Cragg Resource Centre
Generously donated by the Mount Allison Class of 1949, the L.H. Cragg Resource Centre plays an integral part in research done by science students by providing computing facilities and software to help analyze and present data collected during research.
The Cragg Resource Centre calendar
Computing facilities/software in the Centre
- 22 personal computers (Windows 7 and Linux)
- Dell Latitude D620 Laptop
- Dell 3200MP DLP projector
- Gaussian 09W
- PC Spartan Pro, Student Spartan 2.0.0
- Accelrys Cerius, Accelrys Viewer Lite 5.0
- Scifinder Scholar
- Cambridge Structural Database (Conquest 1.9, Mercury 1.5)
- CS ChemOffice 5.0, MDL ISIS Draw 2.5
- ChemDraw (download instructions below)
- SPSS 15.0 for Windows
- Maplesoft Maple 10, Mathcad 13
- Microsoft Office 2010, Open Office
- Refworks, Adobe Reader X
- Visual Paradigm
Instrumentation
Students have access to a wide range of instrumentation in Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry laboratories.
Instrumentation and features
Inert Atmosphere
LC technology Solutions Inc
Double glovebox
MBraun Inc. LABmaser Pro
- single user
- -30 C freezer
- cold well
IR spectroscopy
Thermo Scientific Nicolet iS5
- iD1 cell holder
- iD5 ATR
Thermo Nicolet ir200
NMR
Varian Mercury Plus (200MHz)
- 1H, 13C, 31P
Jeol ECX-400 (400MHz)
- 1H, 11B, 13C, 31P
2x nanalysis Corporation; NMeady-60PRO (2017)
- 60 MHz Benchtop NMR
- 1H and 11B nuclei
- 1H and 31P nuclei
Optical Spectroscopy
Perkin Elmer LS 50B luminescence Spectrophotometer
2x Varian Cary 100 Bio UV-Vix Spectrophotometer
- Cary 100 Software updated 2014
- 6x6 Multicell Block Peltier
- Cary Temperature Controller
Varian SpecrAA 220 Atomic Absorption/Emission Spectrometer
- AA workstation (SpectrAA) updated 2019
Thermo Nicolet NXR 9650 FT-Raman Spectrometer
- with FT-Raman Microstage and InGaAs/Ge Detectors
- OMNIC Professional 7.1a/ FT-Raman 7.1/Atlus Software
- Thermo Electron Standard Collection of Raman Spectra
Imaging and Surface
Park Systems XE-100 Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)
Harrick Plasma RF Plasma Cleaner
UV-vis-NIR Spectroscopy (Princeton Instruments) coupled to an inverted polarized florescence microscope (Olympus)
2 Langmuir balances
BASi Epsilon EClipse Electrochemical Analyzer
Gas Chromatography
Varian Model 3700 GC-FID
Agilent 8860 GC with 5977B MS
- 7693 Autoinjector
- MDS ChemStation
- NIST library Bundle
Liquid Chromatography
Varian Prostar 210 single pump with 320 UV-Vis detector
Agilent 1260 Infinity II
- Quaternary pump
- Dioade array detector
- Auto Sampler
- Chem Station software
Accessories
Millipore Milli-Q Reference A+
- Q-pod Attachment
Career resources
Academic career advising and mentoring
Biochemist Dr. Tyson MacCormack (tmaccormack@mta.ca) and chemist Dr. Glen Briand (gbriand@mta.ca) are available to meet with students enrolled as chemistry/biochemistry majors to discuss their career options.
Past departmental graduates have gone on to (post) graduate education or careers in:
- medicine
- dentistry
- healthcare
- pharmacy
- optometry
- podiatry
- allied health fields
- law
- veterinary medicine
- doctoral studies in biochemistry or biology
- education
- bioinformatics
- laboratory technicians
- Masters of Business Administration (MBA)
- forensic sciences
- patent agent
- sales
- government
- industry
It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that their course selections will meet the entry requirements for these graduate programs and that the student attain a high enough grade to pass entrance cutoffs.
Our best advice for choosing a successful career path is to choose a career
- whose subject matter you enjoy (and you will never work a day in your life)
- that requires some specialization (so few others are qualified to do it)
- is valued by society in general (so your efforts are rewarded)
Generally, chemistry and biochemistry students will enter one of the following career areas and be employed by the one or more of the following employers by exploiting the following strategies.
Career areas
Adapted to Canadian needs from a “BIOCHEMISTRY: What can I do with this degree?” by the Career Planning staff of Career Services at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. (1996, Revised 2003)
Check out What can you do with a chemistry degree? to learn and explore different career paths in the Chemical Sciences.
Research
Basic, applied, medical
| Employers | Strategies |
|
University laboratories Federal government labs, agencies (NRC, Alberta Innovates, Health Canada, Agriculture & Agri-Food, DFO, RCMP, Canadian Forces, etc.) Public health labs Commercial medical laboratories Independent research foundations Industry laboratories (pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, food processors, cosmetic manufacturers, chemical/petroleum industries) |
Bachelor's degree in biochemistry, biology, or chemistry to qualify for laboratory technician/research assistant positions Choose courses with laboratory work Get on-the-job experience in a laboratory by volunteering and/or doing an honours thesis research project Complete a certificate training program, usually one year, to learn specialized laboratory techniques Earn master's degree in biochemistry or chemistry for better positions, advancement opportunities, more responsibility, and higher pay Obtain PhD to direct research projects and lead research teams |
Healthcare
- Medicine
- Dentistry
- Optometry
- Podiatry
- Pharmacy
- Veterinary medicine
- Allied Health
- Occupational and/or physical therapy)
- Nursing
- Nurse practitioner
- Emergency medical services
- Global health
- Epidemiology
- Genetic counselling
| Employers | Strategies |
|
Hospitals Medical centers Nursing homes Private practice Canadian Forces |
Plan on attending medical school or other related graduate program Maintain an outstanding grade point average, particularly in the sciences Secure strong faculty recommendations Meet with a pre-health advisor periodically Join related student organizations Demonstrate leadership abilities Volunteer to work in a hospital or healthcare setting Find a summer job or internship in a hospital Develop a “back-up”plan in case medical/graduate school admission is denied Consider alternative but related careers such as nurse or physician assistants Research all of the various fields within medicine to determine a particular career goal |
Teaching
| Employers | Strategies |
|
Public/private elementary to high schools Community college or technical institutes Medical professional schools |
Complete an accredited teacher preparation program for certification/licen sure in biology and/or chemistry Earn a higher degree in biochemistry or chemistry and gain research experience; PhD required for universities, colleges |
Business and other professional activities
- Sales/marketing
- Technical writing
- Scientific journalism
- Scientific illustration
- Regulatory affairs
- Administration/management
- Scientific/technical recruiting
- Intellectual property/patent law
| Employers | Strategies |
|
Biotechnology industry Pharmaceutical and chemical companies Publishers: textbook, magazine, newspaper, book Software firms Regulatory agencies Search firms Law firms Legal departments of corporations |
For sales positions, gain sales experience through internships, part-time work, or summer jobs Take business and/or computer classes Become familiar with desktop publishing and other software packages Develop strong written and oral communication skills Get experience writing for a school or local newspaper Obtain an MBA or PhD to reach high levels of administration Plan on attending law school if interested in law |