Decorative water fountains have been widely used the inside/or outside of large buildings, squares, amusement parks, shopping malls and other architectural settings. Concerns have been raised recently about potential negative impact associated with the transmission of waterbourne infection. As well, the green building movement, particulary LEEDS criteria proposed by US green Building Council demands the efficient use of water on all sites and reuse of non]potable water sources.

Two specifies of flea beetles attack canola. Overwintering adults feed on canola seedlings, 1st generation larvae on the roots and adults on the mature crop from August to October. There is one generation a year in western Canada, and one or two in southern Ontario. Crop losses in North America as a result of crucifer flea beetle damage are estimated to exceed $300 million a year. Current control measures comprise seed treatments, often used in combination with soil applied granular or foliar insecticide applications should the seed treatment not provide sufficient control.

This project is in partnership with AFMNet. Coasun is a monoglyceride-stabilized oil in water emulsion (MAG gel) that is trans fat free and low in saturated fat and can be a substitute for standard fats in a range of bakery products. Specific focus of the intern's research will be on the interaction of this MAG gel with starch, gluten and flour at room temperature and during heating. These results will be compared to industry standard fats to see the advantages of the structure of the MAG gel in relation to its competition.

The intern will assist the Ontario Commercial Fisheries Association in determining potential entry points and methods of IUU (Illegal, Unregulated, Unreported) sturgeon and sturgeon products into the legal supply chain. Based on this, the intern will assess the effectiveness and efficiency of counter]measures based on whole supply chain traceability solutions.

Red wheat is the more predominant wheat grown in Ontario. However, red wheats impart an off]flavour to products when used in whole wheat formulations. The food industry is moving towards developing a whole portfolio of whole wheat products in order to provide a healthier alternative to consumers. However, issues related to the sensory characteristics of these products have to be addressed first.

The Ontario beef industry is a significant part of the agricultural economy, accounting for the highest farm cash receipts in the sector. Through linkages to other parts of the economy, beef production employs thousands of Ontarians and generates $1.4 billion for the provincial economy. The industry is under threat, however, from such challenges as trade restrictions, higher feed costs and changing food preferences. The most effective medium term solution to ensure the viability of the industry is to increase efficiency at the farm level.

Asparagus contains rutin, a falconoid associated with anti‐carcinogenic properties and decreased cholesterol and heart disease. Ontario growers could benefit from value‐added or ‘branded’ asparagus products that can be marketed based on the health benefits of rutin, for example, fresh product in grocery stores, or asparagus flour as a supplement in bread and pasta, made from discards or seconds. The Guelph Millennium hybrid, developed at the University of Guelph, was found to contain the highest rutin levels among international cultivars in Japan.

The term ‘cosmeceutical’ represents the marriage of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals and is the new buzzword in the cosmetics industry. Cosmeceutical products are cosmetic products with a biologically active ingredient purporting to have medical or drug‐like benefits. Dermatological research suggests that the bioactive ingredients used in cosmeceuticals do indeed have benefits beyond the traditional moisturizer, but the term cosmeceutical remains a marketing term, as there are no requirements to prove that the products actually live up to their claims.

Fruits such as peaches and plums are highly perishable fruits with a very short shelf life and hence are aptly called ‘tender fruits’. This necessitates the growing of several varieties that ripen at different time slots to ensure that there is a continual supply of these fruits in the market during the short season of availability. It is interesting to note that, though all these diverse varieties flower at about the same time in spring, fruit ripening is extended by a few weeks in some varieties over the other.

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is a unique technology that allows the preservation of the entire genome from an individual, thereby avoiding dilution of valuable alleles. This is an important criterion in endangered species preservation. Our interest in the Canadian wood bison, a threatened species, has brought us to consider the application of SCNT as a method for embryo production and genome preservation. This project will evaluate the developmental competence of bison embryos produced by interspecies SCNT, whereby a bison donor cell is transplanted into a domestic cattle oocyte.