Projets novateurs réalisés

Development of nanoscale and microscale delivery vehicles for plant immune aids using protein coacervation and spray drying

Modern pesticides have revolutionized agriculture. However, growing concerns with pest resistance, environmental run-off, and a lack of capacity to deal with abiotic stresses associated with drought or extreme heat (critical issues with regards to climate change) demand new solutions. Suncor has developed new plant immune aids that address these challenges by fortifying the immunity of plants, with demonstrated efficacy in crop models. However, current formulations suffer from low bioavailability and low leaf retention, resulting in the need for frequent and costly re-applications. In response, in this proposed Elevate PDF, food proteins and carbohydrates will be used to encapsulate plant immune aids on both the microscale and the nanoscale using scalable and inexpensive complexation techniques. The encapsulation, degradation profile, stability, and cellular uptake of the delivery systems will be assessed. Furthermore, the transport of the developed particles through the waxy leaf barrier will be optimized by modifying the surface hydrophobicity and charge of the complexes. TO BE CONT’D

A novel adaptive skin detection and adjustment

Color has been a central issue in the digital imaging device industry. Customers want more

vivid and natural color presented on imaging devices such as displays, printers, and cameras.

Among various colors in the display system, skin color is the most critical references since it

has the most perceptive impact on human visual system and occupies relatively large area in

the reproduced video signals. Therefore, preferred skin color reproduction in imaging devices

has gained significant research attention recently. The objective of this research project is to

develop a preferred skin color reproduction technique that maximally enhances perceptual

visual quality of digital visual data while minimizing introduction of unnatural artifacts. The

proposed system will initially detect region that contain skin pixels within input image/video

frame and apply color correction algorithm to convert detected skin color to the preferred skin

color. The success of this project will strengthen our industrial partners’ technological

leadership and competitiveness.

Investigating the Antioxidant and Therapeutic Potential of Ergothioneine to prevent Cognitive Impairment in Elderly Subjects

Oxidative stress and inflammation can cause neuron degeneration and lead to mental disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease. Dementia is debilitating and poses economic burden to the patients, families, and society. Currently, no curative drugs have been developed to treat dementia. This study will be elucidating the mechanism of action and examining the anti-oxidative and therapeutic effects of ergothioneine (EGT) in cognitive impaired aged persons. EGT is proposed to decrease oxidative stress and inflammation. These will be characterized by special biomarker from body fluid such as 8-oxo-G (oxidized DNA nucleotide by oxidation) and IL6 (pro-inflammatory molecule). Within the three-month period at National University of Singapore, I will examine the level of oxidative and inflammatory biomarkers from blood and urine collected from elderly cognition impaired patients. The MRI scanning of the brain and cognitive assessments will also be analyzed to determine the therapeutic potential of EGT on these patients. Our hypothesis is that there will be a decrease in biomarkers, and the MRI scanning and cognitive assessment will reveal that patients taking EGT will have an enhancement in cognition.

Regulation of p53 translation following inhibition of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH)

A novel class of DHODH inhibitors called tetrahydroindazoles was recently identified in the group of professor Sonia Lain through screening of a commercially available chemical library for activators of p53. The hit compound HZ00 is able to slow tumor cell growth in culture, an effect which was reversed upon supplementation with uridine, and had little effect on the growth of normal cells. The aim of this project is understanding the mechanisms that underlie increased translation of p53 mRNA after DHODH inhibition. For that purpose, we will study whether inhibition of DHODH by different DHODH inhibitors alters the expression of a set of selected proteins and small non-coding RNAs that regulate p53 translation. The selection will be based on mRNA and small RNA sequencing data. The expression of small RNAs, mRNAs and proteins of interest will be investigated using RT-qPCR, siRNA and WB analysis in different cell lines.

Radon: Building a BC Based Response – Year two

Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas produced by the natural decay of uranium in rocks and soils. Radon can enter buildings and reach high levels in indoor air (Khan and Gomes, 2017). It is the second-leading cause of lung cancer (after smoking). killing approximating 3200 Canadians a year (Chen et al. 2012). High radon concentrations can be easily remedied, and doing so is a cost effective way to prolong life and reduce death from disease (Gaskin, et. al. 2018). However, Canada’s legal rights and remedies to respond to radon in Canada are largely inadequate (Dunn and Cooper, 2015). Action has been slow due to a lack of strong policy networks, and clear legal frameworks for change (Quastel, et. al.2018). In response, the British Columbia Lung Association (BCLA) has a new program on Indoor Healthy Environments, which includes scaling up radon education and awareness, building advocacy networks, and promoting legal change. BCLA requires someone with knowledge of law, policy and social science of the built environment for this new program. TO BE CONT’D

Radon: Building a BC Based Response

Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas produced by the natural decay of uranium in rocks and soils. Radon can enter buildings and reach high levels in indoor air (Khan and Gomes, 2017). It is the second-leading cause of lung cancer (after smoking). killing approximating 3200 Canadians a year (Chen et al. 2012). High radon concentrations can be easily remedied, and doing so is a cost effective way to prolong life and reduce death from disease (Gaskin, et. al. 2018). However, Canada’s legal rights and remedies to respond to radon in Canada are largely inadequate (Dunn and Cooper, 2015). Action has been slow due to a lack of strong policy networks, and clear legal frameworks for change (Quastel, et. al.2018). In response, the British Columbia Lung Association (BCLA) has a new program on Indoor Healthy Environments, which includes scaling up radon education and awareness, building advocacy networks, and promoting legal change. BCLA requires someone with knowledge of law, policy and social science of the built environment for this new program. TO BE CONT’D

Solar harvesting textiles for self-powered health monitoring and human-machine interactions – Year two

Wearable electronics has become one of the most intensive research fields due to the ability to improve human life, enable interaction in the virtual world and the demand for portable electronics. Textiles with embedded electronic elements hold great potential for the next generation of health monitoring and human-machine interaction devices. Flexible sensors built on textiles convert physical movements of the human body into measurable signals, which allows real-time monitoring and precise measurement. However, a power source is needed to support the operation of the devices. Flexible photovoltaic devices fabricated from polymers have the advantages of being light-weight, low-cost, and scalable in manufacturing. By integrating flexible photovoltaic devices with sensors, it is possible to develop a self-powered sensing textile that allows continuous highly sensitive monitoring without external power supply. TO BE CONT’D

Solar harvesting textiles for self-powered health monitoring and human-machine interactions

Wearable electronics has become one of the most intensive research fields due to the ability to improve human life, enable interaction in the virtual world and the demand for portable electronics. Textiles with embedded electronic elements hold great potential for the next generation of health monitoring and human-machine interaction devices. Flexible sensors built on textiles convert physical movements of the human body into measurable signals, which allows real-time monitoring and precise measurement. However, a power source is needed to support the operation of the devices. