The Macassa Mine has historically been a major producer of gold in Kirkland Lake, Ontario. Recently, Kirkland Lake Gold Inc. discovered a new South Mine Complex (SMC) which is one of the highest grade gold deposits in Canada. Mineralization in the SMC appears more sulphide rich than in the Main Break of the Macassa Mine, and this project proposes geochemical and isotopic studies on the rocks of the SMC.

The objective of this project is to participate in the development of automated methods for the extraction of cartographic features from satellite images with high spatial resolutions. Emphasis will be placed on man-made features of interest, including roads, settlement extent and large infrastructures, etc. This will involve review and performance assessment of existing methods, data preprocessing, software implementation and evaluation of new image processing methods suitable for high resolution images.

Mespere Lifesciences Inc. (Waterloo, ON) has developed a technology platform based upon near infrared spectroscopy for non-invasive, real time monitoring of the hemodynamics within central venous blood vessels. The project engineer will help in the development of a beta version of a handheld non-invasive central venous pressure monitor. Mespere currently has a working prototype based on a laptop and the new and clear requirements and execution plan for the development of a final commercial product.

In 2009, an estimated 23,400 Canadians will be diagnosed with lung cancer and 20,500 will die of it. Once diagnosed, the treatment of choice is surgical resection of the tumour using Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS), in which two major problems exist: locating the tumour and an impaired ability to feel the tissue under examination. This project aims to develop a minimally invasive tumour localization device that can be used to palpate tissue and accurately distinguish between soft healthy tissue and tumours that are relatively stiffer.

CENNATEK Bioanalytical Services Inc. is leading a R&D project with the goal of using Jerusalem artichoke as a feedstock for the production of ethanol, inulin and biomass pellets. The Jerusalem artichoke crop contains large amounts of carbohydrates, mainly inulin, which can be converted to sugars such as fructose. Fructose is used as a sweetener in the food industry and has several health benefits. The inulin, other extractable sugars, and cellulose can also be used to produce ethanol.

Forest fires are a natural feature of the Canadian landscape, but they pose a threat to individuals and property. Being able to predict the behaviour of a given forest fire is an important element in successfully managing fire suppression resources. Alberta Department of Sustainable Resource Development is responsible for PROMETHEUS, Canada's foremost fire growth modeling tool. PROMETHEUS is a program which simulates the growth of a fire from a single ignition. Currently, it doesn't allow for any kind of randomness or uncertainty.

Risk to residential and commercial properties due to wildfire in areas of increased human habitation is an important but relatively unstudied phenomenon. Insurers are likely exposed to an increasing risk in the face of climate change and increased population in forested areas. The internship’s aim is to study this problem and to provide an estimate of the probability of a major wildfire event in the Muskoka region of Central Ontario sometime in the next ten years. The research team will also estimate the loss which insurers would expect to incur if such an event were to occur.

Ultraviolet reactors are currently used on a commercial scale to disinfect fluids such as drinking water and secondary effluent. However, current reactor designs are limited in their ability to treat optically thick fluids, due to the short penetration of the UV in these fluids. New reactor designs are required to overcome this problem. This internship will use computer modeling to simulate the behaviour of a novel reactor for treating fluids with UV radiation. The modeling will help to determine the critical design parameters for treating various fluids.

The project with Revolution Engine Corporation, a development stage company striving to commercialize a novel internal combustion engine, will simulate the airflow into and out of the expansion and compression of cylinders of the revolution engine. As a secondary objective the research will model the stresses and temperatures in the engine header through which the air flows. These tasks will require dynamic modelling of the reciprocating pistons and tappet valves. As a result the project will require considerable human expertise and computing resources.

The medical team at the Asthma Centre at St. Joseph’s Hospital in London, Ontario is dedicated to providing the best care for its patients. Extensive investigations at the clinic have revealed that many patients present with functional dyspnea, the experience of breathlessness without an identifiable cause. Despite its undetectable organic pathology, those affected by functional dyspnea have a decreased quality of life. Unfortunately, the medical sphere is ill-equipped to provide treatment for patients whose symptoms do not have an identifiable origin.