Toxicology Centre

University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
What the facility does

Detects and assesses chemicals and other stressors in the environment and associated toxicological risks to people and ecosystems

Areas of expertise

The Toxicology Centre provides research into nearly all issues of an ecotoxicological nature. The Centre houses state-of-the-art analytical and experiments laboratories, and the Aquatic Toxicology Research Facility, the first of its kind in Canada and one of only a few similar facilities in the world. The Centre provides a full scope of chemical and biological analyses, and designs and implements sophisticated toxicological and chemical experiments and assessments. Projects are targeted specifically to address and solve issues related to chemicals in the environment, associated risks to people and ecosystems, and regulatory and compliance concerns.

Specific projects have focused on the ecotoxicology of pesticides; bioavailability and toxicity of metals; environmental impacts of mining, including oil sands, uranium, base metals and diamonds; contaminated site assessments; human health risk assessments; identifications of contaminants of concern; investigations of cause; molecular and biochemical assessments of toxicity; the safety of feeds and foods, and the environmental fate of emerging contaminants of concern.

Through the Centre’s research and related toxicology academic programs (including one of the top five interdisciplinary toxicology graduate programs in the world and the most comprehensive undergraduate toxicology program in Canada), world-class toxicologists are being trained who are sought after by society, private industry, and government to address emergent human environmental health issues.

Research services
  • Analysis of chemicals in environmental and biological samples
  • Biological (in vitro)/biochemical and molecular assays
  • Whole animal toxicity testing
  • Risk assessments and impact assessments (environmental and human health)
  • Environmental investigations and investigations of cause/expert reviews
Sectors of application
  • Agriculture, animal science and food
  • Chemical industries
  • Education
  • Environmental technologies and related services
  • Fisheries and aquaculture
  • Forestry and forest-based industries
  • Mining, minerals and metals
Equipment Function
Mass Spectrometers High Resolution Gas Chromatography
Agilent Quadrupole GC/MS systems  
Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer  
SCIEX Z Triple Quadrupole LC/MS/MS  
Quadrupole LC/MS  
DIONEX Ion Chromatography systems  
Conventional HPLC Chromatography Systems  
UV/visible Spectrophotometers  
Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometers (AAS)  
Inductively Coupled Plasma-mass Spectrometers (ICP-MS)  
ABI 7300 Real Time PCR Machine  
MiSeq Personal Nucleic Acid Sequencer  
Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer  
Zeiss Inverted Epifluorescence Microscope and Imaging System  
DSX Automated ELISA Station  
Egg/Cell Nano-Injection System  
Controlled environment chambers (6)  
  • Cameco Corporation
  • Areva Resources Canada
  • Syncrude Canada Ltd.
  • Suncor Energy Inc.
  • Enterprise Saskatchewan
  • Saskatchewan Environment
  • Environment Canada
  • Communities of Tomorrow
  • 3M Canada
  • Vale Inco
  • Morris Foundation
  • Diavik Diamond Mine
  • EKATI Diamond Mine
  • Stantec Consulting Ltd.
  • BHP Billiton
  • Cardno Entrix
  • Alberta Water Research Institute
  • Teck Resources Ltd.
  • Canadian Eco-Toxicological and Environmental Services
Title URL
Dr. Karsten Liber http://www.usask.ca/toxicology/news/dr-karsten-liber.php
World-renowned University of Saskatchewan toxicologist receives national honour http://www.usask.ca/toxicology/news/world-renowned-u-of-s-toxicologist-receives-national-honour.php