John L. Holmes Mass Spectrometry Facility houses “state of the art” instrumentation for analysis of chemical and biological samples.
Overview of the Facility
We specialize in analytical chemistry, proteomics, metabolomics and HRes compound verification.
We provide Mass Spectrometry characterization and support to professors, students, industry and home producers.
We make Mass Spectrometry accessible to all.
Our projects
Srjeeta's Green Cardamom project
The purpose of this study is to determine whether the hydrosol created through microwave and hydro distillation contains similar medicinal components (alpha-terpinyl acetate and eucalyptol)[i] to the cardamom essential oil.
Joseph's Clove Project.
Clove hydrosol, contains over 1g per litre of Eugenol.
Chloe's fresh Thyme Hydrosol.
Chloe from Happy Valley, Goose Bay found only two chemicals in Fresh Thyme Hydrosol.
Rose and Dill Seed Hydrosol. That's a lot of carvone!
This began a project looking at molecules like dillapiole, we affectionately called them frog molecules!
Kiran and Long Pepper Hydrosol.
The discovery of another frog molecule, elemicin.
James Resin and Rinds Project.
Making hydrosol from resins is quite different than herbs, as James is discovering.
Juli's mystery Cinnamon Sticks.
Juli, determined which variety of cinnamon she had, by the abundance of the chemicals present in the hydrosol. Cinnamon Hydrosol is largely made up of only one terpenoid, cinnamon aldehyde at approx. 1g per litre.
Amy used her Cedar Hydrosol to create a bug spray.
This Cedar Leaf from the genus Thujo, produced a hydrosol that contained the molecule thujone.
Sweet Woodruff Hydrosol.
Rachel, enjoyed her summer 2023 in the lab, so much she returned for her honours project. Sweet woodruff and more frog molecules!
Ginger Hydrosol
Ginger Hydrosol, arguably my favourite. With both geranial and neral, the smell is soft and warm. Kadidja, made this by grating fresh ginger.
Three Frog Molecules in Nutmeg
One of the few hydrosols to produce an oil. Nutmeg led to a whole honour's project for Kiran.
Allspice Hydrosol
Rose found frog molecules in this Hydrosol which contains 1/2g per litre eugenol.
Winter and Summer Savory
The hydrosol from these herbs is very simple made up of only 3 chemicals.
Crab Apple and Lilac Hydrosol
Not all plant materials produce a desirably smelling hydrosol. Some are too delicate to extract with heat, so distillation is not a good extraction method. These two are examples of this. Rose won a prize at The Trent Mass Spectrometry Conference 2023 for her analysis of all the isomers of Lilac Aldehyde.
German Chamomile
Bisabolo Oxide is the dominant chemical in this german chamomile hydrosol.
Purple Yarrow
Collected from Stacey's Garden, another hydrosol project by Rose. 1,8 cineole known as eucalyptol is the dominant chemical in this hydrosol.
Do you have plants you want distilled, email us?
Do you have plants you want distilled, email us?
Eelana and Black Cardamom Hydrosol. A fourth year project.
Eelana, distilled black cardamom by microwave and by hydro. She made oil and hydrosol and this weird emulsion, which is both oil and water based. Read all about it here.
Wintergreen Hydrosol
Laila for her final year of high school, made and analyzed winter green. Laila chose wintergreen because of it's pharmaceutical properties. Laila has joined Carleton university to continue her bio-chemistry studies.
Contact us
Chemical facility
Sharon Barden
[email protected]
D'Iorio Hall - Room 124
Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5
Tel: 613-562-5800 ext. 6045
Biological facility
Zoran Minic
[email protected]
Marion Hall - Room 002
Ottawa, ON K1N 1A2
Tel: 613-562-5800 ext. 1626