mRNA is an essential biomolecule that is ‘translated’ into protein which is another type of biolmolecule that is essential to life. All mRNA has what is called a cap. The cap portion of the mRNA is necessary for initiating the translation process. To make the capped mRNA for therapeutic applications, such as mRNA vaccines, the cap must first be prepared chemically. The industrial partner synthesizes different types of caps and attaches them to mRNA. These capped mRNAs are then evaluated as novel mRNA therapeutics such as mRNA vaccines.

The goal of this project is to create a 3D object detection system that can operate effectively in a variety of conditions and locations, improving the reliability and safety of self-driving cars. This will provide a benefit to the partner organization by enabling the development of autonomous vehicles that can adapt to different environments. By supporting the project and collaborating with the intern, the partner organization can play a key role in advancing the development of autonomous driving technology in Canada.

Indigenous and non-Indigenous natural resource managers and salmon agencies in the Yukon have identified extensive knowledge gaps surrounding juvenile Chinook salmon and their use of rearing and overwintering habitats. This knowledge gap limits the ability of resource managers to establish effective freshwater conservation and protection measures for these fish.

Decarbonizing the transportation sector and scaling up energy storage are critical for the transition to a net-zero economy. This project will study the potential of connecting fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) to the electrical grid as distributed energy storage and/or electricity generators to supply electricity to the grid when needed. This FCEVs-to-grid pathway can maximize the benefits of the hydrogen infrastructure expansion in Canada to decarbonize both the transportation and power sectors, while providing incentives to FCEV owners.

Patients often have significant trouble accessing proper medical attention from physicians. In many countries, there is a severe shortage of family doctors, and patients may be far away from the nearest physician. As a result, online medical platforms like Maple have surfaced. However, such platforms are limited for making proper diagnoses, as they focus on textual communication or meeting with the patient through a conventional video chat. Therefore, in this project we aim to build virtual reality solutions to assist physicians in meeting with and diagnosing remotely located patients.

Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, has been estimated to affect 450 million people in the global population. To date, there is no cure for diabetes; however, it can be controlled by regulating the sugar intake in the blood. The traditional self-monitoring devices are invasive and require the user to prick their fingers and extract blood drops to measure blood glucose based on chemical reactions, which is a painful process and processes a risk of infection.

The goal of the research project is to evaluate the potential of wetland restoration as a tool for improving water quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Project partner Ducks Unlimited Canada’s Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research (DUCs IWWR) has been collecting water quality and greenhouse gas data in wetlands in Ontario and the prairies, which are both regions with intensive agriculture and extensive wetland loss.

Autonomous fleet mobility (AFM) is vital for future mobility of health and long-term care facilities and public transportations to reduce costs and alleviate the shortage of staff and nurses. Currently, costly on-vehicle sensors are used for autonomous vehicles that significantly increase production costs and produce massive data that must be processed locally.

The pandemic has had a devastating impact on mental health, substance use and homelessness in Canada. The pandemic has also made visible the current patchwork system of care provided in the private, public. It is expected that the medium-long term mental health and substance use impacts of the pandemic will be significant at both the level of individual and the system.

An integrated methodology and platform are proposed to improve decarbonization of existing buildings. Circular engineering concepts will be implemented to reduce construction waste, carbon emissions, and costs associated with renovation, retrofitting and adaptive reuse of existing buildings. Novel design methodologies and technologies are explored for optimizing design option generation using various spatial, environmental and economic factors simultaneously.