making a renewed commitment to doing the right thing

By Richard Paton

Contributing writers/collaborateurs Lisa Labelle George Mihalovich Michelle D. Brazas Samir Sanyal Graphic Designer/Infographiste Krista Leroux Communications manager/ Directrice des communications Lucie Frigon Marketing Manager/ Directrice du marketing Bernadette Dacey

T

wenty five years ago, when the leaders of the Canadian Chemical Producers’ Association (CCPA) member companies pioneered Responsible Care®, they saw a need for a radical shift in the ethic—or belief system—of the chemical industry. Their “licence to operate” was in real and present danger of being revoked if they continued to evoke public distrust and fear.

Company lawyers were initially aghast at the leaders’ commitment to this ethic of “do the right thing, and be seen to do the right thing,” guided by principles of openness, public accountability, precaution, lifecycle stewardship, exceeding requirements, and constructively engaging in public policy advancement with governments and critics.

This was pretty revolutionary stuff for the 1980s in Canada, and unthinkable in many other countries. Amazingly, the Responsible Care ethic prevailed, and has since spread to the chemical industry in 53 countries and has in many ways become the new norm.

Another radical shift has recently occurred, with a collective rethinking of many everyday practices­taken for granted. From what we buy to how we travel and what governments we choose at the ballot box, questions of sustainability are front and centre in the minds of Canadians.

This shift led the current leaders of the Canadian chemical industry to wonder if the Responsible Care ethic they subscribed to needed to move to even higher ground. Was Responsible Care up to the task of guiding the chemical industry to adequately address society’s increasingly dominant concerns such as health, climate change, water supply, and globalization? Do we need to rethink how we can be contributors to sustainability rather than its enemies—innovative providers of solutions rather than compounders of problems?

The answer to this last question was a resounding “yes” when after several soul-searching meetings­ in the past year involving chemical producers, a panel of activists, as well as sustainability experts, CCPA concluded that Responsible Care had to evolve to better address environmental­, social, and economic sustainability.

Responsible Care was reviewed and updated with a new ethic and principles that directly address this new triple imperative.

The viability of the Canadian industry not only rests on its ability to be environmentally responsible­, but also economically sustainable. In the past decade, investments have significantly shifted to the Middle East, India, and China, and chemical imports to Canada and the U.S. from these regions are growing at the expense of domestic production. What’s more, public policy does not always encourage new investments here.

These are daunting challenges where a new approach to Responsible Care based on sustainability­ could help find innovative ways of meeting these challenges and turning them into opportunities. These innovations will not only turn environmental problems into economic opportunities­, but also provide some of the solutions to the world’s biggest challenges. ACCN Richard Paton is president of the Canadian Chemical Producers’ Association

Awards and Local Sections Manager/ Directrice des prix et des sections locales Gale Thirlwall Editorial Board/Conseil de rédaction Joe Schwarcz, MCIC, chair/président Cathleen Crudden, MCIC John Margeson, MCIC Milena Sejnoha, MCIC Bernard West, MCIC Editorial Office/ Bureau de la rédaction 130, rue Slater Street, Suite/bureau 550 Ottawa, ON K1P 6E2 613-232-6252 • Fax/Téléc. 613-232-5862 editorial@accn.ca • www.accn.ca Advertising/Publicité advertising@accn.ca Subscription Rates/Tarifs d’abonnement Non CIC members/Non-membres de l’ICC : in/au Canada CAN$60; outside/à l’extérieur du Canada US$60. Single copy/Un exemplaire CAN$10 or US$10.

L’Actualité chimique canadienne/Canadian Chemical News (ACCN) is published 10 times a year by the Chemical Institute of Canada / est publié 10 fois par année par l’Institut de chimie du Canada. www.cheminst.ca.

Recommended by the Chemical Institute of Canada, the Canadian Society for Chemistry, the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering, and the Canadian Society for Chemical Technology.

Views expressed do not necessarily represent the official position of the Institute or of the societies that recommend the magazine.

Recommandé par l’Institut de chimie du Canada, la Société canadienne de chimie, la Société canadienne de génie chimique et la Société canadienne de technologie chimique.

Les opinions exprimées ne reflètent pas nécessairement la position officielle de l’Institut ou des sociétés qui soutiennent le magazine.

Change of Address/ Changement d’adresse circulation@cheminst.ca Printed in Canada by Gilmore Printing Services Inc. and postage paid in Ottawa, ON./ Imprimé au Canada par Gilmore Printing Services Inc. et port payé à Ottawa, ON. Publications Mail Agreement Number/ No de convention de la Poste-publications : 40021620. (USPS# 0007-718) Indexed in the Canadian Business Index and available on-line in the Canadian Business and Current Affairs database. / Répertorié dans la Canadian Business Index et accessible en ligne dans la banque de données Canadian Business and Current Affairs.

ISSN 0823-5228

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www.accn.ca

january 2009 Canadian Chemical News  5

News Nouvelles

U of T scientists show climate change effecting molecular structure of soil A group of environmental chemists at University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) have published research showing global warming actually changes the molecular structure of organic matter in soil. The study was published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Canadians win Rosell Probiotic Challenge Jean-Francois Daudelin and Stéphanie-Anne Girard won first and second place respectively at the Rosell Probiotic Challenge in Québec in November 2008.

The challenge is open to university students in North and South America and aims to encourage awareness and education regarding probiotics.

Daudelin’s project was overseen by Martin Lessard from Agriculture Canada at the

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SFU uses regular CD drive for medical tests

Warming temperatures are expected to speed up the natural process of decomposition of soil organic matter which provides plants and microbes with the energy source and water they need to grow. Carbon is released into the atmosphere as a by-product of the process. Soil organic matter is what makes dirt fertile and able to support life, which is important for agriculture. Organic matter is also responsible for water retention in soil, which prevents erosion.

“Soil contains more than twice the amount of carbon than does the atmosphere, yet, until now, scientists haven’t examined this significant carbon pool closely,” said Myrna J. Simpson, principal investigator and associate professor of environmental chemistry at UTSC. “Through our research, we’ve sought to determine what soils are made up of at the molecular level and whether this composition will change in a warmer­ world.”

From a chemical perspective, soil is very difficult to analyze because of its many components including, bacteria, fungi, and an array of fresh, partially degraded, or old plant material. The team of chemists gained the detailed view of soil’s molecular makeup by using Canada’s only nuclear magnetic resonance facility specifically dedicated to environmental research.

“From the perspective of agriculture, we can’t afford to lose carbon from the soil because it will change soil fertility and enhance erosion,” said Simpson. “Alternatively, consider all the carbon locked up in permafrost in the Arctic. We also need to understand what will happen to the stored carbon when microbes become more active under warmer­ temperatures.”

Hogan Yu, an associate professor of chemistry at Simon Fraser University (SFU), Lily Ou, a graduate student, and Yunchao Li, a postdoctoral researcher, have developed a digital readout protocol for screening microscale medical tests prepared on a regular CD/DVD with a normal CD/DVD drive. Their research was covered in the November 2008 issue of both Analytical Chemistry of the American Chemical Society and Nature.

Using mild chemical reactive agents, the science trio bound tiny synthetic probing molecules to a regular CD/DVD disc, without changing its surface properties, something previous researchers had been unable to do. Because the captured molecules were too small to generate enough scattered light to be detected by a CD/ DVD player’s optical reader, the team surrounded the molecules with larger metal particles that they had grown. The particles acted as amplifiers.

“Micro lab technology is a powerful tool for the high-throughput analysis of specific interactions between biological marcomolecules, such as DNA, proteins, and carbohydrates,” explains Yu. “It’s commonly used in gene profiling, clinical diagnosis, vaccine development, and drug discovery. The ability to carry out these applications on a regular CD/DVD player would make them doable in doctors’ offices and at home, rather than in labs and hospitals. Patients who face lengthy waits to get preliminary diagnostic tests for complex diseases such as cancer and HIV could eventually carry them out at home.”

The next challenge for Yu will be to figure out how to use liquid biomedical samples in CD/DVD drives.

University of Toronto

Simon Fraser University

Université de Sherbrooke, and John M. Fairbrother and éric Nadeau from the Université de Montréal. The project aimed at evaluating the potential and mode of action of probiotics bacteria and yeast in the prevention of enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) infection in piglets.

Piglet infection post-weaning is an important financial burden in pig farming. Also, a massive use of antibiotics in animal production has been implicated in the emergence of antibiotic resistant pathogens, an important public health concern.

Girard researched the effects of a probiotic preparation (Probio’Stick™, Institut RosellLallemand) in an animal model of myocardial

infraction, a field of study never before investigated with probiotics. The probiotic formulation was shown to diminish apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in certain parts of the brain (the limbic system). It was hypothesized that this effect was linked to the probiotic’s impact on the inflammatory balance. Since the limbic system is implicated in emotions such as depression, this probiotic could potentially diminish postmyocardial infraction depression, opening the way to new directions of research for probiotics­.

Institut Rosell

News Nouvelles

KGK screening vitamin D levels of Toronto residents KGK Synergize Inc., a contract research organization, teamed with Toronto Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group to sponsor a screening study to evaluate the vitamin D

Dow Corning reducing waste at its facilities Dow Corning announced that it has made significant progress in waste reduction. They have made a cut of 80 percent in process scrap at one of its manufacturing sites.

The company has achieved the results as part of its materials conversion program, which converts or recycles its waste, scrap, and off-spec silicone materials instead of sending them to landfill or incineration. This allows Dow to reuse the products and process them into new products.

status of volunteers from Toronto, ON. A total of 189 people participated in the screening, which is the largest, to date, one-time cohort of subjects in North America that have been screened for vitamin D levels in their blood.

“Vitamin D deficiency is a worldwide health problem, especially for populations at higher latitudes where sun exposure is at a minimum.

Toronto is one such northern location, where, to our knowledge, vitamin D status has not

In North America Dow has made several significant steps to reducing its waste. In Midland, MI, it has reduced consumption of natural gas and carbon dioxide emissions by burning hydrogen. Dow has reduced the amount of solvent used in a coating process at the same plant by recycling the solvent instead of sending it to an offsite disposal facility.

Dow has also reduced emissions of greenhouse gases through energy reduction at its Carrolton, KY, plant. The projects at the plant have contributed to a 19,800 tonne-per-year reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

been specifically evaluated,” said Mark Moyad, director of preventative and alternative medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center. “Further, the data linking certain cancers, such as prostate cancer, to vitamin D levels can be strengthened by the addition of more data.”

KGK is currently analyzing the results in their laboratory.

KGK Synergize

ACCN

Recherchés

articles en français! editorial@accn.ca

Dow Corning

january 2009 Canadian Chemical News 7

News Nouvelles

U of T chemistry professor wins international prize

NRC joins global science gateway The NRC has joined an international alliance established to oversee access to global research information. The initiative works through the WorldWideScience.org web site.

“Canada is proud to be one of the 11 founding members,” said NRC president Pierre Coulombe. “By providing access to the most recent scientific and technical information to people everywhere, the WorldWideScience

Dow and PIC of Kuwait Launch K-Dow The Dow Chemical Company (Dow) and Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC), a subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, have signed a joint venture formation agreement related to the formation of K-Dow Petrochemicals. K-Dow will be the leading global supplier of petrochemicals and plastics.

K-Dow began operations earlier this month.

