SWITCH Materials is developing a revolutionary new type of film for application in SMART window technology. The proposed SWITCH film will allow windows to automatically darken when exposed to sunlight, blocking harmful Ultra Violet and Infrared Radiation and improving occupancy comfort while also providing the user the ability to, at the flick of a switch, “clear” or “bleach” the windows on lowlight days to allow natural day light through the window.

Diarrhoeal diseases pose a serious global problem, especially in the developing world. Shigella flexneri Y, the most deadly species of Shigella, is endemic in most developing countries. An antibody, SYA/J6, against Shigella flexneri Y was developed. Studies have shown that MDWNMHAA is a weakly immunogenic peptide against the antibody SYA/J6. The research team at Zymeoworks Inc., a computational biotechnology company, is hoping to improve the binding of MDWNMHAA to SYA/J6 in order to generate a more effective immune response. This could lead to a vaccine for Shigella flexneri Y.

The purpose of this project is to undertake development research to apply methods for analyzing proteins from fungi that grow on damp building materials that are antigenic in humans. This will allow the presence of the fungal antigen to be detected in dust samples by methods similar to those used for pregnancy test kits and those used for measuring house dust mite and animal allergens in houses. In this case, such methods are used to aid in the rapid assessment of houses and buildings with potential mould problems and in epidemiology studies.

It is estimated that one third of the world’s population is infected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. With the emergence of drug resistant tuberculosis, the World Health Organization has declared tuberculosis a global health emergency. UDP-galactopyranose mutase, an enzyme essential for tuberculosis bacterial growth and infection, will be studied by a protocol which combines advanced NMR and computational modeling techniques.

The proposed project combines structural biochemistry with high-performance molecular simulations to generate valuable insight into the development of the next generation of ligands that can be used to develop vaccines. The collaboration between the academic and industry partner creates an ideal opportunity to combine theoretical and experimental approaches for better lead generation and development of scientific knowledge. Zymeworks will have an opportunity to validate its ZymeCAD™ platform for pharmaceutical applications.

The intern will apply the phosphorus polymer previously developed at UBC, as well as the H2O-soluble phosphorus polymers which will be prepared during the first two months of this internship, to the surface of paper and wood samples to study the fire retardancy of the paper samples and the fire and decay retardancy of the wood samples. The intern will react the H2O-soluble phosphorus polymers with pulp and wood samples in aqueous solutions and determine how much of the polymers are retained by the pulp and wood samples.

Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells (PEFC) are under intense research as highly efficient and clean power sources for transportation and portable applications. The Cathode Catalyst Layer of PEFC, usually formed by carbon supported Pt-based catalyst, is considered as the most critical component. It involves all processes relevant for fuel cell operation. Cost and abundance of Pt is the major challenge for the commercialization of PEFC technology. Recent results in experiment and modeling indicate that catalyst activity and utilization could be improved by substantial factors.

Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells (PEFC) are under intense research as highly efficient and clean power sources for transportation and portable applications. The Cathode Catalyst Layer (CCL) of PEFC, usually formed by carbon supported Pt-based catalyst, is considered as the most critical component. It involves all processes relevant to fuel cell operation. Cost and abundance of Pt is the major challenge for the commercialization of PEFC technology. Recent results in experiment and modeling indicate that catalyst activity and utilization could be improved by substantial factors.

Hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) is a powerful emerging experimental technique which provides important information about the solvent exposed area of complex molecular systems that is not readily available through existing technologies. HDX-MS can be applied to the specific cases of small molecules binding to protein systems, which is very important for the understanding, and new design, of therapeutic compounds, including chemotherapeutic cancer drugs.

This research involves the study and development of materials that can store large amounts of hydrogen for use as a fuel in the impending “Hydrogen Economy”. This project will establish a modelling program that will dovetail with, and augment, the company’s experimental work. Calculations will be carried out on a wide range of potential hydrogen storage systems and only the most promising of these will continue to the experimental stage.