Torso-borne protective clothing and load carrying equipment (ie. bulletproof vests) is fundamental to the safety of Canadian Armed Forces personnel. To make informed decisions on purchasing and developing new equipment, a suite of mannequin-based tools was developed by Defense Research and Development Canada. They are developing a female model to reflect the Canadian Armed Forces’ goal to increase diversity within its ranks, particularly with the representation of women. HumanSystems® Incorporated has been contracted to complete human testing to help validate the new tools.

By 2050, agri-food systems must produce enough to feed 9 to billion people, while reversing trends of environmental degradation caused in part by agriculture production. This is no small task, and underscores why countless sustainable agriculture standards, certifications, initiatives and platforms have emerged to encourage and measure the impacts of sustainable agriculture practices.

The overall objective of the proposed project is to construct a simulation model that will estimate production impact of disruption in swine marketing in Ontario, and propose mitigation strategies that could minimize impact of such disruption on swine populations and swine producers. Such disruption could occur due to various reasons such as outbreak of human disease among abattoir workers, or due to border closure that occurs due to hypothetical detection of reportable foreign animal disease in Canada.

Phytoremediation is a promising in-situ technology that uses plants and its associated microorganisms (particularly bacteria and fungi) to clean up contaminated soils. The efficacy of these processes however, requires an in-depth knowledge on the diversity of microbial communities closely interacting with plant roots. Several studies have demonstrated that plants growing in contaminated soils select for competent microorganisms able to degrade these contaminants.

Through analysis of vegetation data collected between 1991 and 2021 in Long Point National Wildlife Area, it is the goal of the research to identify trends and changes in sand dune vegetation communities following a reduction of white-tailed deer browsing pressure. By evaluating the rate and level of change in vegetation diversity, structure, and composition, recommendations can be identified for land managers to assist in achieving effective management of protected areas in relation to deer populations and resulting community impacts.

Insect pests can cause substantial losses in crop yield and livestock. Conventional insecticides have lost efficacy due to insect resistance and have negative impacts on humans, animal health and the environment. There is a great need for effective insecticides that can provide solutions to these problems and that are compatible with sustainable approaches in agriculture The proposed research will investigate the insecticidal activity of experimental photodynamic insecticides developed by Suncor Energy Inc. against agricultural insect pests.

Genetic improvement is core to the long-term productivity and viability of all livestock industries. A review of crossbred genetic evaluation methods and approaches for national and international genetic improvement programs will determine the necessary improvements to make to AgSights’ genetic evaluation system (GES). Research will be conducted on hardware, software packages and statistical methods best suited to achieve these improvements. Research results that will be used to redevelop AgSights’ GES.

Injuries involving joint cartilage such as osteoarthritis (OA) are some of the most common causes of lameness and pain in equine. Sophisticated means of monitoring joint health status are needed to allow early detection and intervention as well as monitoring the effect of interventions. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of short non-coding RNAs, participate in various biological processes including cartilage development and homeostasis. miRNAs have been measured at the tissue level, in synovial fluid and serum, and may reflect some aspects of the health status of the animal.

This project will result in the generation of mathematical models that will predict the quality and sustainability of protein-based ingredients that are commonly used in dog diets. With the projected growth of human and pet populations, and increases in food production necessary to meet growing demands, providing Canadian pet food companies (such as our industry partner, Champion Petfoods) with the ability to rapidly identify ideal protein-based ingredients to select for dog diets based on environmental, financial, and biological sustainability is a top priority.