Projets novateurs réalisés

Ribosome population optimal control in protein expression

Expression of genes is one of the most essential biological processes underlying life. A fundamental part of this process is the translation of proteins, mediated by molecular machines known as ribosomes. Ribosomes contribute significantly to both cellular mass and energy consumption in the cell, which suggests that efficient management of ribosome population is crucial to metabolism and growth.

When the cell lacks specific nutrients, the active degradation and “recycling” of ribosomes can act as a source of nutrients, and the decrease in ribosomes also reduces energy consumption. On the other hand, fewer ribosomes are now available for production of proteins. What is not presently clear is the extent to which the recycling mechanism and the resulting control of ribosome population can be used as a strategy to optimize gene expression, in the presence of varying nutrient availability, over a long period of time. To address this, in our project we propose to develop and study a mathematical model of gene expression, and to mathematically derive and describe optimal strategies for regulating the ribosome population.

Testing Antifouling Performance of Graphene-based Coatings

Marine biofouling, which is the growth of organisms on ocean infrastructure, is a widespread problem with substantial economic and environmental costs. This project undertaken by the intern will evaluate the performance of a novel graphene-based antifouling coating developed by Graphite Innovation & Technologies (GIT). This coating is designed to be non-toxic, durable, and slippery, making it difficult for biofouling organsms to attach. A series of field tests will be used to help in the research and development process, refining the antifouling and durability characteristics of the coating. These real-world tests will benefit GIT helping to refine their technology and generating valuable information for marketing purposes.

Determining spatial and temporal overlap of migratory fishes with areas proposed for in-stream tidal turbine development to inform the tidal power Risk Assessment Program

The lack of scientific data on the potential effects of instream tidal power extraction on migratory fishes is delaying the decision-making process on a technology that shows promise for reducing carbon emissions, and for which Canada could become a global leader in the production of infrastructure. It remains unclear if fishes that occupy Canada’s leading tidal energy test site (Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy [FORCE], in Minas Passage, Nova Scotia) will be negatively affected by turbine installations. The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq/Mi’kmaw Conservation Group (MCG) highly values healthy ecosystems and the environment. It is critical to the MCG that any negative effects of future deployments of in-stream tidal power devices on valued marine species be accurately quantified. The objective of our study is to determine spatial and temporal overlap of fishes with areas scheduled for turbine deployment. We will use fish tracking technology from InnovaSea to determine spatial and temporal overlap of Alewife, Atlantic Salmon, Striped Bass, Spiny Dogfish, American Shad and Atlantic Sturgeon at the test site in Minas Passage, an area scheduled for turbine operations.

Development of Novel Chemistry for Copper Deposition by ALD

(Overview from original project, awaiting updated memo from Justin)

Copper is an important metal for microelectronics: it acts as interconnects (i.e.,
the wiring) between the devices in the microchip. As microchips get smaller, it is
more difficult to make this wiring by traditional methods. Thus, a new technology
(atomic layer deposition, ALD) is positioned to enable the deposition of copper
when interconnects need to be formed on the nanoscale. Presently, there is no
ALD process that adequately deposits copper with the necessary conductivity to
act as an interconnect.
This research will develop a family of copper-containing compounds that show
excellent characteristics for ALD. This family of compounds have been defined
in a provisional patent application, and this one term internship will provide the
improvements that this technology needs to demonstrate its excellence as a
premiere copper precursor

Solution-processed transparent electrodes for semi-transparent perovskite solar cells and tandem solar cells

The project consists in fabricating transparent electrodes using a method that can be used for industrial production. They are a key component to make semi-transparent perovskite solar cells, which can be an energy-producing alternative to windows and building facades.
The intern will do preliminary studies on the electrodes by depositing them using a well-documented, lab-scale methodology. Afterwards they will fabricate the electrodes with a scalable deposition technique and optimize the process. Then they will produce a semi-transparent perovskite solar cell using the optimized electrodes, and the other layers deposited as per the literature or the organization’s procedure. Finally, the intern will make a tandem solar cell by combining their best perovskite solar cell with a commercial silicon solar cell.
Rayleigh Solar Tech Inc. will benefit from this project as it will accelerate the commercialization of semi-transparent perovskite solar cells. Once the scalable process is deemed possible, manufacturing trials can begin.

AI-Powered Dispute Settlement

The objective of this project is to develop an algorithmic system, trained on both public legal data and proprietary negotiation data, that will provide tailored predictions of likely court-based dispute resolution outcomes and optimal settlements. In the proposed sub-project, a team of interns (JD students) will be modelling and labelling dispute-resolution data on complaints against hospitals and municipalities. We anticipate that a first dataset, ready for algorithmic model testing, will be completed by the end of the internship.

Évaluation des indices de durabilité de bétons armés innovants

Les indices de durabilité représentant les 3 modes de transport de l’eau et des agents agressifs dans le béton (perméabilité, absorption et diffusion) et permettant une évaluation de la durabilité du matériau ont été historiquement mesurés sur des bétons sains. Néanmoins, ces mesures ne reflétaient pas la réalité de structures fissurées et soumises à des chargements à la fois mécanique, hydrique, thermique et/ou chimique. Or, une identification des indices de durabilité sous chargement est nécessaire pour une meilleure prédiction de la durée de vie des structures en béton armé. C’est pour cela qu’il est primordial de développer une stratégie de mesure et de modélisation des 3 modes de transports simultanément dans le béton armé fissuré sous chargement. L’objectif de ce projet est de développer un appareil de mesure des indices de durabilité dans un béton sous chargement mécanique à partir d’un appareil déjà existant à Polytechnique Montréal.

