This project aims to develop a fast-response, portable and mobile-readable point of care test (POCT) device. Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology is proposed to fabricate the configuration that features components and elements functioning to accommodate and integrate all principle stages of analysis, including sample pre-treatment, fluidic manipulation and signal detection.

Annually, around 50 million tonnes of electronic wastes is produced worldwide which contains valuable metals such as gold, copper, silver and palladium. Due to the lack of a suitable recycling technology, more than 80% of these wastes end up in landfills. The economic driving force for e-waste recycling has been recovery of precious metals, especially gold, in which more than 80% of the total value is attributed to gold alone. The current industrial processes for recovery of precious metals from electronic scraps are energy intensive, expensive, time consuming, and non-efficient.

In this series of collaborative projects, we propose a combination of computational and experimental investigations of the preparation and dielectric properties of new, mixed inorganic materials. We will optimize the fabrication process of standard oxide dielectrics and semiconductors, and mixed derivative materials for efficiency and costs, and study the effects of making small modifications to the material’s composition on its field response. The materials proposed here have the potential to evolve in a new class of energy storage and related technology within the next 10 years.

The production of optimised catalysts and catalyst layers for proton exchange membrane fuel cells is both labour intensive and time consuming. However, these materials and composites are of critical importance if proton exchange membrane fuel cells are to become commercially viable. Specifically, highly active catalysts are required in order to reduce platinum group metal content and system cost, while optimized catalyst layer designs are necessary to achieve high performance and robustness in operating cells.

The successful commercialization of new cathode materials for lithium ion batteries requires an improved and detailed understanding of the correlations between their structure, properties, and performance. Such a correlation will provide a foundation for better understanding the degradation mechanisms and optimized operating conditions for these cathode materials; pairing new battery materials with ideal applications and standardizing the methods by which these materials are evaluated.

Many new pharmaceuticals are based on large biomolecules like proteins. Even small differences in the protein structure can cause significant changes in the efficacy and safety of these drugs. Furthermore, these large molecules are difficult to characterize without advanced instrumentation and methods. Current technologies still struggle with robustness and reproducibility. This study aims to introduce new technology to improve the reliability of protein pharmaceutical characterization.

Astaxanthin is a high-value natural product that is produced by a number of strains of algae. Astaxanthin and related carotenoids such as leutein and zeaxanthin, all derived from beta-carotene, have been demonstrated to have positive health benefits when taken as a dietary supplement. The Myera Group, a Manitoba biotechnology start-up company, has as a primary goal the production of astaxanthin for the commercial market.

The main objective of this project is to demonstrate the highly promising performance of our world-leading catalysts in a scaled-up solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) system. SOECs can efficiently convert the greenhouse gas, CO2, or mixtures of CO2 and H2O, to useful chemicals and fuels, while running on excess electricity, thus serving to store intermittent electricity generated by wind and solar.
The SOECs developed to date in our group are based on a family of new catalysts composed of low cost earth-abundant metals. These cells (ca.

The main objective of this project is to demonstrate the highly promising performance of our world-leading catalysts in a scaled-up solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) system. SOECs can efficiently convert the greenhouse gas, CO2, or mixtures of CO2 and H2O, to useful chemicals and fuels, while running on excess electricity, thus serving to store intermittent electricity generated by wind and solar.
The SOECs developed to date in our group are based on a family of new catalysts composed of low cost earth-abundant metals. These cells (ca.