K-Dow will supply essential petrochemicals and plastics, manufacture and market polyethylene­, ethyleneamines, ethanolamines, polypropylene, and polycarbonate, and license polyprolylene technology and marketrelated catalysts.

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initiative will help accelerate discovery and progress in all corners of the globe.”

On June 12, 2008, officials from 38 countries met in Seoul, Korea, to sign the founding document for WorldWideScience Alliance.

Canada was represented by the NRC Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information. The Web site provides anyone with access to free real-time searches of national scientific databases such as the NRC’s and Canadian Agriculture Library collections.

NRC

This is not the first 50:50 joint venture for Dow and PIC. Two of their other ventures, MEGlobal, a world leader in ethylene glycol, and Equipolymers, a supplier of PET resins, will be moved into K-Dow. “The signing of these documents is the critical step in the formation of K-Dow, which will immediately become a leading petrochemicals supplier globally,” said Andrew N. Liveris, Dow chairman and chief executive officer.

“The formation of K-Dow Petrochemicals will be a critical milestone is Dow’s transformation into an earnings growth company.”

Dow Chemical Company

Eugenia Kumacheva, the Canada Research Chair in advanced polymer materials and professor in the department of chemistry at the University of Toronto (U of T), has won the L’Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science prize.

The theme for this year’s awards was “physical sciences.” The prize is awarded to five recipients each year (one recipient from each continent), but this is the first time a Canadian has been given the distinction.

Kumacheva has been recognized for her work in designing and developing new materials with many applications that include targeted drug delivery for cancer treatments and materials for high density optical data storage.

Kumacheva’s research involves her working with the sub-structures of polymer particles to create new materials with unique properties.

The applications of her work are numerous.

Among the many examples are polymer thin films that can be used to encrypt identification documents such as passports, foiling fraud and offering a potentially speedy alternative to waiting in long security checkpoint or government lines.

Kumacheva’s research group has also created inexpensive water-based semiconductor nanoparticles capable of boosting light in the infrared spectrum—thereby improving the precision of night vision technology. She also developed polymer particles that deliver drugs to a specific diseased site and release them on demand. Most recently, Kumacheva has been involved in collaborative work on the fabrication of patterned polymer surfaces for the controlled renewal and differentiation of stem cells.

“This marks the first occasion that a Canadian has received this award,” said Kumacheva. “I am thrilled.”

“As a L’Oréal-UNESCO laureate, Kumacheva joins some of the most extraordinary female scientists in the world,” said Scott Mabury, MCIC, chair of the Department of Chemistry at U of T. University of Toronto

Send the latest news to

editorial@accn.ca.

january 2009 Canadian Chemical News  9

News Nouvelles

Enbridge and EnviroCentre warming up Ottawa homes In a project supported by the Ontario provincial government, Enbridge and EnviroCentre will be joining forces to retrofit 150 homes owned by Ottawa Community Housing.

The project is expected to save approximately 1,000 cubic meters of natural gas per

CropLife Canada wants official scientific criteria developed CropLife Canada wants the government of Ontario to defer consultations on draft regulations to ban the sale and use of some pesticides until government officials develop scientific criteria for Ontarians to comment on.

“We support the elimination of inappropriate pesticide use. What we don’t

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house, and cut total carbon dioxide emissions by 300 tonnes each year.

“This good news is just the beginning and not the end of this story. I hope there will be more initiatives like this, not only in my constituency but in every other community across Ontario,” said the Hon. Madeleine Meilleur, Minister of Community and Social Services.

The basements of the homes being retrofitted are being upgraded from an insulation value of R-zero to R-12. The attics of the homes are being upgraded from less than R-30 to over R-50.

“We’re very pleased that the provincial government is supporting initiatives that improve the energy efficiency of the public housing infrastructure,” said Steve Koch, chair of EnviroCentre. “They are the perfect way to reduce the carbon footprint of older buildings.

Everyone benefits—residents, taxpayers, and the environment.”

EnviroCentre is the City of Ottawa’s nonprofit partner for delivering energy efficiency services.

Enbridge and EnviroCentre

support is a set of regulations that leaves important questions about scientific criteria unanswered,” said Lorne Hepworth, president of CropLife Canada.

“People have a right to expect that the laws governing the products on store shelves will have a solid, scientific foundation,” Hepworth said.

CropLife is concerned that without scientific criteria Ontarians would not know: why a specific product can—or cannot— be used or sold in Ontario; what criteria will be used to determine how current and future products will be approved; why home

landscapes­—grass, trees, shrubs, flowers, fruit and vegetable gardens—appear to be defined as cosmetic and not worthy of protection.

CropLife Canada

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View ACCN back issues at

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News Nouvelles

IndustrialBriefs GeneNews Limited, a company focused on developing a blood-based biomarker test for the early detection of diseases and personalized health management, announces the formation of a Canadian Colorectal Cancer Advisory Board. Lawrence Cohen, Jeffrey Baker, Khursheed JeeJeebhoy, Andy Smith, and Barry Stein will advise GeneNews on clinical and patient adoption strategies for the Canadian commercialization of ColonSentry™, the world’s first blood-based screening test to determine a person’s current risk for colorectal cancer. iCo Therapeutics Inc. reports that oral administration of iCo-009, iCo’s oral formulation of Amphotericin B, displays a dramatic knock-down of a parasitic infection that causes Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL). The studies were undertaken at an independent research laboratory in the U.S. with significant experience with VL animal models. Dosages of 10mg/kg and 20mg/kg of iCo-009 were tested. In both cases, iCo-009 resulted in greater than 99% eradication of parasitic infection.

Ged McLean, president of Angstrom Power (front), with D. Leznoff, MCIC, Z.G. Ye, MCIC, and G. Leach, MCIC (back, left to right), executive members of the Vancouver­ CIC Local Section.

A Bright Micro-HydrogenPowered Future Highlighted at Vancouver CIC Dinner Meeting On November 18, members of the Vancouver CIC Local Section held their annual dinner meeting. After enjoying a buffet dinner at the Simon Fraser University Diamond Centre and seeing the CIC 2nd and 3rd Year Awards in Chemistry presentation (see page 29), over 60 members were treated to an informative, entertaining, and broad-minded lecture by Ged McLean, founder, president and CTO of Angstrom Power Inc., a Vancouver-based company spearheading micro-fuel cell technology. In his talk entitled Recent Advances in Micro Hydrogen Technology, McLean described how handheld technologies were converging (e.g. Did you know that Nokia makes the most digital cameras in the world?) and driving the need for small super-batteries. He then presented the concept of a micro-fuel cell, pioneered by Angstrom Power as an innovative solution towards small super-batteries. McLean described the basics of fuel cells and deconstructed the challenges of miniaturizing technology previously targeted towards the automotive industry to power, for example, a cell phone. How to keep the cells cool?

How to remove the water that is formed? How to store the hydrogen gas fuel safely? He took the audience through the design, engineering, and even regulatory challenges in this exciting, fast-moving technology. The attendees were thus treated to a rare glimpse of how to marry fundamental chemistry and engineering with the requirements of industry. The lecture concluded with a question-and-answer session which included the factors affecting choice of metal hydride storage and prospect for the future of micro hydrogen technology, which appears very bright.

Daniel Leznoff, MCIC Vancouver CIC Local Section chair

Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund , which operates a diversified business

providing industrial chemicals and services, announces that it has entered into an agreement with Rhodia Inc. for spent acid regeneration services to cover the Beaumont plant startup period. The agreement provides further assurance to Chemtrade’s customers that Chemtrade will continue to deliver critical spent acid regeneration services while the repairs and startup of Chemtrade’s Beaumont plant are being completed.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) reports that large deal announcements and

aggressive activity during the third quarter of 2008 propelled the global chemicals industry to new mergers and acquisitions levels. The report shows a total of 27 deals (with a disclosed value of at least $50 million) were announced during the third quarter, bringing the total amount of chemical deals to 71 through the first three quarters of 2008. In addition to these deals, six large deal announcements (worth more than $1 billion) were announced in the third quarter of 2008.

Three research projects undertaken by Genome BC aim to tackle specific challenges­within BC’s fisheries and aquaculture industry. The research could mean significant environmental and economic benefits for fisheries management and the health of our oceans. The research will provide scientific data to inform Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s fisheries management decisions and support the long-term sustainability of aquatic resources in BC at a time when the health of Canada’s oceans is being affected by pollution, disease, development, and climate change.

Terasen Energy Services signs an agreement with The Beedie Group to

design, build, and manage an alternative district energy system. “The district energy system will reduce the demand on the province’s electricity grid, and could displace up to 8,200 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year—the equivalent of removing more than 2,500 cars from the road,” said Gareth Jones, Terasen Energy Services VP and general manager.

The Standards Council of Canada (SCC), a Crown corporation with the mandate

to promote efficient and effective standardization in Canada, announces the reappointment of Hugh Krentz as chairperson of the SCC for a one-year term.

Krentz has served on the SCC since 1977 and has been chairperson since 2001.

Krentz has a degree in civil engineering from the University of Manitoba and was elected a fellow of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering in 1984 and 1988 respectively.

january 2009 Canadian Chemical News 11

Chemfusion Joe Schwarcz, MCIC

Cherry-Picking Data

F

unny, some of the memories you have of your youth, like climbing cherry trees. We had some magnificent ones in our back yard in Hungary and I have fond recollections of pleasant hours spent climbing and picking. I think my mother’s memories were not quite so fond, focusing more on neck-breaking than cherry-picking. The usual procedure was to climb, pick, and then go through the fruit, one by one, selecting only the ripest and most attractive cherries for the serving bowl. Since we didn’t use any pesticides in those days, mildew and insect damage were common. But of course, once the perfect cherries were served at the dinner table, a guest could easily have concluded that all the cherries on the tree were delectable. They would have been wrong.

What brings up these childhood memories now? Some recent encounters with cherry picking. This time, though, it isn’t trees that are being picked, it is data. And there are many pickers. Environmentalists, industry representatives, activists of all sorts, and even government officials are in on the harvest. At issue is highlighting, or “cherry picking,” data that supports a particular position, usually a controversial one, while ignoring relevant contradictory evidence. Of course, these days there is no lack of scientific controversies.

Concerns over the safety of plastic components, cosmetic ingredients, medications, pesticides, genetically modified organisms, cell phones, microwave ovens, drinking water, and food are very much in the public eye. People search for guidance in tackling these issues,

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and they look for dispassionate, unbiased answers. In theory, that is just what scientific research should be able to deliver.

In the best of all possible worlds, scientists would all be competent, they would have no preconceived biases, would not be driven by monetary gain, would have access to plentiful funding from unbiased sources, and would have their egos safely tucked away.

Alas, we do not live in Utopia. Indeed, the only uncontestable remark that can be made about current scientific research is that it is plentiful. Actually, that is an understatement.

Its sheer volume is mind-boggling. Thousands of peer-reviewed research papers are published every week, obviously not all of equal quality.

Contradictory findings are not uncommon, even in the absence of any bias. As a result, scientific publications can be found to support almost any point of view. You just have to be prepared to do a little cherry picking.

If you want to “prove” that the pesticide DDT was responsible for an increase in breast cancer on New York’s Long Island, you can certainly find peer reviewed publications to back up the claim. But you can also “prove” the opposite by pointing at a seven-year long federally funded study that showed no such effect. Studies can be found linking bisphenol A with developmental problems in rodents but the literature also reveals plenty of studies absolving the chemical of blame. Antioxidant supplements are effective in warding off disease according to some studies, and useless according to others. This doesn’t mean that any of the studies are wrong, it just highlights the difficulty of obtaining conclusive results when many variables are involved. That’s just the nature of science.

