Tyra Lewis has been exploring the relationship between electrical energy and chemical reactions throughout her seven years in the Martic Lab at Trent, research that has earned her three major awards in the last year. 

Tyra has been awarded the Electrochemical Society (ECS) Canada Section Student Award - the first at Trent to receive this award - recognized for her research exploring electrochemistry as a greener approach to synthesizing and recycling organic compounds from environmental pollutants. 

The Materials Science Ph.D. candidate was also honoured with the Analytical Chemistry Division of the Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC) Graduate Student Award and the International Conference for Analytical Sciences and Spectroscopy (ICASS) Burgener Research Graduate Student Travel Award. 

"Tyra is an exceptional student and we are lucky to have her here at Trent,” said Dr. Sanela Martic, associate professor in Forensic Science. “She has contributed significantly to scientific discovery well beyond my own lab, as evidenced by the well-deserved national and international recognitions she has received over the last year." 

Tyra joined Professor Martic’s lab in 2019, conducting research while she completed both her bachelor’s degree in Forensic Science and master’s degree in Environmental and Life Sciences at Trent. Tyra has embraced opportunities to contribute to research in forensic science, environmental chemistry, biochemistry and aerosol science. 

New ways to measure soil health

Tyra is now applying her expertise in electrochemistry to a new environmental challenge in agriculture: detecting sugars in soil. Sugars provide a natural food source for microorganisms, stimulating microbial activity that contributes to soil health.  

“Traditional methods for detecting sugars often require larger analytical tools that can be costly and time-intensive to use,” explains Tyra. “My research aims to introduce alternative approaches that could make testing sugars faster and more accessible.” 

She is developing two approaches for detecting sugars. One is an electrochemical sensor that can be integrated with a smartphone for quick results, and the other is a rapid colour-change test kit. 

These solutions could improve on-site soil health assessment, helping farmers make informed decisions to optimize crop growth and productivity.  

“The potential for this research to have a global impact motivates me to keep pushing it forward,” said Tyra. "Each research project has helped me recognize the value of the skills that I’m learning at Trent. While the topics have varied, the projects relied on many of the same core technical and soft skills. These are experiences that I will always be grateful for.” 

Learn more about the Materials Science PhD program at Trent University.