“In 1938, German chemist Gerhard Schrader was attempting to make pesticides that were more effective. Instead, he accidentally discovered one of the most dangerous weapons of war ever produced: the nerve agent, sarin (Amarasingam, 2017). In the years that followed, German and British governments discovered analogues to the original chemical, and governments began producing stockpiles of such weapons. Since then, nerve agents have been used in terrorist attacks and assassination attempts (Stone, 2020).”
Read moreThe Solution to Pollution: Using Porous Materials to Clean the Air
“The passion for my research was sparked long before I ever entered academia. As a young boy growing up on a farm in rural Nova Scotia, the idea of sustainability was taught at an early age. I recall cool springs spent planting crops followed by warm summers spent reaping the fruits of our labour. This was the first piece of tangible evidence that demonstrated to me that we could get our basic needs from the planet without completely destroying it in the process. This idea has influenced both my personal, and academic, journey to date.” - Devon McGrath
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