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Canadian Light Source Canada's only national synchrotron research facility.

Scientists from around the world use our synchrotron for ground-breaking research in health, agriculture, environment, and advanced materials.

Transportation still depends heavily on fossil fuels, which is why scientists are looking for an eco-friendly liquid fue...
10/14/2026

Transportation still depends heavily on fossil fuels, which is why scientists are looking for an eco-friendly liquid fuel source. Researchers with the University of Saskatchewan are working to turn leftover into renewable fuel.

Straw is an abundant by-product of Canada’s multi-billion-dollar agriculture industry. A process called hydrothermal liquefaction can change straw into a type of crude oil. However, this oil has too much oxygen and needs to be refined before it can be used as a transportation fuel.

The team is testing new low-cost and environmentally-conscious catalysts that could more efficiently remove oxygen from the oil. By adding small amounts of metals, they hope to improve the catalyst’s performance and longevity. Using bright synchrotron light at the CLS, the researchers can see how the catalysts behave during use.

They hope that using straw for could reduce waste, support farmers, and help Canada move toward cleaner energy.

Team members include: Garret Churchill, PhD candidate; Dr. Venu Borugadda; and Dr. Ajay Dalai. This study is funded by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Kerrobert Fuels.

USask Engineering

Augusto Horita, a CLS control systems principal analyst, helps connect and coordinate thousands of devices across the CL...
10/14/2026

Augusto Horita, a CLS control systems principal analyst, helps connect and coordinate thousands of devices across the CLS—from the particle accelerator that generates synchrotron light to the beamlines where researchers conduct experiments.

When a scientist clicks a button to move a sample, align equipment, or collect data, a complex software system works behind the scenes to make it happen. Augusto and about a dozen other CLS specialists develop and maintain that software, ensuring that motors, detectors, sensors, and other equipment can communicate, respond, and work together smoothly.

One of the team's biggest challenges is integrating equipment from many different manufacturers that work using different computer coding languages. By translating these different systems into a common coding language used in around the world, they create a unified platform that facilitates advanced research.

For Augusto, the most rewarding part of the job is solving difficult problems. “It’s an awesome feeling when you make something work that seemed impossible to do,” he says. “Also, knowing that this work can help scientists to discover amazing things with real impact.”

Outside of work, Augusto enjoys spending time with his wife and three sons. A lifelong sports enthusiast, he enjoys both playing and watching soccer and judo, often sharing those interests with his children.

Expectant mothers are encouraged to take folic acid when they’re pregnant because it helps babies grow and develop. But ...
10/14/2026

Expectant mothers are encouraged to take folic acid when they’re pregnant because it helps babies grow and develop. But researchers from the University of Saskatchewan / College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan are exploring whether a different form of folate, called (6S)-5-MTHF, may work better. Unlike , which must be changed by the body before it can be used, (6S)-5-MTHF is ready to use right away. The USask scientists will examine placentas to see if different forms of folate (folic acid vs reduced folates, like 5-MTHF) can be identified in the placenta using imaging at the CLS . If successful in this exploratory stage, the team plans to collect placentas from pregnant women who took either folic acid or (6S)-5-MTHF to see how each supplement affects folate levels in the placenta. They hope to learn whether folic acid leaves behind inactive forms of folate that may reduce the placenta’s ability to deliver nutrients to a growing . The findings could help inform recommendations around prenatal supplements, support healthier , and reduce the risk of fetal growth problems.

This research is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Image: Shayna Fichter, a MSc Nutrition student, examining samples at the Mid-IR Agilent beamline.

10/14/2026

: Small changes to the materials and structure of the electronic devices we rely on daily - from televisions and smartwatches to smoke detectors - could dramatically improve their efficiency and sustainability.

Because these devices rely on carefully arranged layers to conduct , adjusting their composition at the microscopic level may be key in creating electronics that use less power and support more sustainable designs. By changing these layers, researchers hope to vastly improve the function of devices — particularly smaller, wearable, and biodegradable ones.

Benoit Lessard’s research group at the uOttawa / uOttawa Génie Engineering is exploring different materials that can serve as the base layer for these conducting stacks, known as .

“It's really important to keep in mind the bottom layer when you put the next layer on top, because it's going to influence how that next layer organizes, how those molecules line up,” said Lessard.

These improvements can even open new uses for , such as reducing harm from street drugs. Lessard’s group is developing sensors that can use electrochemical reactions to determine not just which substances are present in a sample, but the quantity of each.

Current tests for drugs like fentanyl are “useful for telling you a yes or no,” Lessard said. But knowing exactly how much fentanyl is present in a sample would be extremely helpful both for drug users and the healthcare workers treating them.