But science gets short-shifted, and the public ends up being misled when data are presented selectively to support an agenda.

And when the stakes are high, this is almost inevitable. Unfortunately, at McGill’s Office for Science and Society, we witness this on a daily basis as we try to make heads or tails of scientific controversies. Some public spirited group will get on its high horse and claim, with supporting studies, that one or another chemical in our environment is wreaking havoc with our health. Industry then responds by circling its wagons and trotting out contradictory studies. Both sides sound convincing.

Governments get involved, but any action has to take both activist and corporate sensitivities into account. There is name-calling a plenty on all sides, with the combatants attempting to out-muscle each other by enlisting reputable

scientists to further their cause. These scientists may be hired directly by the organizations involved, they may have connections through sponsored research, or they may just support a certain view out of conviction. Each of these scenarios raises concerns.

Working directly for a vested interest is not conducive to objectivity. There is plenty of historical evidence for scientific philandering in, for example, the tobacco, asbestos, chemical, pharmaceutical, and dietary supplement industries. Either the risks of the products are downplayed, or the benefits overplayed, which can readily be done by referring to the literature selectively. “Environmentalists” have also been known to play the same game. And much too often, the response to an unfavourable study is an attempt to discredit the research by searching for methodological flaws, instead of scrutinizing the work objectively.

With cutbacks to government sponsored research, scientists are increasingly looking to industry for grants. Although it is nonsensical to dismiss a study just because it may have been sponsored, there is clear evidence that such studies are more likely to favour industry than studies that are totally independent. On occasion, even independent researchers may be so convinced of the merits of their pet view that they become self-delusional and ignore any contrary evidence.

Science should of course be objective and pristine. Let the data rule! All the data! But teasing out a sound scientific conclusion from the overwhelming amount of information available today is a daunting task. It requires detachment from any vested interest, expertise in evaluating the quality of studies and recognition of the fact that experimental results can be misinterpreted or purposefully twisted.

Take for example the claim by a plastic bag manufacturer that bags responsibly disposed of in a landfill minimize global warming by performing a carbon sequestration function.

The implication is that if the petroleum used to make the bag had instead been burned for fuel, it would have contributed to global warming.

I suppose that is true, but it is playing a little loose with the facts. Talk about cherry picking data! But I suppose this is reality. Life isn’t a bowl of cherries. ACCN Joe Schwarcz, MCIC, is the director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society. He hosts the Dr. Joe Show on Montréal’s radio station CJAD and Toronto’s CFRB. The broadcast is available at www.CJAD.com.

QA &

Q & A with

Brian Wastle

Vice President of Responsible Care at CCPA Compiled by Chris Rogers

I

n the last year, Responsible Care® has undergone a dramatic shift in its core principles in order to keep it relevant. ACCN spoke with Brian Wastle, vice president of Responsible Care at the Canadian­ Chemical Producers Association (CCPA). Wastle provided clear insight into the reasons behind making the shift in principles, and what they will mean for chemical producers in the future.

Q: What sparked the development of next‑generation Responsible Care? Why make changes?

A: After 20 years of success, if it ain’t broke, why fix it? It took us all by surprise, but a year ago in June 2007, at a regular board meeting where we do our strategic planning, we had laid out a roadmap of things we were going to do over the next three years as an association and spontaneously, a number of board members said: no [to the plans].

The next three years are going to bring critical changes in public expectations of the chemical industry and more importantly, concerns with chemicals in products (this is even before the bisphenol-A issue in baby bottles, but there were similar issues with low levels of chemicals in products), the climate change issue, and were we, under Responsible Care, truly driving as aggressively as we needed to?

The idea that our old Responsible Care guidelines were still largely around doing less and less harm, creating fewer emissions and waste, and reducing injuries and accidents in the workplace. What we should be doing is driving, with Responsible Care, our industry to innovate to provide solutions and to improve people’s lives and the environment.

That is a phrase that popped up spontaneously. We should be about

Responsible Care cannot simply be seen as addressing the old issues improvement, not just doing less harm. We are the magic people that manipulate molecules and have caused many wonders to happen, whether it is medicine, plastics, or any number of things that have brought great benefit. But the challenges, whether it is clean water, feeding the planet, climate change, the expectation of the public is that if we are not part of the solution, we are going to be seen as a continuing part of the problem. So it was that kind of feeling that maybe we were being left behind by the drivers of public expectations.

Responsible Care cannot simply be seen as addressing the old issues, and most importantly, many of our own member companies were saying yes, we do Responsible Care, it is how we run a safer, cleaner plant but things we do for society that are good, we do under the banner of sustainability and social responsibility outside of Responsible Care. The [CCPA] board said, that’s wrong, this is exactly what

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Responsible Care should be addressing. So, [with that came the] idea that we needed to significantly modify the scope of Responsible Care and obviously the tools we use to manage at the company level and at the association.

Q: What has been the evolution of Responsible Care and what will Responsible Care look like in the next year?

A: One year later we had talked to our critics, our national advisory panel of critics, our member companies, people in government, and people in the chemical industry elsewhere in the world, and we said: we’re thinking this way, what do you think? Everybody cheered us on.

That laid the groundwork for the principles, and then the next job was to define, by October (2008), what else was going to have to change. Principles are nice but we have current codes of practice, we have verification processes, we have performance measurements, should all things change to drive this new world vision? And the answer in October was, YES! Now we have until next October (2009) to make all that happen. We’ve already had our first meetings of what we’re calling the code builders: 16 people within and outside our membership, who will come up with three brand new codes that will replace the existing six. They will contain all the elements that need to be retained from the original six but also add on those additional elements from the new principles that are not reflected in the old code.

There is an accountability code, to pick up all those aspects of corporate behaviour that relate to accountability to local communities, governments, other stake holders, shareholders and peers in the industry. An operations code that will cover basically what is in our current manufacturing code and maybe some of what is in our R&D code about laboratories, but add in codes around those new principles of improving people’s lives and the environment and what does that mean from an operations point-of-view? Finally, a stewardship code which will pick up all the elements of our existing distribution code, our R&D code, about what kind of products do you make in the first place, transportation code about how do you steward your products along the highway and rail-lines, but get right down the value chain.

That’s our job right now, to flesh out those three new codes with a mixture of concepts from the old codes and brand new concepts.

Q: What is the most significant change made to Responsible Care?

A: I think it is the concept of moving away from simply doing less harm, to improving people’s lives and the environment and to driving this kind of change that is going to be the biggest challenge, but also having the biggest payoff. Some of our companies have seized on that and said: YES! This is how we are going to define our business­

plans for the future. It is a merging of the concepts of, obviously, you cannot cause harm, but you should be driven by making products that are improving people’s lives and improving the environment. That is going to be radically new thinking for a lot of new business directors and product developers with people looking at their current processes.

Others would say it will be the concept of taking preventative action; sort of the precautionary principle. Others, in their business might say it is stewardship and security of our products and processes with our business partners. A few companies have said that the biggest change is that we have clearly brought corporate social responsibility under the Responsible Care umbrella, for some companies that will be something remarkably different because they have not seen those aspects of social responsibility as part of Responsible Care.

It will vary from company to company but I think an aggregate across the industry will be this concept of true innovation to rethink the products we make, where we sell them and those ideas of improving.

Q: How receptive have CCPA member companies been to the next generation guidelines?

A: Amazingly positive! Everyone has in the back of their minds that we’re doing this at a time when were entering a global recession and investment in the chemical industry is stampeding towards China and the Middle East, but it is more the feeling that this could be what saves us. We could come up with the unique investment in Canada by making these unique products and processes. Everybody is very mindful that resources are going to be lower than they have ever been within our companies and within the association. All our dollar resources are contingent on the selling price of the products our companies make, and that is going down so our dollar resources to staff and do things like this are limited, and one would think that that group of pragmatic business people, engineers and others would say that what are we thinking? We are just in pure survival mode. But they are not. They are saying that it will be a challenge but we have to do it.

I asked for volunteers to give up their time to help in the writing of these new codes, which is going to take a lot of time in this next year, and I spontaneously got 18 people! These are senior level people who said, I’ve got to be part of that, I’ll find the time somewhere, count me in. It has been very inspiring.

Q: How would next generation Responsible Care affect a regular chemist working at a member company?

A:

It will take time to get our arms around that; roll it out so that companies can explain it to their own people. Or even chemists in the academic sector can internalize it; it is going to take some time. Right now, it is a set of principles and in an ideal world you would say to every chemist: is what you’re doing with your test tubes truly driven by the concept of improving people’s lives and the environment? Or, is it simply to save costs and make more money for your company or to increase the efficiency of an existing process? You would like to think that it would be at the chemist level and the chemical engineer level, regardless of where they are working, where this would take root. Then you would have a grass roots process taking place.

It would be wonderful if these principles would inspire people to think what does this mean to me? Nobody, for a little while at least, is going to hand it to them on a platter and say, this is what you are going to be doing differently.

But we are going to have to come at it from a senior management leadership level to drive this forward, as any change process that has been successful has had real leadership from the top, but it also must resonate with everyone in the organization. For [everyone] to say, this is so right, and hold management up to the challenge.

Q: How are the Responsible Care guidelines enforced?

A: It starts with the signature, each and every year, by the CEO or the most senior executive of a company. [By signing they are] saying, I am absolutely certain that my company lives by these principles and is meeting the current codes. It is a personal commitment. Accountability begins with that annual re-commitment from the senior executives and the idea that, if something goes wrong, and it turns out that people in the company were not committed to the principles I wouldn’t want to be that person.

Then, in the management systems that are expected within member companies, they have to have their own accountability drivers, the plando-check-act, of a management system. Within a company, after you’ve got the commitment from the person at the top, you have a sense of what you want to accomplish, the next step in a management system, which must be robust to be a Responsible Care company, is the planning and the doing step where you assign responsibility and build it into performance reviews. In most of our organizations­there is a formalized review

process every year and built into that is what you are expected to achieve over the next year. Every employee needs to be accountable for certain aspects of Responsible Care and will be judged by and rewarded for if they do it right.

Every company must have an internal auditing process. They can bring in an outside company, but they need to have a system that will catch a slip if it is made.

Every three years, the CCPA, creates a team of critics form outside the industry, experts from outside our current membership that go in and verify, from the CEO right down to the shop floor that, indeed, all of the guidelines are being followed. There must be a robust accountability system built into the management system of the company, the ethic is understood, from the receptionist, to the head of the accounting department, to the drivers, to the VP of finance, they are all touched by the Responsible Care guidelines. That is what the verifiers look for and they write a public report on [their findings]. At the association level, that is our way of verification and if a company that fails to live up consistently and demonstrates that they are not going to correct any deficiencies, they will be asked to leave the association.

Q: How do you see member companies running with the principle of being accountable and responsible to the public?

A:

It is not much of a change for the local communities because since 1989 when the codes were finalized, the public around the facilities have had the right to know who you are, what you do, and the worst case scenario.

If all your safeguard systems failed, how bad would it get? You have to go out and tell the community that. Then, as part of the dialogue process, find out the concerns of the community and respond to those concerns. That has been going on in all our plant communities.