L’intégration de la gestion des impacts sociaux, économiques et environnementaux (SEE) d’un immeuble dans le mode de gouvernance et de gestion des risques ESG des propriétaires d’immeubles

Les modes de gouvernance et les modèles d’affaires des propriétaires et investisseurs immobiliers sont actuellement bouleversés par la montée en importance du développement durable et des changements climatiques., ce qui met de l’avant les concepts de bâtiment durable (BD). En conséquence, ils sont appelés à adapter, voire transformer, leur modèle d’affaires et appliquer à la gestion de leurs actifs immobiliers une approche de cycle de vie et d’économie circulaire, tenant mieux compte des impacts sociaux économiques et environnementaux (SEE) sur leurs usagers, le voisinage et le territoire naturel dans lequel se situe un immeuble. Du même coup, le concept d’impacts SEE contribue à la matérialisation du concept de BD et à celui des risques environnementaux, sociaux et de gouvernance (ESG) des entreprises propriétaires d’immeubles.

Gouvernance de l’eau comparée: apprentissages institutionnels entre l’Argentine et le Canada

Les modalités dont les sociétés parviennent à gérer les ressources naturelles varient d’un pays à l’autre et entre les territoires qui les conforment. Ce projet porte sur une analyse comparative des arrangements institutionnels mis en œuvre par deux fédérations, comme l’Argentine et le Canada, a fin d’administrer leurs ressources en eau. À partir de l’étude des cas des provinces du Chubut et du Québec, le projet a pour but d’identifier des apprentissages communs sur la gouvernance de l’eau dans ces larges provinces du sud et du nord des Amériques. Il s’agit d’analyser les régulations mises en place pour préserver cette ressource et garantir son accès pour les différentes activités, notamment pour les activités agricoles. Il s’espère que le projet donne lieu à l’élaboration d’un rapport sur l’expérience de gouvernance de l’eau dans chacun de ces territoires et à une publication internationale sur les apprentissages réciproques pour chacun des deux pays.

Modélisation des pertes de charges en biofiltration

L’épuration des eaux usées par biofiltration est de plus en plus fréquente en raison de la compacité et des performances épuratoires de ce procédé. L’implantation en usine de ce type de traitement est bien connue, mais la manière de l’opérer reste à perfectionner. C’est au niveau des pertes de charge que le bât blesse; la perte de charge étant une variable majeure dans l’optimisation des cédules de lavage des biofiltres pour minimiser les débordements d’eaux usées. La perte de charge est constituée de trois composantes : 1) la perte de charge initiale, (2) la perte de charge due à l’encrassement (la perte de charge réversible), et (3) la perte de charge du au colmatage(la perte de charge irréversible).

Bernier (2014) a développé un modèle complet du procédé par biofiltration. La perte de charge initiale y est bien prédite pour les filtres propres. Si la perte de charge due à l’encrassement des filtres est généralement bien prédite, celle due au colmatage du filtre est difficile à simuler. L’objectif de ce projet de recherche est donc de proposer des modifications au modèle de Bernier (2014) pour améliorer la prédiction des pertes de charge et ainsi optimiser l’opération des biofiltres en usine.

Can a neuromuscular training insole alter low back muscular and postural responses?

Back posture and muscle activation are effected by the alignment and behaviour of joints below: the hip, knee, ankle, and foot. Neuromuscular training insoles use disruptive
technology to change how the feet respond to interactions with the ground. If such an insole can improve the foot??s ability to sense orientation/position and the required stabilization for normal and effective gait, it may be able to improve the performance of joints in the chain above. The proposed research will quantify activation in key muscles in the back, abdomen, pelvis, and legs (using surface electromyography), force plates, and three-dimensional motion profiles during standing, walking, and simulated work tasks in men and women. Measures will be taken before and after eight weeks of insole use. This research is expected to be very valuable to our partner in terms of product validation, research-based re-designs, and in the development of new products.

Uncertainty for prediction quality assessment in clinical settings

Deep learning has the potential to increase efficiency of many routine tasks in medical image analysis. For instance, segmentation, the detection of the boundaries of specific target structures like organs or tumors, is a tedious and time-consuming chore for clinicians. Robust deep learning models could assist medical personnel for this type of task. However, automatic segmentations using machine learning and in particular deep learning could lead to medical errors due to so-called silent failure. If a model fails to produce a reasonable output segmentation it doesn’t give a warning to the user. To avoid this issue, verification of each single case from experts is required. Associating each prediction with an uncertainty value can indicate which predictions need more attention from the medical specialists. Hence, exploring uncertainty estimation methods that correlate with segmentation quality (e.g., Dice score) would greatly benefit the medical field and the neuroscience community. This project aims to study factors impacting uncertainty, hence will lead to increase insight on the uncertainty mechanisms associated with neural network. The ultimate goal is to find concrete methods to evaluate uncertainty to identify particularly challenging cases likely to result in low-quality segmentations.