Cream of the crop

trevor.kenney — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:55:41 +0000

When U of L chemistry researcher Dr. Paul Hayes sees a cornfield, he looks much deeper than the rows, the stalks or even the kernels.

He envisions matter at the molecular level and sees corn as a source for biodegradable material, such as a plastic drinking cup, rather than just a common vegetable.

In fact, Hayes looks at many common materials and thinks up ways to improve them at the molecular level by making them more useful, energy efficient and, like biodegradable corn-based drinking cups, more environmentally friendly.

His award-winning research focuses on synthetic chemistry, or the making of molecules. More specifically, he prepares new molecules – called catalysts – that are able to convert one chemical into another without themselves being consumed or altered.

Chemistry researcher Dr. Paul Hayes takes his lab to the cornfield.

One of his recent projects focuses on the challenge of making new materials that are both biodegradable and biocompatible.

"We prepare catalysts that convert a chemical found in corn or beets into a plastic-like material called polylactide," explains Hayes. "Polylactide can be made into a wide variety of manufactured goods, such as drinking cups or other biodegradable products. We can either shorten or extend the biodegradable lifespan of the product based on how we fine-tune the molecular structure of the polylactide."

The ability to manipulate these characteristics opens up possibilities for many new and useful materials in the future.

For example, Hayes explains packaging materials can have readily adjusted biodegradation rates to accommodate the need for various shelf lives of different items, providing an alternative "green" plastic for food packaging.

Hayes' research also has medical applications like absorbable sutures, matrices for the slow release of pharmaceuticals and polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering.

Hayes, who has been at the U of L for four years, continues to develop his thriving independent research program, which has produced numerous publications in top-tier journals and received more than $1.4 million in funding from provincial and national agencies, such as the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Canada School of Energy and Environment and GreenCentre Canada.

As a result of these successes the young researcher has earned province-wide accolades, including the prestigious Alberta Ingenuity New Faculty Award. Most recently, Hayes accepted a Distinguished Academic Early Career Award from the Confederation of Alberta Faculty Associations for his ongoing accomplishments and future research potential.

It's a promising future for all Albertans, really, thanks to leading ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ like Hayes, who just happens to be tackling world issues at the molecular level.

For a look at the full issue of SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Finding the right equation

trevor.kenney — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 18:21:04 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researcher Dr. Paul Hayes recruits students to work in his lab the way a mentor researcher first found him: by looking, listening and asking.

The chemistry equivalent of a hockey scout, Hayes says he looks for students with promise in different areas, and invites them to meet with him to talk about their research or academic progress and future plans.

This idea is not new to Hayes, who was on the road to dentistry when a researcher spoke with him.

"At Mount Allison ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, I was approached by one of my professors, Dr. Steve Westcott, who told me he'd been following my progress, and wanted me to work in his lab," recalls Hayes.

The flattering offer led to a steady job and a dramatic change in direction for Hayes, who turned his attention toward inorganic chemistry. After graduation he moved to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary for his doctoral degree and then to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of California, Berkeley for a postdoctoral appointment – environments completely different from his tiny hometown of Shubenacadie, N.S.

Hayes, who has been at the U of L for four years, continues to develop his thriving independent research program which aims, among other things, to make catalysts that convert a chemical found in corn and beets into a biodegradable, environmentally friendly 'plastic-like' material called polylactide.

Thus far he has been extremely successful, having attracted more than $1.4M in funding from provincial and national agencies and published numerous articles in top tier journals. In addition, the young researcher has earned province-wide accolades, including the prestigious Alberta Ingenuity New Faculty Award.

Most recently, Hayes accepted a Distinguished Academic Early Career Award from the Confederation of Alberta Faculty Associations for his ongoing accomplishments and future research potential.

"I was thrilled to receive the award, since it comes from my peers and colleagues, and it will affect my group and research in a positive way," says Hayes.
"People like to be part of a winning team, and I am always looking for the right people. Maybe there's another wannabe dentist out there who doesn't yet know how exciting it can be to make new molecules.

For more on Dr. Paul Hayes' research, check out the next issue of SAM magazine.

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Cream of the crop

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