From All Across Canada, and Globally!
Since 2006, over 1,000 students from 131 student research project groups came from across Canada including British Columbia, Treaty 6 and the Homeland of the Métis, Nova Scotia, and the Yukon. They have participated in Students on the Beamline (SotB) with the Canadian Light Source, immersing themselves in the scientific community. Starting in 2021, we have expanded SotB internationally! These student research project groups were guided by amazing educators who took advantage of applying inquiry-based and experiential learning teaching methods to grow professionally. Check out the recent student research projects below and explore the complete SotB project database.
Recent Student Research Highlights
Burnaby, BC - Unceded territories of hən̓q ̓əmin̓əm ̓and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Nations
The student team was interested in investigating how microplastics in soil affect plant growth. They began by exploring how this issue could impact their own community and conducted a literature review on microplastics, soil systems, and plant responses. Originally planning to study blackberries, they later shifted their focus to mint. The students developed a detailed experimental plan with the goal of conducting their research at the Canadian Light Source. Although an extended shutdown prevented them from carrying out the experiment on-site, they demonstrated resilience and teamwork by continuing to advance their project. In this presentation, they will share both their preliminary research and the journey they took to get there.
Check out their seminar here.
Winnipeg, MB / Treaty 1
A group from St. James Collegiate in Winnipeg, Manitoba - consisting of 8 students with 3 supervising staff - are investigating the phytoremediation potential of sphagnum moss by introducing it to copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and nickel (Ni) through combinations of theses metals in solution. To support their research, the group had the opportunity to use Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) at the University of Manitoba to analyze the moss’s ability to absorb and remove these metals.
Check out their seminar here.
Calgary, AB / Treaty 7
Students from Our Lady of the Rockies School investigate how dwarf sunflowers can be used for remediation. They decided to see how the dwarf sunflowers handled being subjected to treatments of low concentrations of calcium, cobalt, copper, zinc, iron, and potassium salt solutions. Using the IDEAS beamline they were able to see relative concentrations of the transition metals and do imaging maps on the leaves of their sunflowers.
Check out their seminar here.
Looking for More Student Research Projects?
These are just a few examples of the more recent student research projects with our SotB groups. There are more student research projects, media communications, and even videos on the various previous projects completed this year and through out the years. Take a look!