Prof. Amar K. Mohanty delivered the opening night keynote, "Waste-to-Value: Sustainable Materials Innovation for Addressing Everyday Waste Challenges", for the University of Guelph's SHAD program on July 8, 2026.SHAD is a month-long summer program that brings high-achieving Grade 10 and 11 students to university campuses across Canada for STEAM, leadership, and entrepreneurship programming. Approximately 80 students attended the University of Guelph opening night, along with university student leaders and the SHAD University of Guelph team. The keynote launched the SHAD Design Entrepreneurship Challenge, themed "How might we reimagine the lifecycle of everyday goods to minimize waste and drive sustainable innovation in Canada?"During his keynote, Prof. Mohanty shared his expertise and experience in sustainable materials innovation to address everyday waste challenges. The session concluded with an engaging question-and-answer discussion with the students. To learn more about SHAD, visit this link......
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Representatives from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA) visited the BDDC on June 26, 2026, for a tour of the Centre's research facilities.The visit provided the OMAFA representatives with an overview of the BDDC's research on sustainable materials, biobased products, and the circular bioeconomy. During the tour, the visitors explored the Centre's laboratories, pilot-scale facilities, and growth chamber, where they learned about ongoing research and technology development supporting sustainable agricultural and bioindustrial innovations.The OMAFA representatives included Sofia Rodriguez Ocana, Kent Williams, Tamara Fernandes, Sami Zaher, Lucas Beghin, Kellie Johnston, Christine Wenger, Eric Sinker, Shain Cameron, Aysha Basharat, Milica Velemir, Bozena Symanski, Roy Ahiati, Siva Mailvaganam, John Molenhuis, Julio Mendoza, Noah Berry, and Scott Jorgensen.The tour was hosted by members of the BDDC. ...
Professor Manjusri Misra contributed to the 50th edition of the Prem Jain Distinguished Lecture Series, titled 'Scaling Sustainability: The Next 5 Years of Climate Action', held virtually on June 26, 2026. The milestone session celebrated the successful completion of 49 Green Lecture sessions featuring distinguished industry leaders, academicians, sustainability experts, and thought leaders. The event brought together previous speakers from the first 49 lectures in the series for an interactive celebration to reflect on key learnings, exchange perspectives on sustainability, and strengthen the sustainability community built through the lecture series. The Distinguished Lecture Series is organized by the Prem Jain Memorial Trust (PJMT) and supported by Bry-Air. For more information, click here......
Funded Graduate Opportunities - PhD/M.A.Sc./MEng in Interdisciplinary Engineering*This graduate opportunity is for graduate students pursuing a degree in Interdisciplinary Engineering for the following research areas:Bioplastics and Biobased PolymersBiocomposites (Natural Fibre Composites) and Polymer BlendsGreen Composites including Recyclability, Durability and Biodegradability StudiesBiobased Nanocomposites and Nanoblends3D Printing of Bioplastics and BiocompositesBiomass and Biomaterials SustainabilityBiomedical Applications for Bioplastics and BiocompositesValue-added Biobased Materials from the Coproducts/Byproducts of Biofuel IndustriesBiodegradability (Compostability)For entry into the Ph.D. Interdisciplinary Engineering program, candidates must hold a thesis-based Master’s degree in engineering.For entry in the M.A.Sc./MEng programs, candidates must hold a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Science.If your first language is not English, you will be required to submit the results of a standardized language test. Please see the <a href="https://www.uoguelph.ca/graduatestudies/future/international/english" target="_blank">chart</a> for acceptable tests and required scores. Please refer to the School of Engineering <a href="https://www.uoguelph.ca/engineering/grad/application-process" target="_blank">website</a> for department requirements.Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the positions are filled.A preliminary selection will be made based on the interviews to qualify the prospective candidate to apply for graduate studies at the University of Guelph. Selection does guarantee acceptance for graduate studies.How to ApplyApplication to the BDDC Selection CommitteePlease send your application package to bddcjobs@uoguelph.ca. Your application package must contain the below mentioned documents and labelled accordingly:COVER LETTER(File Name: Last Name_Cover Letter_Date)Outline qualifications for the specific position applied (i.e. Ph.D. Student)Indicate the earliest date of availability, if selected TWO-PAGE SUMMARY(File Name: Last Name_Summary_Date)Outline your interest and motivation to work in the Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre (BDDC). Include how your educational and work background will help you to succeed on the topics researched at BDDC (information can be found on the website https://bioproductscentre.com/ ). How do you plan to learn about the aspects of the BDDC research you don't know. CV (CURRICULUM VITAE) [Organized Reverse Chronologically – Most Recent to Oldest] (File Name: Last Name_CV_Date):Education & Work Experience - Include high school information (Include: start and end date - MONTH and YEAR)Thesis title of your degree(s) (if applicable)Name of adviser for your degree(s) (if applicable)Percent average or GPA (if including GPA please provide what it is out of i.e. 4.36/5.0)Summary of time off taken between degrees starting from high schoolList of courses during your education most relevant to this position and grades obtained for each courseEnglish Language Proficiency results and sub-category breakdown (IELTS, TOEFL, etc.) Include date or expected date of Exam (Exams must have been taken within the last 2 years)List of your publications organized by degree If you are NOT the First Author indicate your contributions If you have any submitted manuscripts, please include your email confirmation from the journal) List of your conference presentationsContact information for three references YOUR SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION(S) (File Name: Last Name_Publication#_Date) *Please provide each publication as a separate file in PDF formatPublication Number(s) should correspond with the list number in your CVThe research component of the graduate student position will be conducted within the Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre (BDDC), University of Guelph. The candidate will have the opportunity to work with senior scientists from different areas (materials science and engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, polymer chemistry, packaging, and plant agriculture) and will have the chance to work collaboratively with industrial partners.At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to the further diversification of our Institution. If you have any questions, please contact bddcjobs@uoguelph.ca.Supervised by: Professor Amar Mohantyhttps://www.bioproductscentre.com/director Professor Manjusri Misrawww.uoguelph.ca/engineering/people/manjusri-misra-phdWe thank all applicants who apply, but only short-listed candidates will be contacted......