Most recently, Lessard’s group used the CLS to better understand how the layers of a thin-film transistor assemble atop different poly(ionic) liquids -- electrically charged substances made of large molecules. Poly(ionic) liquids combine the strength and ease of handling of traditional polymers but with higher conductivity and lower risk of a leak of flammable or toxic material associated with simpler ionic liquids.

One exciting finding, Lessard said, was that making changes to the base layer could significantly decrease the amount of power needed to run wearable devices. The team published their results in the journal RSC Applied Interfaces.

That efficiency is crucial for wearables, Lessard noted. “You don't want to need a car battery to power them.”
https://www.lightsource.ca/public/news/2026-27-q3-oct-dec/how-big-molecules-could-make-small-electronics-smarter-and-greener.php

Lithium ion batteries power and renewable energy storage. But the way they’re made relies on toxic solvents and energy...
10/14/2026

Lithium ion batteries power and renewable energy storage. But the way they’re made relies on toxic solvents and energy-intensive drying steps that increase costs, create emissions, and can limit battery performance.

Researchers from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) are studying an alternative approach called dry electrode manufacturing that’s greener, faster, and cheaper. It also allows battery makers to build thicker battery , which can store more energy. That would mean electric vehicles with longer driving ranges and fewer batteries needed overall.

The challenge is getting battery ingredients to stick together and conduct electricity properly without liquid solvents. The NRCan team is experimenting with different formulations for the “glue” (or binder) that holds the active electrode materials and conductive agents together. They’re using powerful X ray imaging at the CLS to see exactly what’s happening inside the electrodes.

The potential payoff from this work is huge: More affordable EVs, lower manufacturing emissions, and that last longer and perform better—helping speed up the global shift to .

Image: Keren Jiang (left) and Shaoxuan Ren, research scientists with CanmetMATERIALS, a research laboratory within Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). It is part of NRCan’s Energy Efficiency and Technology Sector (EETS).

Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction (CO2R) is gaining attention as a powerful way to curb industrial emissions whil...
10/13/2026

Electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction (CO2R) is gaining attention as a powerful way to curb industrial emissions while creating valuable chemicals from waste. Researchers are now designing that are both energy-efficient and long-lasting.

A team led by Dr. Drew Higgins, Dr. Adam Hitchcock, Dr. Robert Fathieh-Ngunjiri, and Dr. Vi Phan McMaster University McMaster Engineering is studying a catalyst (silver-zinc alloy) that converts CO₂ into carbon monoxide with over 90% efficiency, producing minimal unwanted byproducts. Using advanced X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), they will observe how silver-zinc alloy behaves in real time under working conditions.

By tracking changes during CO₂ conversion, the team aims to understand why the silver-zinc alloy performs so effectively, helping to design better alloys with longer lifetimes and improved efficiency.
This research could help position Canada as a global leader in sustainable CO₂ conversion and advancing clean technology innovation.

This project is funded by the National Research Council

Image: Dr. Siddhant Singh, left and Dr. Vi Phan, right at the HXMA beamline.

🐴 A foal’s health begins long before it takes its first steps. Researchers are investigating how thyroid function during...
10/13/2026

🐴 A foal’s health begins long before it takes its first steps. Researchers are investigating how thyroid function during pregnancy affects bone development in newborn horses—a key factor that can influence their health, growth, and future athletic ability.

When foals are born with congenital hypothyroidism, they can experience weak bones, skeletal deformities, delayed development, and reduced chances of survival. While these conditions can be seen through veterinary exams and X-rays, it’s not yet known how the disease changes bone structure at the microscopic level.

Carolina Emparanza, a resident with WCVM Today, used bright synchrotron light at the CLS to create detailed 3D images of bones from healthy and affected foals. These images reveal how bone architecture and mineralization differ, providing new insights into skeletal development.

Emparanza hopes these findings can help veterinarians to diagnose and manage these bone conditions earlier, improve broodmare nutrition strategies, and support healthier foals. Since the horse industry contributes over $8 billion annually to the Canadian economy, improving equine health can have far-reaching benefits for breeders, veterinarians, horse owners, and others.

This research is funded by the Townsend Equine Health Research Fund (TEHRF).

University of Saskatchewan

Image: An equine carpus (the anatomical equivalent of the human wrist) sample scanned at the CLS.

Methane is one of the most powerful greenhouse gases, and researchers are working to better understand how advanced cata...
10/13/2026

Methane is one of the most powerful greenhouse gases, and researchers are working to better understand how advanced catalysts can help reduce these emissions.

