Sustainable Nanoengineering Lab
Active Team Members
Dr. Manmeet Kaur
Postdoctoral Fellow| Sept, 2024 - Present
Manmeet Kaur is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University. She holds a PhD in Materials Science from the Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, India. During her PhD, she worked on Synthesizing value-added Products for Optoelectric Applications form Agriculture and Food Wastes. Currently, she is working with Dr. Gurpreet Singh Selopal at the Sustainable NanoEngineering Lab and contributing to the project based on developing potato-specific-structure-property relationships of carbon-based fertilizers synthesized from Agriculture/Marine Wastes. A recipient of the Prestigious McCain Postdoctoral Fellowship, her research aims to transform low value waste into practical materials, promoting a circular economy.
EDUCATION
Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology India - PhD; Panjab University, India - MSc; Guru Navak Dev University, India - BSc
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Sukhjinder Singh
PHD Student | June 2024 -Present
Sukhjinder Singh is currently pursuing a doctoral degree under the esteemed guidance of Dr. Gurpreet Singh Selopal. His research focuses on integrating triboelectric nanogenerators with agricultural devices and sensors to enhance sustainability and eco-friendliness of smart farming.
Receiving the FGS Harmonized Scholarship was a great honour for him, and he is committed to making the most of this remarkable opportunity provided by Dalhousie University. This support will enable Sukhjinder to push the boundaries of what is possible in the field of clean energy, contributing to innovative solutions for a more sustainable future.
Swedha Madhu
Masters' Student | Sept, 2023 - Present
Swedha is a passionate research-oriented Master's student dedicated to leveraging nanotechnology for sustainable environmental solutions. Swedha's research is mainly focused on designing and synthesizing novel heterojunctions of metal oxide nano-materials with eco-friendly quantum dots and exploring the photocatalytic degradation of various environmental pollutants
Umair Sohail
Masters' Student | May, 2024 - Present
Umair Sohail is currently working on green energy technologies, particularly Hydrogen Production using Quantum Dots and ferroelectric materials. Previously, Umair worked on electrochemical hydrogen production at NUST's Heterogeneous Catalysis Lab. Umair's goal is to innovate sustainable energy solutions for a greener future.
Msughter J. Guusu
Masters' Student | September, 2024 - Present
Msughter J. Guusu is a dedicated Masters student who is working on developing novel materials to be used as the best cover for greenhouse to enable better light optimization in crop yields and quality. His focus is on Synthesizing Quantum dots (QDs) and Integrating them with Luminescent Solar Concentrators (LSC) to form luminescent films to be used as green house cover to boost production of crops. Msughter's project will enhance crop yield and quality while ensuring environmental sustainability
Jayden Mackenzie
Undergraduate Student | January, 2024 - Present
Jayden is in his fifth and final year of his Bachelor of Chemical Engineering with Co-Op distinction and a certificate in Biomedical Engineering at Dalhousie University. His research focuses on the synthesis of ecofriendly Carbon Quantum Dots derived from sustainable feedstocks to help promote a circular economy. He is a two time winner of the NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) under Dr. Gurpreet. He applies these Carbon Quantum Dots in various applications such as Anticounterfeiting Technologies, Luminescent Solar Concentrators, and Nano fertilizers.
Akshit Bhalla
Undergraduate Student | May, 2024 - Present
Akshit Bhalla is an Electrical Engineering student at Dalhousie University Agricultural Campus, Truro. A passionate and self-driven individual, Akshit has made significant contributions as a Research Assistant in our lab. He has been instrumental in synthesizing a hybrid nano-fertilizer and carbon quantum dots from sustainable feedstock, which have applications in anti-counterfeiting technologies and luminescent solar concentrators. Additionally, Akshit served as Co-President of the Engineering Society at DAL-AC campus and has experience in AI model training, CAN-bus technology, and advanced Arduino programming for sophisticated electronics projects.
Jonathan Uriel Saldana Lozano
MITACS Student |
Jonathan Uriel studies at Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico. Currently, Jonathan is participating in a 12-week Mitacs research internship at Dalhousie University in Canada, where he is developing quantum dot solar cells. Jonathan's research focuses on improving their efficiency and potential for sustainable energy applications.
Aditi Prabhu
MITACS Student
Aditi Prabhu is a Chemistry and Chemical Engineering double major undergrad from BITS
Pilani, India who is interested in research and teaching. Material Science and catalysis is her area of interest and is keen to integrate Chemistry and Chemical Engineering in her research.
Kaouther Jouini
MITACS Student
Kaouther Jouini is an engineering student at the National Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology in Tunisia, where she specializes in industrial chemistry.
Currently, Kaouther is expanding her expertise through an internship with Mitacs program. Under the guidance of Prof. Gurpreet Selopal, she is actively engaged in cutting-edge research on the photo reforming of non-recyclable plastic waste into clean chemical fuel.
In-active Team Members
Connor Labonte
Research Student | May 2023 - August 2023
In this position I worked under Dr. Gurpreet Selopal in the Sustainable Nano-Engineering Lab. My role was to complete chemical reactions, gather results, analyse Academic papers, and efficiently communicate with my colleagues. This Internship required strong problem solving and communication skills in order to obtain quality results effectively.
Yashan Dhaliwal
Research Student | May 2023 - August 2023
Yashan Dhaliwal is a 3rd year BSc (Bioveterinary Science) student at Dalhousie Agricultural Campus. He worked as a Research Assistant to help in development of Hybrid Nano Fertilizer (HNF). Yashan's work involved grinding, milling, and calcination of oyster shells followed by preparation of Hydroxyapatite (HA) which then was used to prepare Nanourea. As one of the founding members of SNL lab, he was also embraced in set up and repairment of lab equipment and components.