On June 22nd, 2026, 37 individuals from the OMAFA Finance Branch and the Treasury Board Secretariat visited the BDDC to learn more about the centre and it’s research accomplishment. As a larger tour highlighting exciting, current U of G research, the OMAFA delegation first visited the Guelph Food Innovation Centre, the Meat Lab. To finish their day, the OMAFA group visited the BDDC to tour and learn about bioproducts and their development. Prof. Mohanty gave a short presentation, and BDDC members Dr. Arturo Rodriguez, Dr. Debarshi Nath and Dr. Matias Mennossi facilitated tours. ...
A delegation of visiting researchers from the International Institute on Bioeconomy and Environment (EXEBIO) (Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, France) visited the University of Guelph on June 15th, 2026 As part of the full day meeting, EXEBIO delegates were invited to tour the BDDC facilities and partake in discussions surrounding biobased and biodegradable materials’ impact and current research. The EXEBIO delegation included six members: Prof. Emmanuel Guillon, President, EXEBIO Institute Prof. Stephan Dorey, Leader of the EXEBIO work package on Research Excellence Prof. Stéphanie Sayen, Graduate School EXEBIO Member Dr. Sandrine Dhondt-Cordelier, Assistant Professor, Graduate School EXEBIO Member Dr. Jean-Luc Petitjean, Assistant Professor, Leader of the EXEBIO work package on innovation and partnership Mr. Nicolas Paulien, International Strategy Officer, EXEBIO institute The tour was led by Dr. Arturo Rodriguez, Dr. Ehsan Pesaranhajiabbas, Reshma Krishnan, Zack Jamha and Dr. Milka Popov. ...
Profs. Misra and Mohanty attended the 41st International Conference of the Polymer Processing Society (PPS-41) in Paestum, Salerno, Italy, from May 31st to June 4th, 2026. The conference gathered distinguished academics, researchers and industry professionals to partake in discussions and showcase their work in the areas of polymer processing, sustainability and technology advances. Prof. Mohanty presented a keynote lecture on June 1st, titled “Circular economy driven sustainable green composites: Can biodegradable plastics alleviate single-use plastic waste problem?”. Additionally, Prof. Mohanty acted as a Sessional Chair for the session titled “Sustainability”. Prof. Misra received the James L. White Innovation Award from PPS – an award given to researchers and innovators for cutting edge work in the science and technology of polymer processing which has made major commercial impact. With this award, Prof. Misra was invited to give a plenary lecture on June 3rd, in which she presented “Sustainable Polymeric Materials for a Circular Economy”. Pictured: Volker Altstädt, President of the Polymer Processing Society (left), Prof. Misra (middle) and Paula Moldenaers, professor emeritus at KU Leuven (right)To learn more about the conference, visit this link. To learn more about the James L. White Award and previous awardees, visit this link. ...