What will change more profoundly are things like consumer products that may contain amounts of materials from some of our members, and we have already had discussions with some of the downstream associations, the people that make the fragrances, soaps and other products about how we ensure that the consumer is informed about these chemicals, even though Health Canada has ruled that they are at a safe level. The consumer has a right to know and we look at how to do that. Is it more stringent product labeling, or point-of-sale placarding? That dialogue has already started to take place driven by the new principles. ACCN january 2009 Canadian Chemical News 15

Engaging Responsible Care

By Lisa Labelle

T

wenty-five years ago, Canadian Chemical Producers’ Association (CCPA) member companies, including Shell Chemicals in Canada, began their Responsible Care® journey. Amazingly this ethic has shaped business performance, and has guided the chemical industry in Canada and in over 50 countries around the world.

However, as with any journey, the path to meeting societal expectations has taken twists and turns to remain responsive to increasing concerns about issues such as toxins, climate change and the industry’s ecological footprint.

“Current industry leaders came to realize the Responsible Care ethic needed rethinking to ensure the principles remained relevant and could help guide the industry’s future approaches to sustainability,” said Derric Ostapyk, head of Shell’s Canadian chemicals business and a member of CCPA’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors.

After much deliberation involving the board, activist panel, various committees and members as well as sustainability experts, the CCPA announced the integration of sustainability principles into their Responsible Care initiative in June 2008. The new ethics are guided not by legalities but by a conscious decision-driven process to ‘do the right thing and be seen doing the right thing’.

Said Ostapyk, “endorsement of these principles is key to our business success and we’re committed to incorporating and communicating the new concepts within our organization.”

Already, Shell Chemicals Canada is sending a strong message about the importance of the new principles. Ostapyk and other leaders know the importance of leading by example. Management was front and centre during launch events for staff in Calgary and at Shell’s Scotford Complex near Edmonton earlier this fall.

Involvement was encouraged and presenters invited people to think of future challenges and opportunities for the company and for industry. Although the ethics encompass elements Shell has focused on for the past few years, the events sought to clarify the new changes and to further integrate Responsible Care into Shell’s operating culture.

And this won’t be the last time leaders channel Shell’s message, as sustainable development is a mindset that guides all business decisions no matter how large or small.

“This is really a journey,” said Ostapyk. “We have to ensure our people understand the importance of Responsible Care to get hearts and minds on board. And that will require ongoing dialogue and a sustained effort to keep people engaged and to drive behavioural change.”

Locally, Responsible Care encourages employees of Shell in Canada to strive for even better performance and makes Shell’s commitment to sustainability more tangible and credible to stakeholders. The initiative

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Shell employees collaborate on Responsible Care.

is widely embraced across Shell’s Canadian chemicals business after decades of work to instil the values. As an early adopter of the Responsible Care program, Shell’s Canadian chemicals business clearly has a role to play in helping share best practices.

“Shell Chemicals always had a unique set of ethics,” said Greg MacDonald, coordinator of Shell’s Canadian Responsible Care initiative. “Lots of companies are moving in the direction of Responsible Care, and as an industry leader, we offer guidance and resources for those who want to start a foundation for Responsible Care.”

Current industry leaders came to realize the Responsible Care ethic needed rethinking to ensure the principles remained relevant and could help guide the industry’s future approaches to sustainability Shell Chemicals companies are committed to going beyond prior accomplishments, to achieve even higher standards of performance, whether by increasing communication with stakeholders or working with governments and other stakeholders as a trusted advisor on new regulations.

“These new principles will challenge us to be innovative and discover new ways to maximize the benefits of chemistry while responding to the issues that concern our own stakeholders,” said MacDonald.

As the fundamental architecture of Responsible Care does not change, the principles must constantly grow to meet our ever-changing social expectations. Over the next three years much work will take place to ensure policies, codes and processes are in line with the principles.

Adoption of the new ethic will not happen overnight and the process will continue to evolve over time in a phased approach to allow companies to adapt these to suit their needs and realities. Key to this effort is visible leadership and a strong approach to keep Responsible Care as well-understood, relevant and embraced today as in the past. ACCN Lisa Labelle works in Shell’s Downstream Communications Department.

ON-LINE SERVICES We want to help simplify your busy schedule with our on‑line services, restricted to members only.

Ensure­ your current e-mail address has been entered on your “Profile” page.

• Renew your CIC membership­for 2009 on-line • Update your own person­al­­ profile • Perform an on-line membership­search

To access on-line renewal and member services, go to https://secure.cheminst.ca/default.asp. For the protection of your personal information, the on-line membership­services are restricted to CIC members only, and you will be asked to log on your own personal secure account with a username and password.

The “username” is composed of the first letter of your first name and the five (or less for short surnames) first letters of your surname. The middle name is not used (e.g. “John A. Dalton” would become: jdalto).

The “password” is your CIC membership reference number­, which you can find written on all correspondence from the CIC, including your membership card (e.g. 223 or 27890). Once you have logged on the first time, you will be required­to change your password to something other than your membership number. If you forget your password­, you have the option to request your password to be reset to your membership number.

If you experience any difficulty, call CIC Membership Services­at our toll-free number 1-888-542-2242, ext. 230, or e-mail membership@cheminst.ca.

The CIC values your privacy and encourages membership­ networking.

january 2009 Canadian Chemical News 17

All NOVA Chemicals manufacturing sites routinely conduct environmental testing, including water quality monitoring.

A Strong Commitment

NOVA Chemicals and Responsible CarE By George Mihalovich

R

esponsible Care® is the foundation of NOVA Chemicals’ culture, and implementing its principles is the best way to ensure the operation of a continuously improving, socially responsible, and sustainable business. NOVA Chemicals’ approach to managing health, safety, security, environmental protection, and sustainability is implemented primarily through Responsible Care. NOVA Chemicals was a charter member of Responsible Care when it was introduced more than 20 years ago, and the company’s commitment to its principles has never been stronger.

As Responsible Care progressed, it provided the framework to address the larger issues of social responsibility and sustainability. These concepts have become increasingly important and through its membership with the Canadian Chemical Producers’ Association (CCPA), NOVA Chemicals actively supported and participated in the development of the new Responsible Care ethic and principles for sustainability.

NOVA Chemicals has a leadership role in the revision of the Codes of Practice, intended to provide guidance to the chemical industry on how to implement the new principles. The company also collaborates with its chemical industry peers to learn how to practically, efficiently and economically implement the new principles.

As the CCPA continues to refine its approach and implement requirements based on the new sustainability principles, NOVA Chemicals will align these requirements into its current programs and processes.

Employee and Community Education and Outreach NOVA Chemicals encourages its employees to be involved in the implementation of the new Responsible Care ethic and principles, as well as to act as ambassadors for the chemical industry by promoting the principles with external audiences.

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At the same time, it is important that community members understand NOVA Chemicals’ sustainable practices and ongoing efforts to continually improve in this area. Through community advisory panels and similar efforts, NOVA Chemicals maintains open dialogues with local communities and residents, works to inform them of progress on sustainable initiatives and related issues and makes concerted efforts to understand and respond to their concerns.

Product Stewardship NOVA Chemicals invests in the improvement of existing products and the development of new products that meet the needs of its customers while providing benefits to the environment and society.

The focus of the company’s product stewardship program is to make health, safety and environmental protection an integral part of the development­, manufacturing, handling, use, and disposal of chemical and polymer products.

NOVA Chemicals encourages its customers, suppliers and carriers to adopt Responsible Care principles through its Responsible Care Outreach Program. This program helps these stakeholders understand the program’s principles and outlines the expectations for conducting business with NOVA Chemicals.

Environment NOVA Chemicals believes that GHG emissions and air quality are important public policy issues and require the involvement of all stakeholders. To this end, the company works co-operatively with others in the industry, multi-stakeholder groups, communities, and governments to develop and implement effective solutions.

NOVA Chemicals continually works with North American federal, provincial, and state governments to encourage environmental regulations that are economically sustainable and support the development of transformational technology that can be shared globally.

NOVA Chemicals has been actively working to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity since 1990. Direct GHG emissions intensity was reduced by more than 13 percent from 2003 to 2007, and the company anticipates an overall GHG emissions intensity reduction of 20 percent in the 2000–2010 timeframe.

Process Safety Management The core of NOVA Chemicals’ advocacy for improving process safety management and the implementation of process safety metrics is active participation on work committees led by the Center for Chemical Process Safety, the American Chemistry Council and the CCPA. Process fire prevention is an area of particular focus at NOVA Chemicals and its approach is viewed as an industry best practice. As a result of these efforts, in 2007, process fires were reduced to their lowest level since NOVA Chemicals started collecting this data. NOVA Chemicals actively shares information about process fires and their prevention with peer companies, and encourages the development of industry standard definitions and methodologies to broaden the use of this approach.

Emergency Preparedness and Security Each of NOVA Chemicals’ facilities is ready to respond to crisis situations in order to protect their workers, the community, and the environment. NOVA Chemicals believes that proactive involvement and planning with regional support services plays an important role in protecting employees, communities, and operations and the company continually re-evaluates and tests its security through drills with community emergency responders.

NOVA Chemicals fully supports the CCPA, the American Chemistry Council and peer member companies as they work to ensure that Responsible Care continues to meet the needs of society. To learn more about NOVA Chemicals’ Responsible Care efforts, please visit www.novachemicals.com. ACCN

2009 SCI Canada Annual Awards Ceremony and Dinner The Canadian section of the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) will confer four awards in recognition of major achievement­in service, industry, and leadership at the 2009 SCI Canada Annual Awards Ceremony and Dinner.

“These awards acknowledge outstanding contributions to development and implementation of strategies that have resulted in the strengthening­of Canadian industry, academic­, or research institutions in the field of chemistry.”

Graham Knowles SCI Awards Chair GKCI President The event will be held on Thursday, March 26, 2009, at the Sheraton Centre­Toronto Hotel, 123 Queen Street West, Toronto­, ON. To register, please visit www.cheminst.ca/sci_awards.

For more information, please contact scidinner@cheminst.ca or call Michelle­ Moulton at 613-232-6252 ext. 229.

George Mihalovich works in Responsible Care Communications at NOVA Chemicals.

january 2009 Canadian Chemical News 19

Why Buy Professional Liability Insurance?

I

ssues arising from professional liability are of great concern today.

There was a time when the professional (or quasi-professional) was not a target for lawsuits; clients would never have considered bringing an action against a professional, not even in instances where negligence or errors were obvious.

Times have changed. Today, the public and our legal system, expect more and are much more inclined to initiate a lawsuit. When adjudicating cases, the courts have based their judgements on an increasingly higher standard of care and responsibility. The ever-increasing levels of education, training, experience and reputation of professionals have led the courts and the public to expect service which is superior than the average person. This expectation can be overwhelming.

Why have public attitudes changed towards professionals? There are a number of causal factors. Part of the answer is that the public has become more informed of its legal and contractual rights, and, rightly or wrongly, has been led to believe that a legal action may be initiated from any turn of events that was not an expected outcome by the client.

In addition, the media has brought to public attention the litigious climate of our modern society. Many legal actions have been sensationalized in the press. Lawyers have become much more aggressive in the demands for compensation, seeking ever larger and more extensive settlements.

Another reason why public attitudes have changed is because the relationships professionals have had with their clients have evolved.

