Dr. Pawliszyn’s Research Group (Analytical Chemistry)

University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario
What the facility does

The group develops analytical chemistry sample preparation and methods.

Areas of expertise

The primary focus of Professor Pawliszyn's research program is the design of highly automated and integrated instrumentation for the isolation of analytes from complex matrices and the subsequent separation, identification and determination of these species. An important objective is the development and application of state-of-the-art, integrated and automated analytical methods and instrumentation, for on-site analysis and monitoring.

Many of the research projects target elimination of organic solvents from the sample preparation step to facilitate on-site monitoring and analysis. Several alternative techniques to solvent extraction are investigated including use of coated fibres, packed needles, membranes and supercritical fluids. Also of importance are the efforts in whole column imaging detection for protein and peptide separations in isoelectric focusing. The technology provides for dynamic imaging of the focusing process and better resolution by eliminating the need to mobilize the focused bands prior to detection.

Research services

Analytical chemistry

Sectors of application
  • Agriculture, animal science and food
  • Clean technology
  • Environmental technologies and related services
  • Healthcare and social services
  • Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment
EquipmentFunction
Thermo Scientific Q Exactive LC-MS systemLiquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) system.
Thermo Scientific TSQ Vantage LC-MS systemTriple-stage quadrupole mass spectrometer.
Applied Biosystems API 4000 MS/MS systemTandem mass spectrometer (MS/MS).
Agilent 7890-5975C GC-MS systemGas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) system.
Beckman Coulter P/ACETM MDQ Capillary Electrophoresis System  
Convergent Bioscience iCE 280 AnalyzerCapillary electrophoresis.
PAS Technology CONCEPT 96-blade autosampler 
Torion TRIDION-9 portable GC-MS systemGas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) system.
TSI SMPS 3936 Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) Spectrometer  
Smiths SABRE 2000 handheld Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) instrument 
Torion high volume desorberThermal desorption.
  • Supelco
  • Bureau Veritas (Maxxam Analytics)
  • Gerstel
  • PAS Technologies
  • Ministry of the Environment Ontario
  • Unilever
  • World Anti-Doping Agency
  • Toronto General Hospital
  • Restek
  • Waters Corporation
  • Thermo Fisher Scientific
  • SCIEX
  • CTC Analytics AG
TitleURL
Pawliszyn Reseach Group facilities and instrumentation.https://uwaterloo.ca/pawliszyn-group/about/instrumentation-0
High school outreach demonstration of on-site environmental analysis.https://uwaterloo.ca/pawliszyn-group/events/high-school-outreach-demonstration-site-environmental-analysis
Groundbreakers: speedy samples.http://watercanada.net/2012/groundbreakers-speedy-samples/