Sensitizing compounds for cancer-treating viruses find new use in vaccine production

Beyond understanding how oncolytic viruses work, Rozanne and other researchers at the University of Ottawa have studied how these viruses can be enhanced with “viral sensitizers,” small molecules that increase their efficacy. Recently, her research into how viral sensitizers can therapeutically enhance oncolytic viruses has been published in the journal Nature Communications.

Giving Canadian companies a real-world advantage

Han Chen, a Mechanical Engineering Masters student at McGill University, has created what amounts to a virtual factory, where new tools and equipment can be designed and tested, significantly reducing their real-world production time and creating a lot of opportunities.

Robotics research project safely measures structural integrity

Engineering plays a critical role in keeping infrastructure safe, whether for workers on an oil rig or drivers crossing a bridge as part of their commute. Abhijit Chilukuri is putting his mechanical engineering degree to work making infrastructure even safer.

Abhijit is studying at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, in India and wanted to pursue an international internship to complement his schooling. He researched several internship options and decided to apply for the Globalink Research Internship after it was recommended by several senior classmates.

Taking the fast track to brain health

After doing her PhD at the University of Saskatchewan and returning to her home province of BC for a residency, Shawnda had a growing concern about how testing for mental illness and cognitive impairment was being done.

Currently, people have to go through lengthy tests of their concentration, learning, memory, reasoning, language, and other skills. Through Elevate, Shawnda began a two-year fellowship with Copeman Healthcare Centre, researching how much this process could be streamlined while maintaining its reliability.

Mitacs Award winner interview: Trojan Technologies

 

Mitacs thanks the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario for their support of the Accelerate research internship in this story. Across Canada, the Accelerate program also receives support from Alberta Innovates, the Government of British Columbia, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Prince Edward Island, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan and Research Manitoba.

Small company makes big advances in fighting antibiotic-resistant diseases and cancer

Chelation Partners’ approach to fighting antibiotic-resistant diseases is a novel one: cutting off their supply of iron. Without iron, bacteria have a tough time growing, and they’re more vulnerable to the effects of antibiotics. What’s more, Chelation Partners has discovered this tactic could also be applied to the fight against cancer. Cancer cells seem to be more sensitive to lower iron levels than other cells in the body, so reducing the availability of the metal might restrict the growth of cancer and boost the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

London-based company sees the value in research partnership

Supported by Mitacs, the partnership between Trojan Technologies and Western University has grown considerably over the last four years. Since 2010, Trojan has invested a significant portion of its research budget to hire Mitacs interns, an amount that has been more than matched through Mitacs funding for a total of $1.5 million in R&D spending.

Currently, the company is building a three-year research program that will further expand their collaborations to include research on opaque fluids, as well as UV treatment of ballast water, waste water, and drinking water. 

Paying it forward pays off

It all started when TandemLaunch’s founder, Helge Seetzen, was given a chance to participate in the Mitacs Accelerate program while he was a PhD student at UBC’s Structured Surface Physics lab. In 2002, Helge and a team at the lab developed a new way to control the brightness of visual screens and sold it to audio and cinema giant Dolby Laboratories.

By 2010, he’d formed TandemLaunch, a company that takes young scientists and entrepreneurs in universities and gives them seed money and coaching to transform their ideas into profitable businesses.

Mitacs Award winner interview: Ricardo Jota, University of Toronto

Mitacs thanks the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario for their support of the Accelerate research internship in this story. Across Canada, the Accelerate program also receives support from Alberta Innovates, the Government of British Columbia, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Prince Edward Island, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan and Research Manitoba.

Teledyne DALSA leverages Mitacs grants for high-tech success

Teledyne DALSA is a Canadian manufacturer of specialized electronic imaging components with offices in Montreal. The company is a leading manufacturer of heat (infrared) sensors for use in satellites, surveillance and medical applications — fields which attract extensive research and development investment from both government and industry.

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