Traditionally, the connection between the professional and the client was much more personalized than it is today. In the past, clients’ trust and confidence in the professional was absolute. Our changing society and financial constraints felt by many clients have heightened their awareness and increased the professional’s accountability to the client.

Professional liability insurance is one form of protection for professionals and for their clients. Coverage will shield personal assets and will help maintain a good reputation through the defence of allegations of wrongdoing, which might be frivolous or false. For the client who has

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suffered some damages through the actions of a professional, liability insurance will ensure that there are adequate funds available to make amends for the wrong that has been done.

A professional liability policy covers errors, omissions, or negligent acts that may arise from the normal or usual duties carried out by the insured.

When the professional is an employee of a firm, the firm, as the employer, is responsible for the actions of the employee. However, a court of law may find a professional personally responsible for an incident that occurred due to an error, omission, or negligent act committed by the professional as an individual. To date, we know of no such situation ever occurring, however, it is our opinion that given the behaviour of the courts in recent times, one may be made personally accountable.

In another scenario, the employed professional may offer a professional opinion or “moonlight” professional services on his or her own time. In this case, the professional would be personally responsible for any consequence of these actions. It is highly probable that the policy of the employer does not provide coverage for the liability exposures of the moonlighter. This of course is likely the case for academics.

Even if a professional is covered through their employer’s insurance, it is important to assess whether that coverage is indeed sufficient to meet the settlement of a claim in which the professional was co-defendant. Otherwise the personal assets of the professional could be at risk.

The difference in limits between the employer’s insurance policy and the professional’s policy is available to cover any shortfalls in these instances. A professional liability policy offers the insured peace of mind by knowing that he or she has independent coverage and by knowing what limits of that coverage are available.

When claims do occur, the professional’s decision to have obtained professional liability coverage will remove the financial consequence of a legal action and provide him or her with a solid, reputable insurer upon whom he or she may rely in full confidence. ACCN

What if...

A small firm calls a scientist for advice on the use and disposal of a small amount of waste solvent. The scientist gives advice on what is described over the phone and the company follows the instructions.

The resulting disposal goes awry because some thiol is also present in the waste solvent. This is believed to be a gas leak, several blocks are emptied, businesses are disrupted and the fire department is called in. The fire department serves a hefty fine on the company. The company turns to the scientist for compensation.

A chemist who works for a consulting company has a client who needs a filter device for removing an emulsified oil from water. The chemist provides a well-proven technology developed by an international company. Tests were conducted to verify the technology and an engineer was contracted to develop the simple filter system. In the end, the engineer was not competent enough. The client was very unhappy and feels the technology was not as presented initially by the chemist. The client is taking the consulting company to court for compensation. Who is potentially liable?

Looking for the right job? www.chemjobs.ca

These stories are based on real events. We have omitted names of organizations and individuals.

Chemical Institute of Canada

Genomic approaches to screening and target discovery

Genomic Identification of Novel Targets

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Drug/ Control Disease Query Signature





Expression Analysis

 Expression Signature

1. Potential drug 2. Disease state

➥

The human genome sequence1 and the HapMap project2 for instance, have provided the resources for genome wide association (GWA) analysis and have thus led to the discovery of several potential new drug targets for therapy. GWA studies examine genetic variation across the human genome and are designed to identify those genetic variations associated with the disease under investigation. Genetic variation or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for large groups of people with and without the disease are examined. SNPs found to be “associated” with the disease act as markers pointing to the region of the genome where the disease-causing gene(s) resides. In many instances, GWA studies have pointed to regions of the genome and genes not previously thought to play a role in these diseases. Analyses by the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC) for example, found a powerful association between chromosome 9p21.3 and coronary artery disease (CAD), an association not previously identified in other CAD studies. 3 This region contains the coding sequence for two cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, CDKN2A and CDKN2B, which play an important role in the

regulation of the cell cycle and have been implicated in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, as well as for MTAP, a methylthioadenosine phosphorylase enzyme important in polyamine metabolism and the salvage of adenine and methionine. Further research is required to determine how these genes contribute to CAD and their diagnostic and/or therapeutic potential.

Even more interesting have been GWA findings that associate more than one disease with a particular genomic region. Type II diabetes (T2D) and CAD for example, have both been linked to the same chromosomal 9p21.3 region although different SNPs are associated with each disease.3 This finding is particularly intriguing given that T2D is a known risk factor for CAD. Other diseases linked to the same genomic region include prostate and colon cancer both found to be associated with variants in chromosome 8q24,4 and three autoimmune diseases, type I diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease, which not only all link to the same chromosome 18p11 region, but their genetic variants in this region all map to the same gene, PTPN2, protein tyrosine



W

ith recent advances in high-throughput sequencing and other genomic technologies such as microarrays, scientists today are able to conduct research at an unprecedented scale, generating an incredible volume of genomic and accompanying biological data. These new technologies are being applied by international consortiums of scientists, for example, to interrogate complex systems such as the human microbiome (NIH Human Microbiome Project) and the cancer genome (e.g. International Cancer Genomics Consortium, www.icgc.org). In parallel, new tools in statistics and bioinformatics are emerging that not only facilitate storage, comparison and analysis of the data from these technologies, but also enable research­ scientists to integrate other large and disparate datasets such as proteome, metabolome and phenotypic data. Armed with new data and tools that enable visualization of common genetic patterns exhibited between diseases and elucidation of the biological pathways affected by genetic alterations, research scientists are not only uncovering new drug targets, but are also making interesting observations for novel approaches­to drug screening and tailored therapy.

By Michelle D. Brazas

Database of Expression Signature

Retrieve similar expression signatures: 1. To learn class, target and mechanism 2. To find potential therapies that reverse disease signature

Figure 1. Cells are treated with molecular compounds or contain genetic alterations­ representative of a disease. Gene expression analysis yields expression signatures­, which are stored in a database. A query signature from an unknown compound or a disease state requiring treatment could be compared to the database­to search for signatures, which are similar to the unknown compound or which reverse­the disease signature, respectively.

phosphatase non-receptor type 2 involved in immune regulation.3 Thus, genomic studies are revealing important information about the biological­pathways­involved in common complex diseases and highlighting new candidate genes for therapeutic consideration.

Genomic Screening for New Therapies Even though information gained from genomic studies is providing biological insight on novel targets for the detection and treatment of diseases, often the targets are difficult and their genetic associations only partially explain the incident rate of the complex disease.

Many known targets in complex diseases for example, are not amenable to conventional small molecule screening approaches. Furthermore, unlike genetic diseases attributable to mutations at a single gene, like mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) that cause cystic fibrosis, complex diseases such as cancer likely develop from a combination of genetic alterations and the environment. As such, complex diseases often pose a challenge to treat because they do not fit the current therapeutic practice whereby a single molecule acts at a single target. While combination therapy for complex diseases is often successful, often the strategy for establishing a combination therapy is to combine agents already existing as standards of care in the clinic, rather than rationally screening for combinations of compounds with complimentary mechanisms of action or activity.

Innovative applications of genomic techniques however are creating new methods for drug screening. Recent research has shown that it is possible to use messenger RNA (mRNA) expression signatures as the endpoint in a drug screen as an alternative to activity at a specific protein target. In 2006, Golub and colleagues published their ‘Connectivity Map’, which describes a database of gene expression signatures to connect small molecules, genes and disease.5 Since gene expression experiments measure the biological response of an organism at the whole genome level to a disease state or treatment regime, the authors hypothesized that creation of a database of expression signatures of cells to various drug stimuli or disease states could be used in drug screening. Thus, a researcher studying a potential drug candidate could compare its signature to the database and find patterns similar to the unknown drug candidate, thereby gaining knowledge about target, mechanism or information on drug class (Figure 1). Similarly, a researcher studying a disease state in need of a therapy to reverse

the disease pattern could compare its signature to the database and find patterns for potential therapies that would reverse the disease pattern (Figure 1). Analogous work has been proposed for microorganisms and the discovery of novel antibiotics or the prediction of resistance mechanisms that elicit expression patterns similar to known antibiotics.6 Several recent studies in cancer have proven the usefulness of this screening approach. Work

by Wei et al. used gene expression patterns to identify that rapamycin in combination with glucocorticoids could be used successfully in cancer treatment to combat glucocorticoid resistance.7 In childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), resistance to glucocorticoids (which induce leukemia cell death or apoptosis) and high levels of expression of the anti-apoptotic MCL1, are predictive of a poor prognosis.

Wei et al. set out to identify compounds with

often the targets are difficult and their genetic associations only partially explain the incident rate of the complex disease the potential to re-sensitize glucocorticoid resistant cells by comparing the gene expression signature from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells sensitive to treatment with glucocorticoid to a database of drug treatment gene expression profiles. Profiles for compounds that overlapped with their profile for glucocorticoid sensitive ALL cells were selected for further examination. The database profile for rapamycin was found to match the expression signature of glucocorticoid sensitive ALL cells.

Treatment of glucocorticoid resistant ALL cells with rapamycin was subsequently found to re-sensitize the cells to glucocorticoid induced apoptosis through modulation of the anti-apoptotic MLC1. Similar strategies have been used to screen signatures of FDA-approved compounds for ability to diminish EWS/FLI oncoprotein abundance and thus tumor growth in Ewing sarcoma,8 as well as to identify compounds that inhibit activation of the ERK pathway, which is often up-regulated in human tumours.9 Thus screening cells for genomic signatures rather than target activity as demonstrated, can be used to identify novel therapies for diseases

affected by a combination of genetic alterations or for diseases with difficult targets.

In summary, genomics is making significant contributions to the field of drug discovery.

By applying genomic techniques and technologies to drug discovery, scientists now have additional tools to identify novel therapeutic targets, as well as additional screening methods to identify lead compounds. Integration of genomic approaches offers the potential to fundamentally change the pace and effectiveness of drug discovery.

References 1. Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome. Nature 431 (7011), 931 (2004).

2. The International HapMap Project. Nature 426 (6968), 789 (2003).

3. Genome-wide association study of 14,000 cases of seven common diseases and 3,000 shared controls. Nature 447 (7145), 661 (2007).

4. Yeager, M. et al., Comprehensive resequence analysis of a 136 kb region of human chromosome 8q24 associated with prostate and colon cancers. Hum Genet 124 (2), 161 (2008).

5. Lamb, J. et al., The Connectivity Map: using gene-expression signatures to connect small molecules, genes, and disease. Science 313 (5795), 1929 (2006).

6. Brazas, M. D. and Hancock, R. E., Using microarray gene signatures to elucidate mechanisms of antibiotic action and resistance­. Drug Discov Today 10 (18), 1245 (2005).

7. Wei, G. et al., Gene expression-based chemical genomics identifies rapamycin as a modulator of MCL1 and glucocorticoid resistance. Cancer Cell 10 (4), 331 (2006).

8. Stegmaier, K. et al., Signature-based small molecule screening identifies cytosine arabinoside as an EWS/FLI modulator in Ewing sarcoma. PLoS Med 4 (4), e122 (2007).

9. Antipova, A. A., Stockwell, B. R., and Golub, T. R., Gene expression-based screening for inhibitors of PDGFR signaling. Genome Biol 9 (3), R47 (2008). ACCN Michelle D. Brazas is manager of bioinformatic education programs and a research associate at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research. She manages the Canadian Bioinformatic Workshop series, which offers two-day advanced training courses in genomics and other bioinformatic topics. Her research interests include uncovering the link between microorganisms and cancer through genomics.

january 2009 Canadian Chemical News 23

Fibre Reinforced

Co ncrete A New

ial

r e t a M e it s o p m Horizon in Co

By Samir Sanyal

Introduction

R

einforcing brittle material like dried mud or mortars with different kinds of fibrous materials has been practiced over millennia.