Using the CLS, researchers are studying palladium catalysts at the atomic level to learn how they can remain active longer and even regenerate themselves after use. The findings could lead to more effective
technologies for reducing emissions from vehicles and industry, while supporting cleaner energy solutions and valuable chemical production.

This research is conducted by researchers from the University of Saskatchewan McMaster University and funded by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

Image 1: Mika preparing a sample for analysis at the CLS.
Image 2: Jyoti at the FAR-IR Beamline

10/13/2026

Food insecurity is a major problem in many parts of the world, particularly Africa where more than 300 million people regularly go hungry. Now, using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan, researchers from Morocco have developed a way to produce fertilizer from local African rocks, which could make it easier for farmers to grow the crops needed to feed local residents.

African soils, especially in central Africa, are rich in organic matter and have lots of water, but farmers still need to provide important macronutrients like potassium, which strengthens plants' ability to absorb water, improves disease resistance, and increases crop yields. Most potassium fertilizers come from potash, mined from underground deposits formed by ancient, evaporated seabeds.

However, potash is an imperfect source of potassium for African farmers for several reasons. First, it comes from far away - the biggest potash deposits are in the northern hemisphere, in Canada, Russia, and Germany, making it an expensive resource that is vulnerable to supply chain disruptions.

Second, the salts in potash are highly soluble, so while the plants can take up some of the nutrient, large amounts leach away into the groundwater and surface water and are lost. Finally, the chlorine in the fertilizer contributes to soil salinity and pollutes groundwater.

Abdellatif Elghali, professor at UM6P - Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Benguerir, Morocco, and his colleagues have been looking for ways to turn local potassium-rich syenite rocks into a cheaper and more efficient alternative fertilizer.

“We have a lot of potassic silicates like feldspars that have a non-negligible concentration of potassium. But the problem is they have a very strong crystalline structure, so they are not going to provide a sufficient amount of potassium to support the plants,” he said.

The team developed a process to convert the rocks into a form that would enable them to release their potassium. They crushed the rocks to increase the available surface area, added water and alkaline or acidic agents, then heated the mixture to just under 200oC to convert the minerals from an insoluble to a soluble state.

When soaked in water the modified rocks released an initial fast burst of potassium and calcium, then continued to release the minerals more slowly over time as well as other nutrients that are good for the soil and plant health including silicon and magnesium. Lab tests also found that plants like corn and soya could take up the nutrients just as well as from conventional potash fertilizer.

“Based on the results of the chemical leaching test and the agronomic test, the conclusion is yes, it could work,” said Elghali. The results were published in the journal Minerals Engineering.

The CLS was vital to understanding how the chemical and heat treatment liberated the potassium and allowed it to be taken up by the plants. “Basic lab techniques didn’t give us enough information about the mechanism,” he said. The team used intensely bright synchrotron light at the CLS to conduct detailed analyses on the modified rocks.

The next steps are to conduct larger field tests to ensure the new fertilizer works at scale and to fine tune the process to ensure it is easy and cost-effective to produce.

Elghali said the biggest benefit from this project is the opportunity to use his scientific expertise to help improve the lives of people in Africa and around the world.

“Sometimes impact does not come from papers or numbers or citations,” he said. “The real impact is the social one. If you can change the life of someone, this is the real impact that we should look for when doing science.”
https://bit.ly/4wjKOjB

and hydrogen share a complex relationship—and understanding it is key to building a cleaner energy future. At the Cana...
10/12/2026

and hydrogen share a complex relationship—and understanding it is key to building a cleaner energy future. At the Canadian Light Source, Dr. Harishchandra Singh and Dr. Rafael Fillus Chuproski are studying how hydrogen interacts with steel as part of the hydrogen research program led by Prof. Marko Huttula at the Oulun yliopisto - University of Oulu, Finland.

Using advanced synchrotron X-ray techniques, the team is exploring how can help reduce emissions in steel production by replacing coal in the ironmaking process. They are also investigating how hydrogen affects ultrahigh-strength steels, including how it can make them more prone to cracking over time.

This research is helping scientists better understand how to produce while also developing stronger, safer materials for hydrogen storage, transportation, and other energy technologies. In other words, hydrogen can help us make greener steel—but steel must also be able to safely handle hydrogen.

This research is supported by the Research Council of Finland, Suomen Akatemia , and the Advanced Steels for the Green Planet (AS4G) project.

Image 1: Dr. Rafael Fillus Chuproski analyzing the samples' data.
Image 2: Ultrahigh-strength steel sample.
Image 3: Dr. Rafael Fillus Chuproski and Dr. Ekta Rani at the Bio-XAS beamline.

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