Innovative Projects Realized

Explore thousands of successful projects resulting from collaboration between organizations and post-secondary talent.

29670 Completed Projects

2811
AB
4990
BC
801
MB
663
NL
825
SK
8841
ON
9197
QC
95
PE
568
NB
1088
NS

Projects by Category

Evaluation of terminal complement cascade inhibitors using in vitro and in vivo models of age-related macular degeneration and in Alzheimer’s Disease

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness that is estimated to affect over 6 million people globally. There are currently no approved treatments for dry AMD, the most common form of the disease. Various lines of inquiry suggest that dysregulation of a part of the innate immune system called complement plays a key role in the progression of AMD. This research project aims to (a) further explore the underlying causes of the disease, and (b) evaluate potential treatments in pre-clinical studies. Interns will conduct laboratory experiments using model systems and investigational drugs. Research results will help guide the partner organization’s drug development program.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Joanne Matsubara

Student:

Partner:

Paragon Ventures

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program:

Accelerate

Accelerated development of a recombinant protein vaccine against COVID-19 by integrating the SARS-CoV-2 S-protein antigen with a new delivery system

The objective of this proposal is to develop a new candidate recombinant protein vaccine for the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) based on a novel protein delivery and adjuvant technology, iPDT. If successful, this research will advance another COVID-19 vaccine candidate(s) to the pipeline toward clinical use. The causative agent of COVID-19 is SARS coronavirus (CoV)-2. The spike (S) protein of CoV protrudes from and covers the surface of virus particles and interacts with host cell to initiate infection. We will test if the S protein derivatives induce protective antibody responses when delivered in conjunction with iPTD. In prior studies, we observed that a protein modified by iPTD elicited an earlier and stronger antibody response in mice compared to the commonly used adjuvant, alum. We are expecting that the SARS-CoV-2 S protein with iPTD delivery system can be adopted as a strategy to quickly generate a vaccine for COVID-19.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Masahiro Niikura

Student:

Partner:

iProgen Biotech Inc

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Simon Fraser University

Program:

Accelerate

Validation of the Rootd App for Reducing Anxiety and Panic Attacks

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s become quite apparent that mental health needs to be prioritized. Due to the demands of social isolation, getting adequate mental health support can be difficult. However, the mobile application Rootd provides a low-cost and large-scale solution to this problem, as it can help the average person deal with increased anxiety and panic attacks. In this proposed work, we will undertake a scientific validation of the Rootd app through the use of methods from psychology and neuroscience. That is, we will track participants anxiety levels and panic attacks rates as user use the app. As well, we will collect people’s brain waves as they go through an 8-week cycle of using the app to provide further objective measures of the app’s effectiveness. We hope that this work will provide one possible solution to the mental health crisis that arose following COVID-19.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Olave Krigolson

Student:

Partner:

Rootd

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Victoria

Program:

Accelerate

How can hormone monitoring can improve women’s health?

Eli Health is developing a novel biosensing device to monitor sex hormones in saliva and a mobile application that leverages machine learning to interpret them. The mission of the organization is to enable women to take control of their health across their lives. It will first commercialize the device for fertility and contraception applications. In collaboration with Seasy Huang and academic supervisor Dr. Charlotte Usselman, this research explores other use cases where of hormone monitoring can have a positive impact on women’s health.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Charlotte Usselman

Student:

Partner:

Eli Health

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

McGill University

Program:

Accelerate

AI-enhanced Automated and Large-scale Real Estate Valuation

House price valuation and forecasting are considered as critical urban problems that aid individuals and organizations to execute a variety of property-related practices such as property purchase and selling, taxation, and mortgage property. This project aims to collect appropriate features for house price modeling and to develop a combined machine learning-graph modeling approach to have an accurate property value assessment model. Then, a spatial-temporal prediction model based on deep learning is designed for future house price forecasting. The intern involved in this project encounters a real-world project with plenty of practical instructive experiences. Additionally, he can attain a priceless experience of working on industry research. The partnering academic institutions will gain valuable insight into new and accurate house price modeling and prediction, which is one of the most trending real estate problems.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Zheng Liu

Student:

Partner:

Offerland

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Information and cultural industries; Real estate and rental and leasing

University:

The University of British Columbia - Okanagan

Program:

Accelerate

Identifying Dominant Anaerobic Microorganismsfor Degradation of Benzene

Contamination of soils and groundwater with gasoline often results in the development of anaerobic
zones. Benzene is particularly persistent under anaerobic conditions even in the enhanced anaerobic
biodegradation (EAB) process. Degradation of benzene has been demonstrated under nitratereducing
condition, and sulphate-reducing condition. However, information of dominant indigenous
species within the microorganisms for degrading benzene is still limited. In order to identify the target
bacteria, a novel approach is required, which requires less biomass and provides direct evidence for
benzene incorporation. Enrichment of benzene-degrading microorganisms with [13C] benzene and
nutrients implementation is a prerequisite for target bacteria identification. Dominant bacteria identities
will be revealed by pyrosequencing. Benzene incorporation by the isolated bacteria will be
demonstrated by SR-FTIR spectromicroscopy analysis of [13C] benzene. In this manner it is believed
to provide direct evidence for benzene incorporation by dominant indigenous bacteria, and furnish
useful information about their structure, function, and dynamics….

