National Research Council increasing the microscopy scale across Canada

In October 2019, the Nanotechnology Research Centre at the National Research Council Canada (NRC) in Edmonton hosted a very productive and insightful two-day microscopy workshop. The event brought together 46 leading experts from academia, industry, and the NRC to discuss the need for and benefits of an Intelligent Analytical Microscopy (iAM) program in Canada.

Fun fact: NanoCanada was born out of the NRC; the latter has been supporting the organization since 2013. NanoCanada is helping the NRC by connecting them with the nanotechnology community in Canada and around the world.

The recent workshop allowed participants to give their expert input on the potential R&D areas of a new national microscopy program. “As a new researcher at the NRC, the microscopy workshop at the Nanotechnology Research Centre was a great opportunity to meet new colleagues and learn about their expertise and research focus,” said Ana Magalhaes, Research Officer in Life Sciences and Human Health R&D at the NRC in Ottawa, who attended the workshop. “Furthermore, it gave me a sense of ‘the big picture’ of the institution and its other research centres’ diverse structure and capabilities. There is a real potential for collaboration and to work synergistically towards new solutions and technologies that can improve and impact the lives of Canadians. Ultimately, that is our goal and what inspires us in creating a national program.” The next steps in the iAM program development include the Nanotechnology Research Centre touring Canada for consultations to further define the need for a national microscopy program. To learn more or to participate in the discussion, please contact Mark Salomons, Team Leader, Developmental and Analytical Microscopy, NRC.

Mark.Salomons@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
(780) 641-1733