In the modern world we see widespread application of straw, as a reinforcer of sun-baked bricks while horsehair was the fibrous reinforcer of choice for masonry mortars at one time.

When a cement-based matrix is blended with either short discrete fibres or continuous long filaments, it yields what is termed as highperformance fibre-reinforced concrete (HPFRC). Since its introduction, HPFRC has already covered a niche in the field of composite materials as result of its superior performance.

Civil and materials engineers have been looking closely for viable alternatives to steel and alloys to stem the sky-rocketing cost of maintenance of corroded and damaged structures caused by weathering and high usage. It has been estimated that the cost for maintenance, retrofitting

24 L’Actualité chimique canadienne

janvier 2009

and rehabilitating­of existing infrastructure worldwide can be anywhere in the range of $900 billion. Thus, it is no surprise that cement, concrete, and other engineering matrix have seen inclusions of synthetic and natural fibres as reinforcing material in varying extents for more than 40 years

Civil and materials engineers have been looking closely for viable alternatives to steel and alloys now. Remarkable improvements in elastic modulus, tensile strength, crack resistance, crack control, durability, fatigue resistance, impact resistance, abrasion resistance etc., resulted in HPFRC material, which arrived as a boon to overcome the drawbacks of steel-reinforced concrete. Over this

Table 1. Various Synthetic Fibres and Some of their Properties Fibre Type Equivalent. Specific Tensile Elastic Ultimate

Diameter, gravity Strength ksi modulus ksi elongation (%)

Water absorption per ASTM D570 % by wtw

Acrylic

0.5–4.1

1.16–1.18 39–145

2000–2800 7.5–50

1.0–2.5

Aramid

0.47

1.44

4 25

9000

4.4

4.3

Carbon√ PAN, HM 0.30

1.6–1.7

360– 440

55,100

0.5–0.7

Nil

Do, HT

0.35

1.6–1.7

500–580

33,400

1.0–1.5

Nil

Nylon***

0.90

1.14

140

750

20

2.8–5.0

Polyester

0.78

1.34–1.39 33–160

2500

12–150

0.4

Polyethylene***

1.0–40.0

0.92– 0.96 11–85

725

3–80

Nil

0.90–0.91 20–100

500 –700

15

Nil

Polypropylene*** -

√ PAN base High Modulus • *** Data for fibres available commercially for FRC • 1ksi = 6.895 MPa

short time-span, fibre-reinforced concrete has proved its worth as an economic and useful construction material for its ease of application. The application areas are slabs or grades, mining, tunneling or excavation support, etc.

Also, in recent years, fibre composite materials have been increasingly considered for structural load bearing applications by the construction industry as a viable and competitive option for rehabilitation and retrofit of civil structures.

Synthetic Fibre Types in HPFRC Varied types of synthetic fibres apart from steel have found their way in forming HPFRC. Acrylic, aramid, carbon, nylon, polyester, polyethylene, and polypropylene have been successfully employed as reinforcing material in concrete. Table 1 below reproduces a few selected properties of some synthetic fibres.

In the early days of HPFRC, synthetic fibres monofilaments were used thus reflecting the size and shape of steel and glass employed in concrete those days. A blast-resistant structure designed (ca. 1965) had synthetic fibres of 13–25 mm length with a fibre aspect ratio (ratio of length to diameter) of 50-100. A very important inference drawn was that a small volume addition of synthetic fibre, viz., 0.5 percent in concrete yielded a composite material with higher level of ductility and impact resistance.

These days, fibres of finer deniers and higher aspect ratio are being deployed effectively and this has permitted additions in the range of 1/5 of what has been applied earlier.

Evolving Technology In the new areas of applications, properties like toughness index and fatigue strength amongst others have important bearings.

While higher fibre contents are beneficial other important fibre characteristics like fibre

length and configuration should be considered in designing a composite concrete having certain specific properties. The work of ACI Committee 549 is a good guide to ascertain the technology using synthetic fibres in layered meshes in concrete. There is a lot of data available on its technology, its applications, properties etc. However, design methods for particular application with low percentages of synthetic fibre have not yet been developed.

Acceptance criteria are prescribed in the ASTM Standard Specification C1116.

Some reports have said that in mature concrete the improvements in compressive strengths, splitting tensile strength, and flexural strength are not really significant when synthetic fibres have been applied in low volume (0.1–0.2). Yet, in its early phase, when the concrete is weak, brittle and has low modulus, an addition of synthetic fibres brings about notable improvements in these areas.

Fatigue Strength and Endurance Limit Fatigue strength is defined as the maximum flexural stress at which the beam can withstand two million cycles of non-reversed fatigue loading. Endurance limit of concrete is defined as the flexural fatigue stress at which the beam can withstand two million cycles of non-reversed fatigue loading expressed as a percentage of modulus of rupture of plain concrete. In a number of end-uses, notably, pavements, bridge-deck overlays, full depth pavements, industrial floors and off-shore structures flexural fatigue strength and endurance limits are characteristics of much significance in designing these items.

Inclusion of polypropylene fibres (0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 percent) in concrete has been shown to significantly benefit both flexural strength and endurance limit. As with steel

FRC, an improved static flexural strength can be detected in polypropylene reinforced concrete on being subjected to fatigue loading.

A different study though points out the improvement to be marginal.

Compressive Strength Data indicates that compressive strength characteristics of fibre-reinforced concrete do not differ significantly from plain concrete. The type of matrix used, i.e. whether it is mortar or concrete, and the magnitude of compressive load are the most important determinants of the final compressive strength of the fibrereinforced concrete. Steel fibres in the shape of hook were found to have affected a much larger increase in compressive strength than straight steel fibres or glass or polypropylene fibre. A different study, however, indicated decrease in compressive strength of short fibre reinforced concrete (1.8 and 3.05 percent) though the decrease was attributed to the entrapped air pockets in the concrete.

Flexure Generally, there are a number of factors that have a bearing on the flexural strength aspects of fibre reinforced concrete. These are: a. type of fibre, b. fibre length (L) and aspect ratio (L/df) where df is the diameter of the fibre, c. volume fraction of fibre (Vf), d. fibre orientation and fibre shape, e. fibre

Over this short timespan, fibre-reinforced concrete has proved its worth as an economic and useful construction material for its ewase of application bend characteristics (fibre deformation).

Again, factors influencing workability of fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) e.g., water-cement ratio, density, air content, etc., could also play important role in determining final flexural strength. Thus, a play of these factors would determine the resulting flexural strength of the FRC, which could be smaller or larger than its first cracking strength. The ultimate flexural

january 2009 Canadian Chemical News 25

strength of FRC generally increases with fibre reinforcing index, which is defined as the product of fibre volume fraction and aspect ratio (Vf L/df).

Based on this, Shah and Rangan proposed the following general equation for predicting the ultimate flexural strength of the fibre composite: Fcc= A fm (1-Vf)+ B (VfL/df) where Fcc = Ultimate strength of fibre composite

Chang Challenges for a

ing World

8th World Congress of Chemical Engineering­(WCCE8) is being held in Montréal,

The

QC, August

23–27, 2009. The congress theme is “Chal-

lenges for a Changing World,” and our Canadian team has put together

A, B = Constant to be determined experimentally fm = Maximum strength of plain matrix (mortar or concrete) For plain concrete A=1, B=0, B accounts for the bond strength of fibre and A fibre distribution.

It was demonstrated that for FRC the first cracking strength increased by 15–90 percent and static flexural strength increased by 15–29 percent.

Addition of hooked fibres was found to be beneficial while straight fibres provided little benefit.

an exciting program with help from our internationa­l colleagues.

Tensile and Splitting Tensile Strength

The Call for Papers opened on June 16, 2008 and will close January 12, 2009.

Papers can be sent through Hermes Conference Centre via the WCCE8 Web site. Details are available at www.wcce8.org/call_for_

papers_instructions.html.

The Congress program will include plenary sessions, oral and poster presentations, student programs and a full social program. A partial list of plenary speakers includes experts such as Shell Global Solutions president Greg Lewin; Yale University­ professor Mark Saltzman; and professor Gerhard Kreysa, president of DECHEMA. Major themes for WCCE8 are in place and the following topics will be explored: energy; green processing; new materials and processes; biotechnology; contemporary topics in chemical engineering; and chemical engineering and society.

WCCE8 will also be featuring a program designed for industrial engineers­.

Examples of industrially-oriented topics that will be of special interest to engineers working in industry include: financing industrial research and development; process intensification for sustainable manufacturing­; XTL (X to Liquid); and process safety and loss management.

You can view the full technical and industrial­programs at

www.wcce8.org or sign up to receive more information on the congress at www.wcce8.org/onlineform.html.

Montréal is a scenic and vibrant multi-cultural city with a European­

Fibres in continuous or discontinuous form as a reinforcement has been seen to endow FRC with a real and significant improvement in the tensile properties when compared to the unreinforced matrix.

Most reports in the field of FRC derive tensile properties of the composites indirectly on the basis on flexural tests or split cylinder tests. This is because as of today, standardization of test specimen samples is a deficiency waiting to be addressed. Thus, the data obtained so far cannot be meaningfully compared. On the other hand, the interpretation of tensile response of FRC composites lends itself to major difficulties as the postcracking behaviour is dominated by the observations of the widening of a single major crack. FRC composite material behaves as elastic material before cracking and stress-strain curve resembles closely that of unreinforced matrix. After cracking and bridging the cracked surface, the fibres tend to pull out of the matrix under load resulting in a sudden change in the load-elongation or stress-strain curve.

Shear Strength The relatively few investigations have, in general, pointed out an improvement in shear strength and ductility of concretes. There have been reports of replacements of stirrups as shear reinforcements by steel fibre reinforced concrete.

flavor, and is renowned for its cultural and artistic life with remarkable­ restaurants and an excellent hotel network. Montréal is easy to reach by air with direct flights from the U.S.A., Latin America, and Europe, and from Asia through the Vancouver and Toronto hubs.

We look forward to receiving your paper and seeing you in Montréal in 2009.

rs e p a P r Ca l l f o



Januar y 12, 2009 26 L’Actualité chimique canadienne

janvier 2009

Conclusion Presently, quite a range of FRC products is available in the market and this is a strong evidence of its technical viability as well as its economics.

However, a lot of our present-day knowledge about this composite is yet to be translated into practice and ultimately to the application areas.

Of late, it has been noticed that there is a surge in the use of discontinuous or staple synthetic fibres, notably, carbon, polypropylene and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in the fabrication of FRC. This speaks volumes of the fact that the use of these fibres gives a boost to the economics of the FRC and also a lot of desirable properties.

It is quite encouraging to find that blending synthetic fibres (within the limits used) with concrete gives rise to very well-controlled plastic shrinkage for the FRC. This area has a big impact since an addition of the right amount of synthetic fibre to the concrete would enable the control of development of plastic shrinkage cracking occurring within 24 hours of

placement because of drying, environment and other factors.

At relatively, high fibre content, 1–2 percent, the strength and toughness of concrete increases admirably, but addition at this level has to be optimized taking other factors into consideration. At this optimized level, the FRC can crack but would not collapse. To optimize a fibre type for application, a parameter such as bond strength between fibre type and concrete needs to be taken into consideration.

