Environment Sector

Adrien Pilon, M. Sc. Env.
Tel.: (514) 496-6180
Fax: (514) 496-1575
E-mail: adrien.pilon@cnrc-nrc.gc.ca
biography

Sector's brochure (pdf)

BRI's Environment Sector leverages its expertise, modern biotechnology techniques and infrastructure to undertake research programs in two strategic areas: environmental protection and eco-efficient industrial production (clean manufacturing). The Sector's research activities are organized among seven research groups, which represent different links in the industrial development chain: Bioengineering; Microbiology; Analytical Chemistry; Biosensors and Nanobiotechnology; Ecotoxicology; Genetics; and Bioconversion and Sustainable Development. The skill sets of this Sector range from unique expertise in the biotreatment of contaminated soils, groundwater, sediments, air, and industrial wastewater to the chemistry of pollutant transformation in the environment, nanotechnology for monitoring pollutants and cell stressors, DNA microarrays for detecting/monitoring catabolic enzymes in the environment, ecotoxicological approaches measuring the impact of pollutants on human health, and genome data mining (biocatalyst discovery) and metabolic engineering for bio-energy production. Scientists and engineers in the Environment Sector collaborate with institutions, both public and private, in Canada and abroad.

BRI has built cutting-edge infrastructures to support the activities of its research groups. In the Environment Sector, these infrastructures support two main programs, environment protection and clean manufacturing.

The centrepiece of the Sector's infrastructures is the Environmental Pilot Plant which is used, for instance, to support the activities of its Wastes Biotreatability Facility. This fee-for-service facility offers complete evaluation of the anaerobic biotreatability of organic wastes (biosolids, effluents) including energetic potential (methane, hydrogen, bioelectricity), physico-chemical and microbiological characterization, etc.

The current infrastructures of the Environment Sector also support the activities of its research groups in the fields of advanced analytical chemistry, bioprospecting of extreme environments and bioengineering linked to climate change research. A green house is also maintained by the Sector; it is available for projects such as in vivo ecotoxicological studies. Groups from the Environment Sector also take advantage of their privileged access to unique infrastructures available in the Health and Bioprocess Sectors. For instance, the Environmental Genetics and Microbiology groups work in concert with the Microarray Facility to develop identification and monitoring tools.