Yukon College shares PhD student with industry

Yukon College and Alexco Resource Corp. have secured a PhD student to study the removal of heavy metals from water. This partnership will enhance the traditional PhD model by combining high level science with business skill development; with great benefit to the student, industry, and the Yukon Territory.

PhD student, Guillaume Nielsen, of the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique will be co-supervised by Yukon College’s NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Mine Life Cycle, Dr. Amelie Janin. Nielsen will support the Chair’s goal of building Yukon’s capacity for environmental remediation in partnership with industry and Yukon College’s Centre for Northern Innovation and Mining (CNIM).

“Yukon College, with support from Yukon Government, continues to solve northern-specific challenges by building a research community that bridges academia and industry”, said Dr. Karen Barnes, President, Yukon College. “Yukon College supports student research involvement, at all academic levels, as students are critical to expanding research and innovation throughout the North”, said Barnes.

Nielsen will study how northern bacteria can be used at mine sites to remove heavy metals from water; a process called bioremediation. He will begin his research at the Yukon Research Centre and then apply his findings, at a larger scale, at the Keno Hill mine site this summer.

“Through a Yukon College/industry partnership, we’re pleased to participate in a unique opportunity that creates a win-win outcome for both the Yukon and its mining industry”, said Jim Harrington, President, Alexco Environmental Group. “By incorporating Nielsen’s focus and expertise, we’ll work toward solving mine water treatment challenges by using local products, thereby limiting the need to ship materials to remote mining sites from outside the Yukon”, said Harrington.

This PhD research is a three year commitment with financial support from Mitacs, a national non-for-profit research organization, and Cold Climate Innovation, of the Yukon Research Centre.

The NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Mine Life Cycle, Dr. Janin, is working with the Yukon mining industry and CNIM to develop a business-focused applied research program on reclamation activities throughout the mine life cycle. Alexco Resource Corp., Capstone Mining Corp., Yukon Zinc Corp., and Victoria Gold Corp. have made an initial two year commitment to match the NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) funding of $100,000 per year. The four companies partnered with the College in 2012 on the initial application to NSERC and created the Yukon Mining Research Consortium to support the Chair.