It is known that FRCs obtained by using different types of fibres at increasing addition levels and of different aspect ratios yield various combinations of properties.

Here, the question is, “how much extra are

In the new areas of applications, properties like toughness index and fatigue strength amongst others have important bearings we willing to pay?” Still, with this question of cost around us, we find that FRCs is used increasingly because they offer many innovative solutions to a number of problems. As an example, the fibre-reinforced concrete is very well suited in a reinforced concrete beamcolumn connection designed for earthquakes as these can be designed to maximize energy absorption and minimize failure. There is no need to use FRC in the whole structure but simply where we need these.

However, the cost factor again comes into play, as fibre cost is on an average three times more than reinforcing steel. Users can use two percent reinforcing steel and do as well but there are situations where one cannot use steel bars. For example, where there are usages of ½” thick sheets the use of FRCs can be the choice in spite of the cost. They can very well replace asbestos-cement cladding materials and cement boards while imparting better strength, toughness and impact properties. ACCN

Chemical Institute­ of Canada

CIC can help with your career!

Being a member of one of the CIC Societies­has its advantages during uncertain times: • If you lose your job, and have been a full-fee member for at least one year, the CIC will waive your membership fees. This option is available for up to two years; • Unemployed members can attend the annual­ CSC or CSChE conferences at the same price as an undergraduate student. They can stay informed on what’s going on in the scientific community­ and participate in career­-building­ events; • Local Section activities are valuable networking­ opportunities­. Most positions are not advertised­; • Take advantages of our range of Career Services.

See details­ at

www.cheminst.ca/careers.

Samir Sanyal is an industrial consultant in polymer, dyestuff and pigments and biomass to energy. He is also an ISO 9000 and TQM specialist. He works out of Calgary, AB.

january 2009 Canadian Chemical News 27

Recognition reconnaissance On December 12, 2008, Richard J. Puddephatt, OC, FCIC, was named an Officer of the Order of Canada. Internationally recognized for his research in organometallic chemistry, Puddephatt is a distinguished university professor at The University of Western Ontario and former holder of a Canada research chair in material synthesis. Over the past three decades, he has been studying the fundamental chemistry of gold and other precious metals in the development of new materials for potential applications in health care and electronics.

Moreover, he has served with distinction in many professional organizations, including as chair of the CIC, and has been a mentor to countless young scientists. The Order of Canada, our country’s highest civilian honour, was created in 1967 during Canada’s centennial year to recognize a lifetime of outstanding achievement, dedication to community and service to the nation. Over the last 40 years, more than 5,000 people from all sectors of society have been invested into the Order.

Student Chapter Merit Awards Prix du mérite des chapitres étudiants Terms of Reference

Mandat

The Student Chapter Merit Awards are offered as a means of recognizing and encouraging­ initiative and originality in Student Chapter programming in the areas of chemistry, chemical technology and chemical­ engineering.

Les prix du mérite des chapitres étudiants sont offerts pour reconnaître et encourager l’esprit d’initiative et la créativité des chapitres­étudiants, que ce soit dans les domaines de la chimie, du génie chimique ou de la technologie­chimique.

Deadlines

Dates d’échéance

• April 2 for Canadian Society for Chemistry • April 2 for Canadian Society for Chemical­ Technology • June 1 for Canadian Society for Chemical­ Engineering

• Le 2 avril pour la Société canadienne de chimie • Le 2 avril pour la Société canadienne de technologie chimique • Le 1er juin pour la Société canadienne de génie chimique

Awards L’ U n i v e r s i t é d e Montréal est fière d’annoncer la venue au Département de chimie de Dean MacNeil, MCIC, en qualité de professeur adjoint. M. MacNeil a Dean MacNeil, MCIC reçu son Ph.D. en chimie des matériaux de la Dalhousie University sous la direction de Jeff Dahn, puis a effectué des études post-doctorales à la University of Toronto sous la direction de Edward Sargent. Il possède aussi quatre ans d’expérience industrielle au Duracell Advanced Technology Center (Cambridge, É.-U.). Ses intérêts en recherche portent sur le stockage et la conversion de l’énergie. Sa venue à l’Université de Montréal a été rendue possible grâce à l’obtention d’une chaire industrielle du CRSNG appuyée par la société Phostech Lithium de Saint-Bruno (Québec). Cette dernière produit des matériaux d’électrode pour les batteries, en particulier du phosphate de fer-lithium, et est depuis peu associée à la compagnie allemande Sud-Chemie.

Nomination The Chapter should prepare its own nomination­and provide an electronic report that includes: • indication of both scientific and social events over the entire 12-month period; • elaboration on what are considered the most important activities; • chapter statistics, including the total number­of active members; • level of participation and interest in each activity; and • photos or other material may be included.

Submit nominations electronically: For CSC and CSChE: Student Affairs and Career Services Coordinator at acampbell@cheminst.ca For CSCT: Awards and Local Sections Manager at gthirlwall@cheminst.ca

In Memoriam

Les prix Les prix seront constitués d’une plaque pour le chapitre gagnant et d’épinglettes pour les membres de la direction du chapitre étudiant.

De plus, les comités de sélection décerneront, s’il y a lieu, des mentions honorables aux autres chapitres étudiants.

Mise en candidature Le chapitre étudiant devrait présenter sa propre candidature et fournir un rapport électronique comprenant les éléments suivants : • les événements à caractère scientifique et social qui se sont tenus au cours de la période de 12 mois; • présenter de façon détaillée les événements­ considérés les plus importants; • les données statistiques du chapitre, y compris le nombre de membres actifs; • le niveau d’intérêt et de participation pour chaque activité; • photos ou tout autre matériel jugé utile.

Envoyez votre mise en candidature : Pour la SCC et la SCGCh : à l'agente des service d'emploi et des affaires étudiantes à acampbell@cheminst.ca Pour la SCTC : à la directrice des prix et des sections locales de l’ICC à gthirlwall@cheminst.ca

The CIC extends its condolences to the families of: Geoffrey Hunter, FCIC John H. Woodley, MCIC

28 L’Actualité chimique canadienne

The awards consist of an engraved plaque for the winning Chapter and lapel pins for executive members of the Chapter. Also, where appropriate, Honourable Mentions may be given to other Student Chapters by the Selection Committees.

janvier 2009

Recognition reconnaissance

Awards Presented to Top Vancouver Region Chemistry Students

Network with fellow science and engineering professionals.

Exchange cutting-edge information.

Participate in the enhancement of your profession.

Winners of the CIC 2nd and 3rd Year Achievement Awards in Chemistry and the CSC Silver Medal were presented with their prizes by Daniel Leznoff, MCIC, (far back) Vancouver CIC Section chair.

T

he CIC Awards in Chemistry for 2006–2007 and 2007–2008 were recently presented at the annual dinner meeting of the Vancouver CIC Local Section, to honour top chemistry students and promote chemical education at public post-secondary institutions that teach chemistry or chemical technology within the Vancouver Local Section. The 3rd Year Awards were presented to the top students in 3rd year chemistry at Simon Fraser University (SFU) and The University of British Columbia (UBC). The 2007 awardees are Justin Shewchuk (SFU) and Scott P. Semproni, ACIC (UBC), and the 2008 awardees are Jeffrey Ovens (SFU) and Hyukin Kwan (UBC). The 2008 CSC Silver Medal was awarded to Eric Cai (SFU).

The CIC 2nd Year Achievement Award in Chemistry was given to the top student who had completed two chemistry courses at the 2nd year level, at each of the colleges and universities within the Vancouver CIC Local Section that nominated a candidate.

A complete list of 2007 and 2008 winners and their home institutions is shown below:

Engage the next generation.

JOIN TODAY! www.cheminst.ca/membership

2006–2007 Awardee 2007–2008 Awardee Home Institution Teresa Liang Elizabeth Baterina

British Columbia Institute of Technology, Burnaby

Wei Zhao

George Hall

Capilano University, North Vancouver

Kanwaljit Gill

Kevin Lapeyre

Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey

Samantha Keller

— Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops

Benjamin Isaksen

Neil Rybak

Okanagan College, Okanagan Valley

Van Dinh

Heather Wiebe University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford

Caterina Ramogida

Carolyn Graves

Kayli Marie Johnson

Amanda C. Zimmerman UBC, Vancouver

Chemical Institute­ of Canada­and Constituent­ Societies

SFU, Burnaby

Congratulations to all the awardees on their outstanding achievement and we wish them the best of success in their continuing studies. ACCN january 2009 Canadian Chemical News 29

Recognition reconnaissance

Events Événements

Canada

Accreditation and Certification for Chemical Technologists

Conferences

T

he Canadian Society for Chemical Technology (CSCT) has been involved in the accreditation of college programs and the certification of individuals for over 15 years. Although these are two distinct activities they do complement one another.

In 1998, the CSCT signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Canadian Technology Accreditation Board (CTAB). With this collaboration and support, chemical programs across Canada have been reviewed and improved by meeting the chemical discipline criteria. Accredited chemical related programs are listed below.

As of January 1, 2008, new National Technology Benchmarks (NTB) were created and deployed. These new NTB’s moved away from the previous checkmark type of criteria and ask for outcome based results from the college curriculum. The transition to the new benchmarks has been well received from the colleges with new accreditations. The CSCT currently has two of their board members as lead assessors for accreditations. Tom Sutton, FCIC, and Cathy Cardy, cCT, MCIC. Certification through the CSCT is a way to distinguish your individual credentials and to show your dedication to the profession. The designation is with the letters cCT or Certified Chemical Technologist. Graduating from an accredited college makes the process fairly simple. Accreditation indicates that you have attained the correct skill set. The additional requirements include work experience. The CSCT currently has a board member dedicated to reviewing portfolios of those who apply. The director of certification is Kevin Ferris cCT, MCIC. Visit www.chem-tech.ca/cct for more information about these programs.

College Program British Columbia Institute of Technology, Burnaby, BC

Accreditation Date

a. Chemical Sciences Technology Chemical 2004 (Environmental Chemistry) b. Chemical Sciences Technology (Industrial Chemistry) c. Chemical Sciences Technology (Pulp and Paper)

Camosun College, Victoria, BC Environmental Technology Centennial College, Scarborough, ON

Discipline

Bioscience

2003

a. Biotechnology Technician - Bioscience Industrial Microbiology b. Biotechnology Technologist Industrial Microbiology c. Environmental Protection Technician d. Environmental Protection Technology

2007

Chimie

2005

Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Environmental Protection Technology Richmond, BC

Bioscience

2006

a. Chemical Engineering Technology Chemical b. Chemical Technology

May 30–June 3, 2009. 92nd Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition, Hamilton, ON, www.csc2009.ca.

July 5–9, 2009. 13th International IUPAC Conference on Polymers­and Organic Chemistry­(POC09), Montréal, QC, www.poc09.com.

July 20–24, 2009. 7th Canadian­Computational Chemistry Conference­, Halifax, NS, www.bri.nrc.ca/cccc7.

August 23–27, 2009. 8th World Congress of Chemical Engineering­, Montréal, QC, www.wcce8.org.

August 15–19, 2010. 3rd IUPAC Green Chemistry Conference, Ottawa, ON, www.icgc2010.ca.

