It’s a WINS-Win Situation

A nanometre is only one billionth of a metre long, however it is at this tiny scale where some of the most engaging materials research is focused these days. In the nanoscale, it is possible to build structures atom by atom. The resulting materials show unique properties that can be applied to computer technology, electronic and optical devices, communications and even medicine. The prospect of such advances has encouraged the Faculty of Science to adopt the study of materials and biomaterials as one of its five major research themes. As part of developing this theme, the Faculty has proposed the founding of the Western Institute for Nanomaterial Science (WINS). WINS is not a brick-and-mortar type of institute; it’s more of an organization to provide a cohesive presence and a collective vision for the departments, laboratories and facilities that presently work on nanomaterials.  Dr. Michael Cottam, the Director of WINS, puts it this way, “The institute will greatly enhance the visibility of research in these areas because it really is very interdisciplinary between departments and research fields. It will help us become much less fragmented.” Cottam also adds that the institute will aid efforts on “the planning side in terms of co-ordinating future priorities and developments within materials and biomaterials. It’s going to be very helpful to the individual researchers in this field.”

Until recently, trying to find out which facilities and laboratories were involved in nanotechnology at Western was a bit like playing a game of hide-and-seek. Western’s research in this field spans across the facilities of Surface Science Western, Interface Science Western, The Centre for Chemical Physics and of course the new Nanofabrication Laboratory, among others. There is also a substantial amount of interdisciplinary work already underway among the departments of Chemistry, Physics & Astronomy, Earth Sciences, Applied Mathematics and Biology. There has also been the problem of giving the researchers within each of these groups the opportunity to share and discuss new ideas. WINS is expected to improve communication among these bodies and encourage opportunities for co-operation and synergy while avoiding redundancies.

Deputy Director Dr. Rob Lipson adds that WINS will act “like a research, graduate education and communication link because it’s the mechanism by which researchers will get together, talk to each other and learn about what we’re doing.” According to Lipson, one of the first steps for the institute is determining how Western will distinguish itself from other nanotechnology centres. “We already are a fabulous surface science school,” he says. “We’re the best in the country, but there is more to nanomaterials than that.” He thinks that there are two ideal starting points, “The first is the Ontario Photonics Consortium (OPC), it’s already funded so you might as well take advantage of it. The other thing that distinguishes Western from a lot of other places is the research taking place on the biological end of things. There are a lot of people both in OPC and who could be in WINS who are dealing with materials that are biological.”

The Ontario Photonics Consortium is a joint effort by Ontario universities, providing the facilities, expertise, and human resources necessary to make Ontario a key international player in applied photonics. The institutional partners at launch were McMaster (lead) Western and Waterloo, with participation by investigators from Queen’s. This enterprise is embedded in three synergistic programmes - synthesis and functionalization of a new class of photonic materials,(UWO lead) design and fabrication of devices from non-traditional semiconductors (McMaster lead), and modelling and evolution of intelligent optical networks. (McMaster and Waterloo).

WINS can also develop potential connections with the Faculties of Medicine & Dentistry and Engineering. The institute should be instrumental in opening up opportunities to enhance the existing undergraduate program in materials science. “The expertise and drive for that are found within various departments,” says Cottam. “WINS can have an overall direction and promotion and can assist with this program. There have been preliminary discussions about having other programs that would come within the materials area, particularly at the graduate level.”

Fred Longstaffe, Dean of Science, says that WINS "is really designed to allow us to take the next big step at Western in developing our already recognized expertise in materials science."

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