Three McMaster research projects have received a combined investment of $1.68M over three years from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC).

The funding, announced Feb. 15 by Minister of Science, the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, is part of NSERC’s Strategic Partnerships Grants program.

The program brings together academic and industry partners to develop innovative solutions to address some of Canada’s biggest challenges, design new technologies and applications, increase training and create jobs.

Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences Professor, Yingfu Li, received $672,000 to develop a novel litmus paper-like sensor device, printed with bioink, to enable rapid and accurate detection of Legionella pneumophila – a deadly environmental pathogen found in many man-made and natural water sources.

In collaboration with Carlos Filipe (chemical engineering) and John Brennan (chemistry & chemical biology), and industry partners TGWT Clean Technologies Inc., Cytodiagnostics, and Mold and Bacterial Consulting Labs, their DNA print technology, capable of providing results in minutes, will position Canada as a leader in this field.