U.S. and Overseas­ Conferences

Collège communautaire du Technologie de laboratoire de chimie Nouveau-Brunswick, Bathurst (Nouveau-Brunswick)

Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), Edmonton, AB

May 26–29, 2009. 2nd Georgian Bay International Conference on Bioinorganic Chemistry (CanBIC-2009) Parry Sound, ON, www.canbic.ca.

a. 1995 b. 1998

August 1–9, 2009. IUPAC 42nd Congress and 45th General Assembly, Glasgow, UK, www.iupac2009.org.

December 15–20, 2010.

Pacifichem­2010, Honolulu, Hawaii, www.pacifichem.org.

New Brunswick Community Environmental Technology Environmental College, Miramichi, NB

1998

New Brunswick Community Chemical Technology Chemical College, Saint John, NB

1996-2001, 2003

Did You Know

Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), Calgary, AB

a. Chemical Engineering Technology Chemical b. Chemical Technology

1996

SIAST, Kelsey Campus, Saskatoon, SK

a. Biotechnology b. Chemical Technology

a. 2004 b. 2002

all issues of ACCN prior to 2008 are free to view on‑line­at www.accn.ca?

30 L’Actualité chimique canadienne

janvier 2009

a. Bioscience / Chemical b. Chemical

58th CSChe conference 58 e congrès de la SCGCh 58e Congrès canadien de génie chimique

58th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference

L

A

e 58e Congrès canadien de génie chimique, qui s’est tenu du 19 au 22 octobre 2008 à Ottawa, a accueilli près de 1 300 participants provenant de partout au pays et d’ailleurs dans le monde.

Handan Tezel, MCIC, présidente du congrès, et Bruno Morin, MCIC, vice-président du congrès, ont travaillé avec leur équipe pendant près de trois ans à l’élaboration de cet événement annuel qui a été couronné de succès. Les aspects principaux du congrès ont tous illustré à merveille le thème « Partenariats pour une société durable ».

Marc Dubé, MCIC, président du programme technique, et son équipe ont créé un programme qui a dépassé les attentes. En effet, plus de 600 présentations ont abordé des sujets d’actualité qui captent l’attention de la communauté scientifique, notamment : énergie pour une société durable; matériaux pour une société durable; eau saine, air pur, Terre en santé; la biotechnologie industrielle; les partenariats : politiques et recherche à un point tournant.

Les trois séances plénières ont mis en vedette des orateurs de haut niveau bien au fait des préoccupations mondiales. M. Marc Bacon, vice-président de l’ingénierie, et Mme Zakiah Kassam, chef du marketing technique, tous deux de PlascoEnergy, ont discuté des défis et des occasions liés à la durabilité. Ils ont aussi discuté des solutions potentielles à la demande croissante en énergie, dont les travaux innovateurs de PlascoEnergy pour convertir les déchets en énergie.

M. Brian Foody, président-directeur général d’Iogen Corporation, a traité de la production par son entreprise de l’éthanol cellulosique, un biocarburant supérieur totalement renouvelable, et de ses avantages environnementaux. Krishnaswamy Nandakumar, FCIC, récipiendaire du Prix commémoratif R.-S.-Jane 2008, a présenté ses recherches sur l’utilisation de la modélisation numérique de la dynamique des fluides dans l’exploration des écoulements multiphasiques.

L’Événement du président de l’ICC a laissé toute la place au sujet chaud qu’est la durabilité. Brian Wastle, vice-président de la Gestion responsableMD à l’Association canadienne des fabricants de produits chimiques (ACFPC), a discuté du bond de l’industrie chimique vers la durabilité que représente l’implantation des nouveaux Principes et éthiques de durabilité de la Gestion responsable.

Les centaines d’étudiants présents ont également été bien servis.

Grâce à Dan Dicaire, MCIC, président du programme des étudiants de 1er cycle, et à son équipe, des ateliers formateurs, des visites industrielles et des compétitions techniques attendaient les étudiants de 1er cycle. À nouveau cette année, les étudiants de 2e et 3e cycle ont eu droit à un programme bien étoffé qui comprenait un concours d’affiches, le tout élaboré par Catherine Goubko, MCIC, présidente du programme des étudiants du 2e et 3e cycle, et son équipe.

Toujours soucieuse de contribuer à l’enrichissement de la carrière des chimistes et ingénieurs chimistes, la SCGCh a réuni quelques-uns des employeurs les plus en vue pour un Salon de l’emploi très réussi. Étudiants et professionnels ont pu soumettre leur curriculum vitae et même obtenir une entrevue sur place.

Nous vous donnons maintenant rendez-vous à Montréal (Québec) du 23 au 27 août 2009 alors que la SCGCh sera l’hôte du 8e Congrès mondial de génie chimique. Visitez le www.wcce8.org pour les détails. ACCN

lmost 1,300 participants from across the country and around the world attended the 58th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, held October 19–22, 2008, in Ottawa, ON. Handan Tezel, MCIC, conference chair, and Bruno Morin, MCIC, conference vice-chair, worked for the past three years with their dedicated team to create this very successful event. The main aspects of the conference demonstrated this year’s theme “Partnerships for a Sustainable Society” perfectly.

Marc Dubé, MCIC, technical program chair, and his team created a program that exceeded expectations. Over 600 presentations covered topics of current interest that captured the attention of the scientific community, namely: energy for a sustainable society; materials for a sustainable society; clean air, clean water, clean earth; industrial biotechnology; partnerships: policy and research at the crossroads.

The three plenary sessions featured high-level speakers, well acquainted with worldwide issues. Marc Bacon, vice-president of engineering, and Zakiah Kassam, manager of technical marketing, both of PlascoEnergy, discussed the challenges and opportunities presented by sustainability. They also discussed potential solutions to increasing energy demand, such as PlascoEnergy’s innovative conversion of waste into energy. Brian Foody, president and CEO of Iogen Corporation, talked about his company’s production of cellulosic ethanol—a fully renewable, advanced biofuel—and its advantages. Krishnaswamy Nandakumar, FCIC, winner of the 2008 R. S. Jane Memorial Award, presented his research on the use of computational fluid dynamics to explore multiphase flows.

The CIC Chair’s Event focused attention on a hot topic: sustainability. Brian Wastle, vice-president, Responsible Care for the Canadian Chemical Producers’ Association (CCPA), discussed the bold leap towards sustainability taken by the chemical industry and the implementation of the new Responsible Care Ethic & Principles for Sustainability.

Hundreds of student participants also received their share of attention. Thanks to Dan Dicaire, MCIC, chair of the undergraduate student program, and his team, training workshops, industrial tours, and technical competitions awaited undergraduate students. Again this year, the graduate student program offered a wide range of activities, including a poster competition, all organized by Catherine Goubko, MCIC, chair of the graduate student program, and her team.

Always seeking to enrich the career of chemical scientists and engineers, the CSChE gathered high-profile employers together for its highly successful career fair. Students and professionals had the opportunity to submit their CVs and many were interviewed on site.

We now look forward to seeing you again in Montréal, QC, August 23–27, 2009, when the CSChE will host the 8th World Congress of Chemical Engineering. Visit www.wcce8.org for details. ACCN Lucie Frigon

january 2009 Canadian Chemical News 31

58th CSChe conference 58 e congrès de la SCGCh

Sponsors

The CSChE gratefully acknowleges the conference sponsors for their generous support.

Presenting

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Corporate ERCO Worldwide

Marsulex

32 L’Actualité chimique canadienne

janvier 2009

58th CSChe conference 58 e congrès de la SCGCh 1.

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CSChE 2008 At A Glance 1. Marc Bacon, vice-president of engineering, and Zakiah­ Kassam, manager of technical marketing, both of PlascoEnergy, at the Monday plenary lecture.

2. Krishnaswamy Nandakumar, FCIC, winner of the 2008 R. S. Jane Memorial Award, presenting his award lecture.

3. Brian Foody, president and CEO of Iogen Corporation, presenting the Tuesday plenary lecture.

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4. Women in charge: Milena Sejnoha, MCIC, president of the CSChE, and Handan Tezel, MCIC, conference chair.

5. New CSChE president Grant Allen, FCIC, thanks outgoing CSChE president Milena Sejnoha, MCIC, for her contribution to the Society.

6. Distinguished guests attend the CSChE President's Reception that precedes the CSChE Conference Banquet and Awards Dinner at the Museum of Civilization.

7. Dan Dicaire, MCIC, chair of the undergraduate student program, with Don Hewson, a resourceful speaker.

8. Passing the torch (or the hat!). Following traditions, outgoing CSChE president Milena Sejnoha, MCIC, passes the hat to new CSChE president Grant Allen, FCIC. 9. Université de Sherbrooke students eager to see what the conference has in store for them.

january 2009 Canadian Chemical News 33

careers carrières

Tenure-Track Position in Analytical Chemistry The Department of Chemistry at Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, invites applications for a tenure-track position in Analytical Chemistry at the rank of assistant professor to commence on July 1, 2009.

The successful candidate will possess a PhD in the field of Analytical Chemistry or a closely related field. Post-doctoral experience is expected. The candidate will have demonstrated potential as an effective teacher and possess a strong record of research contributions and other related scholarly activities. Practical experience with various mass spectrometers such as ICP-MS, LC-MS, GC-MS and TGA-MS would be an asset.

Teaching responsibilities will include undergraduate classroom and lab instruction as well as curriculum development in the area of analytical/environmental chemistry. Duties will also include graduate-level teaching. The successful candidate will develop a strong, externally-funded research program in his/her field and play an active role in the administrative life of the Department of Chemistry, the Faculty of Science and the University in general.

The Department of Chemistry offers a nationally-accredited Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry (Major and Honours). Undergraduate students are actively involved in faculty research and graduate students are enrolled in the Masters of Science in Applied Science Program. As well, the Department includes a number of faculty active in Green Chemistry research. Faculty in the Department have access to advanced instrumentation, including LC-PDA/MS, GC-FID/ MS, ICP-MS, TGA-MS, GFAAS, SEM/EDX, Potentiostat (CV, ASV, etc.), DSC, FT-NMR, FT-IR, single crystal x-ray diffractometer, and various spectrophotometers, all with excellent technical support.

All laboratories and research spaces in the Department have been completely renovated over the past two years as part of a major renovation of the Science Building funded by the University.

Review of applications will begin after January 31, 2009, and continue until the position is filled. The application package should include a current curriculum vitae including a list of publications, statement of teaching philosophy, a detailed research proposal in NSERC format, and the names and contact information of at least three referees. The application should be sent directly to: Dr. Marc Lamoureux Chair, Department of Chemistry Saint Mary’s University Halifax, NS, B3H 3C3, CANADA Alternatively, electronic submissions of applications (.PDF files only, please) may be sent directly to: marc.lamoureux@smu.ca In accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements, this position is directed in the first instance to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

Saint Mary’s University encourages applications from women, aboriginal peoples, visible minorities and individuals with disabilities. Rank and salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications as outlined in the Saint Mary’s University Collective Agreement.

34 L’Actualité chimique canadienne

janvier 2009

january 2009 Canadian Chemical News  35

8th World Congress of Chemical Engineering

Incorporating the 59th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference and the XXIV interamerican congress of chemical engineering

Montréal, QuEbec, Canada • August 23-27,

www.wcce8.org

2009

PM40021620

Challenges for

a Changing Wor

ld

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s r e p a P r o f l 9 0 l 0 2 a , 2 C 1 y r a u n a J