The goal of this project is to use machine learning techniques for smart home energy management to reduce carbon
footprint of a house. The developed algorithms will monitor heating footprint of a residential building in near real time,
based on the data gathered from sensors and smart thermostat devices. The solution models the building thermophysical
characteristcs and heating system performance to optimize the HVAC efficiency.

Canada is a world leader in radio astronomy, in part due to its expertise in designing and building the digital signal processing systems that correlate signals between many antennas. Members of the t0.technology team have played a key role in developing technology that correlates the signals between telescopes consisting of hundreds or thousands of radio antennas. This project will support the development of a high bandwidth backplane that will allow t0.technology circuit boards to be integrated together into a next-generation radio telescope correlator.

In 2017, Canada hosted over 13 thousand asylum seekers younger than 15 years. In Canada asylum seekers wait on average for two years for the determination of their refugee status. Moreover, asylum seekers are being vulnerablized not only by pre-migration trauma, but also because of the ongoing stressors of resettlement, including legal precarity, racism, discrimination, insecure housing, and other forms of social exclusion. The need for programs that can protect and prevent mental health problems in asylum seekers families is crucial.

Bacillus thuringiensis MS 20 produces a peptide, Bacillin 20, that has been shown to improve crop stress tolerance, enhance plant growth, stimulate the production of phytohormones and modify the plant root systems for better uptake of water and nutrients. The purification of Bacillin 20 from microbial broth culture is affected by the organic compounds present in the growth media and as such decreases the overall peptide yield when subjected to various purification steps.

To address the challenge of increasing flight endurance for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), a novel technique involving the exploitation of atmospheric energy, typically by soaring in thermal updrafts, is being developed. The AUTOSOAR algorithm developed in a previous Mitacs project permits the UAV to rely less on its onboard motor to maintain altitude, and reduce the amount of energy consumed during flight, thereby significantly extending mission surveillance time.

Lipid-made nanoparticles are small delivery vehicles that can encapsulate therapeutics like mRNA and drugs. These tiny containers help to protect therapies until they are delivered into cells where they have better effects. A huge portion of the worldwide population have them in their bodies, thanks to mRNA COVID19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna.

Current industrial practices use fluorinated coating methods to modify the surfaces of textiles. Although these coating methods produce robust hydrophobic/oleophobic surfaces, fluorinated precursors don’t degrade easily and tend to persist in the environment. Studies have shown that these fluorinated precursors have managed to leach into our water bodies and could be potential carcinogens. To avoid these problems, alternative coating methods need to be developed.

Genacol Canada Corporation Inc. manufactures a collagen hydrolysate (CH) supplement sourced from bovine (Genacol® Original Formula) that has shown positive results and potent efficacy in three clinical trials for reducing joint pain. Following digestion and absorption, CHs release amino acids and peptides that can lead to the health-promoting properties of the supplement. Recent studies suggest that joint pain is a multi-tissue disease and involves both articular cartilage and bone. However, the current understanding of the effects of Genacol's CHs on bone health is still inadequate.

Manure application supplies valuable nutrients to crops and reduces soil erosion, however, it can also be a source of pollution. Emissions of dust, gases, odors, virus, and bacteria can be released in large quantities and have negative impacts on the environment and workers’ health. This project proposes to adapt a low-cost technique called Passive Flux Sampling (PFS) for measuring fugitive emissions during manure spreading. This technique could be used for measuring airborne pollutants, such as greenhouse gases or bioaerosols emissions.

Le projet de recherche proposé sera effectué en collaboration avec Hydro-Québec et a pour objectif une meilleure compréhension des mécanismes à l’origine de l’instabilité des parois rocheuses par une analyse de quelques cas répertoriés dans le cadre du projet hydroélectrique de La Romaine.