ColdBlock Technologies Inc. and Seneca Polytechnic are proud to announce a research partnership with the Seneca Centre for Innovation in Life Sciences (SCILS), bringing together ColdBlock’s novel digestion technology with Seneca’s applied research expertise. This collaboration focuses on conducting independent research using ColdBlock sample digestion technology.
Bridging Industry, Academia and Applied Science
At the core of this partnership is a shared commitment to evidence-based innovation. Through SCILS, a team led by Seneca Professor Mandy White and ColdBlock’s Director of Laboratory Services Lorie-Anne Doig is designing and executing a comparative study to evaluate ColdBlock’s performance alongside conventional microwave digestion technology, with an initial focus on cannabis samples.
The collaboration supports hands-on learning and skills development. Otto Barcia, a recent graduate of Seneca’s Chemical Engineering Technology (CHY) program, is gaining practical, real-world experience with an industry partner, performing advanced sample preparation techniques, experimental design, and data interpretation. This serves to prepare the next generation of scientists while contributing meaningful insights to the field.
This project has been partially funded by the National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP), which supports collaborative, industry-driven research that accelerates innovation and commercialization. IRAP’s support underscores the technical merit of the work and its potential impact on laboratory science and analytical workflows.
Lorie-Anne Doig, Director of Laboratory Services at ColdBlock, spoke of the value of this independent research. “This project will provide valuable analytical results on a sample type that has not yet been tested in the ColdBlock R&D Lab. We expect this research will contribute to our established body of knowledge regarding the analytical results achieved using ColdBlock digestion technology, particularly in comparison to an established methodology.”
“We are excited to see where this partnership takes us,” noted Dr. Ryan Hayman, Research Centre Manager at SCILS. “Supporting a Canadian business with our analytical chemistry expertise and instrumentation while engaging an ambitious recent graduate from our CHY program is our core mission.” The team’s enthusiasm is grounded in the collaborative environment that connects education, research, and real-world laboratory applications. Together, SCILS and ColdBlock are supporting applied research that is both scientifically rigorous and directly relevant to current laboratory applications.
ColdBlock and SCILS look forward to sharing outcomes from this work as the project progresses.
About ColdBlock Technologies Inc.
ColdBlock sample digestion technology uses a unique combination of focused short-wave infrared heating and a cooling zone to dissolve solid sample matter into solution for multi-element analysis. ColdBlock’s sample digestion system is being used in labs across several industries around the world, saving time and money by increasing sample throughput capacity and significantly reducing turnaround times, while providing accurate and reliable results. ColdBlock Technologies Inc. is a privately owned company based in Ontario, Canada. For further information, follow along on LinkedIn.
For more information, please contact:
Dr. Ryan Hayman
Research Centre Manager, SCILS
ryan.hayman@senecapolytechnic.ca
Heather Lielmanis
CMO, ColdBlock Technologies Inc.
hlielmanis@coldblock.ca