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Faculty Supervisor:

Jian Peng

Student:

Partner:

Stantec Consulting (Saskatoon, SK)

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Saskatchewan

Program:

Accelerate

Nanostructured ceramic catalysts for fuel cells

Currently, burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas as a primary source of energy is a contributor to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide and climate change. Fuel cells are a promising environmentally friendly technology for sustainable clean energy, where the only byproduct is water. An important component of fuel cells for generating electricity is the ‘catalyst’, a material that allows for key chemical reactions to happen. Current difficulties in fuel cell technology are the cost-effectiveness and stability of these catalysts which deteriorate after long term use, these factors have hampered their widespread application in vehicles and homes. The proposed research aims to use the beneficial properties of polymers to make stable hard materials (ceramics) with lessexpensive and highly active catalysts embedded within. The potential benefits of the research are highly active, lower cost, and stable catalysts, furthering the commercial viability of fuel cells and a greener future.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Ian Manners

Student:

Partner:

Blue-O Technology Inc.

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Manufacturing; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Victoria

Program:

Accelerate

Computer Vision Algorithms for USV mounted Real-Time Marine Vessel Detection Systems

This is a feasibility study for designing an automatic marine vessel detection system that can be used by an Unmanned Surface Vehicle. Following a thorough exploration of the challenges related to the video date acquired on the boat by our partner, we will come up with recommendations for the best camera hardware setup and preprocessing techniques that improve video quality. Next, state-of-art machine learning techniques for target detection will be applied to spot the marine vessels. We will design prototypes for both training our machine learning models on the server side and for testing it on the boat processor. The output of this system, along with the collected data from the other sensors of the boat may be interpreted and integrated by our partner to create a robust, real-time, boat-embedded autonomous marine vessel detection and tracking system.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Alexandra Branzan Albu

Student:

Partner:

Open Ocean Robotics

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Victoria

Program:

Accelerate

Impact of Bioavailable Peptides Generated from Collagen Hydrolysates on Bone Remodeling

Genacol Canada Corporation Inc. manufactures a collagen hydrolysate (CH) product, sourced from bovine (Genacol® Original Formula), that has shown promising and positive results in three clinical trials for decreasing joint pain, as well as having a positive effect on articular cartilage. Following digestion, and first pass metabolism, CHs release peptides that have been shown to be the health promoting component of the supplement. New research trends have suggested that joint pain is a multi-tissue disease, and not only attributed to articular degradation. The bones that meet at are
still unclear. For this reason, our proposed study aims to identify the effects that CHs have on bone remodeling and inflammation using osteoblast and osteoclast cell culture. This approach will help establish the health promoting properties of Genacol CH and will also aid in the development of more potent and targeted product in the future.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Stan Kubow

Student:

Partner:

Genacol Canada Corporation Inc

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

McGill University

Program:

Accelerate

Electrophysiological studies of medical cannabinoids on 3D human cerebral organoids and neuroglial cultures

Epilepsy, characterized by recurrent seizures, affects 1% of the population. More than 30% of patients are drug-resistant, a significant burden to their lives. New innovative ways to treat the disorder are needed. Cannabidiol (CBD), a nonpsychoactive compound derived from the cannabis plant, has been shown to be a promising new treatment for epilepsy. In collaboration with Avicanna, we will test the antiepileptic effects of CBD and other cannabinoids alone and in combination with common anticonvulsant drugs on both mouse and human brain tissue. In addition, we will also develop a high-throughput multi-well brain slice recording system.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Peter Carlen

Student:

Partner:

Avicanna Inc

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Toronto

Program:

Accelerate

Intégration et évaluation des performances d’un système d’échantillonnage embarqué sur drone pour le suivi de la qualité des eaux de surface.

L’objectif de cette recherche est d’intégrer un système d’échantillonnage (SE) de l’eau développé par l’INRS à la technologie de drone de DroneXperts. Le stagiaire devra adapter le système de fixation du SE au drone, intégrer son système de contrôle à celui du drone et effectuer les essais en milieu contrôlé et réel. La réalisation de ce projet permettra à l’entreprise partenaire (DroneXperts) de commercialiser ce nouveau système et également d’offrir son service d’échantillonnage par drone. DroneXperts a actuellement un système d’échantillonnage et de mesure de l’air ambiant par drone. Ce nouveau système viendra s’ajouter à cette expertise de l’entreprise en surveillance environnementale.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Karem Chokmani

Student:

Partner:

DroneXperts

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Université du Québec : Institut national de la recherche scientifique

Program:

Accelerate

Développement d’une stratégie pancanadienne pour la gestion de la résilience des infrastructures naturelles

Face aux changements globaux, nos infrastructures naturelles, et donc les services qu’elles produisent, sont fortement menacées et le risque de les voir disparaître est de plus en plus inquiétant Ainsi, afin de maintenir – voire augmenter – les services rendus par nos infrastructures naturelles pour le bénéfices des 83% de canadiens vivant en milieux urbains, nous avons besoin d’une planification des aménagements intégrant les infrastructures naturelles au même titre que les infrastructures grises pour garantir la fourniture de certains services écosystémiques face à un futur imprévisible et incertain. Avec des ressources limitées, il est primordial de prioriser nos efforts de restauration, de conservation et d’amélioration de la résilience. Ainsi, afin de permettre aux gestionnaires d’aujourd’hui de prendre des décisions axées sur l’amélioration de la résilience des infrastructures vertes sur le long terme, ils ont besoin d’évaluer trois critères cruciaux de leurs milieux : i) les services écosystémiques, ii) la diversité biologique et iii) la connectivité écologique.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Sylvain Delagrange;Brian Leung

Student:

Partner:

Habitat

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Agriculture; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

McGill University; Université du Québec en Outaouais

Program:

Accelerate