Last week, CryoDragon had the pleasure of attending the 3rd Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society of Canada, which took place in Montreal, Quebec from May 24 – May 26. After our trip in the East, we swung by Montreal to attend this meeting to (1) meet the individuals of the BSC that we worked with to design their websites, and (2) for Brenda, one of our Creative Directors and also a member of the BSC, to present her work in biophysics from research done in the Nanoscale Biophysics Group at the University of Waterloo.

Dr. Lee’s Poster on Antimicrobial Peptides at BSC 2017
The Biophysical Society of Canada was established in 1985 to bring together Canadian biophysicists and promote the sharing of biophysical research in the form of scientific meetings and events. But what exactly is biophysics? It’s an interdisciplinary science that applies the laws of physics to study biological phenomena.
The BSC 2017 Meeting took place at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM), located in the heart of downtown Montreal. Over 250 participants gathered in the Science Complex of the university campus and presented research on some of the latest developments in the field of biophysics, ranging from protein structure and dynamics to single-molecule spectroscopy and nanotechnology applications. There were a total of 51 oral presentations and over 100 posters from academics groups across Canada, as well as renowned international scientists and industrial partners.

Dr. Steve Bourgeault at Opening Talk of BSC 2017 Meeting in Montreal, Quebec
Apart from attending this meeting, we took some time to explore Montreal. We were able to visit Mont Royal, Old Montreal and the Notre-Dame Basilica, and the Biodome.

Brenda and Craig at Mont Royal Lookout, Montreal, Quebec

Notre Dame Basilica in Old Montreal, Quebec
During one of these days, we drove all the way to Quebec City and visited Old Quebec to enjoy all that this historic neighbourhood had to offer, including passing by the famous Chateau Frontenac.

Brenda and her Lab by Chateau Frontenac in Old Quebec City
And of course, how can you go to Montreal and not enjoy some of the local food? We tried multiple restaurants, but most importantly, we waited a long time in line to try out Schwartz’s Montreal-style smoked meat. Their signature smoked meat sandwich was served on rye bread with yellow mustard, and there was so much meat! It was absolutely delicious.

CryoDragon having Montreal Smoked Meat at Schwartz’s in Quebec
It was a great three-week adventure from start to finish (East Coast for 2 weeks and then Montreal for 1 week), but the CryoDragon team is glad to be back in Waterloo Region. Keep your eyes out for our CryoDragon car!