Members of the BDDC attended the 2026 Canadian Societies for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering 2026 Conference and Exhibition (CSChE 2026) on May 24th to May 28th, 2026. The conference was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Professors Mohanty and Misra acted as organizers/chairs for the two-day session titled ‘Biodegradable Plastics, Sustainable Composites and Circular Bioeconomy’. In this session, researchers and students presented work surrounding sustainable polymeric materials derived from bio-/waste/recycled resources and their combinations. Several BDDC members presented their work during this session in both oral and poster formats.Oral presentations: Malik Hassan, “Upcycling Diaper and Toothpaste Waste into Geometrically Optimized Auxetic Structures from Recycled Polyolefin Blends and Biocarbon Based Composites” Arturo Rodriguez-Uribe, “Studies on the effects of rheological control modifiers (RC) on the recyclability of polypropylene (PP) and biocarbon reinforced composites” Matias Menossi, “Green Crosslinking Strategy Using Tannic Acid to Achieve Tailored Toughness in Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)/Plasticized Cellulose Acetate Blends” Kehinde Olonisakin, “Sustainable High Performance Basalt Fiber Reinforced Polyamide 6,6 Composite for Automotive Parts” Ehsan Pesaranhajiabbas, “Processing-Driven Nanoclay Dispersion and Its Effect on Mechanical and Barrier Properties of Poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate)/Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxy valerate) Blends” Alice Corfa, “Overcoming brittleness and slow crystallization of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs): effect of blends and nucleating agents” Suman Kumar Ghosh, “Sustainable Recycled Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polyamide 6 Composites for Lightweight Automotive Applications” Debarshi Nath, “Engineering High-Performance Biodegradable Blend Films from PBAT/PLA and PBSA/PBAT via Uniaxial Orientation for Sustainable Packaging” Reshma Krishnan, “Injection Molded Biocomposites from Cellulose Acetate with Mineral Fillers: Performance Evaluation” Ikechukwu E. Okonkwo, “Tailoring the Molecular Architecture of Maleic Anhydride-Grafted PBAT for High-Loading Rigid Biocarbon Composites for Biodegradable Packaging Application” Hugh MacFarlane, “Graphitization of Argo-residue Based Biocarbon for Supercapacitor Applications” Posters: Hugh MacFarlane, Sustainable Biocomposites with Reduced Flammability from Engineering Plastic and Hemp-Hurd Pyrolyzed Biocarbon Matias Menossi, “Sustainable Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)-Wood Biocarbon Composites for Flexible Packaging: Role of Extrusion Methodologies in Tailoring Material Performance” Alice Corfa, “Improved interfacial interaction and toughness of maleic anhydride-grafted polylactic acid (PLA)/polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) blends” Suman Kumar Ghosh, “Sustainable Flame-Retardant Polyamide 6 Biocomposites Reinforced with Lignin-Derived Biocarbon for Automotive Applications (3231) Ehsan Pesaranhajiabbas, “Toughness Enhancement in Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hyrdoxyvalerate)/Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) Blends through Reactive Melt Processing” Malik Hassan, “Selective Laser Sintering of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate): Printing Parameters Optimization and the Effect of Wood-Derived Biocarbon Reinforcement” Kehinde Olonisakin, “Light-weight Sustainable Composite from Recycled Polypropylene for Automotive Part Application” Reshma Krishnan, “Evaluation of the Effect of Edible Coating on the Fruit Quality and Shelf Life of Pears and Bell Peppers” Debarshi Nath, “Comparative Study of Single and Tri-layer Poly(Butylene Adipate-co-Terephthalate) Films with Mineral Fillers: Effect of Uniaxial Stretching on Properties” Alisha Alisha, “A Review of Sustainable and Biodegradable Circular Materials Produced from Protein Waste: Recent Advances and Challenges” To learn more about the conference, visit this link. ...
Congratulations to BDDC members for being recognized in RSC Polymers’ Sustainable Development Goals Collection.The featured paper is titled “Study of uniaxially stretched single-layer and multi-layer blown films based on poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) and inorganic fillers for food and agriculture applications”. The article was authored by Debarshi Nath, Matias Menossi, Ehsan Pesaranhajiabbas, Michael R. Snowdon, Amar K. Mohanty and Manjusri Misra.The publication was hand-selected for the special collection to highlight impactful research taking place across the world that supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Specifically, the paper was featured under Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.To read the article, please visit this link. More from the themed collection. ...
Congratulations to many BDDC members on their articles being recognized as top-viewed papers published within various journals in 2024. Three separate papers submitted to different journals have been ranked among their top 10% most-read papers. Dayna McNeill, Akhilesh Kumar Pal, Amar K. Mohanty, and Manjusri Misra for their paper titled “Injection molding of biodegradable polyester blends filled with mineral and sustainable fillers: Performance evaluation”. This was published in the Journal of Applied Polymer Science. To read this paper, visit this link. Peter Zynter, Akhilesh Kumar Pal, Amar K. Mohanty and Manjusri Misra for their paper titled “Performance evaluation of biodegradable polymer PHBV and PBAT blends with adjustable melt flow behaviour, heat deflection temperature, and morphological transition”. This work was published in The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering. To read this paper, please visit this link. Blessing Itabana, Amar K. Mohanty, Phil Dick, Mohini Sain, Atul Bali, Mike Tiessen, Loong-Tak Lim and Manjusri Misra for their paper titled “Poly (Butylene Adipate-Co Terephthalate) (PBAT) – Based Biocomposites: A Comprehensive Review”. This paper was published in Macromolecular Materials and Engineering. To read the article, please visit this link. Congratulations to the authors on their high impact publications. ...
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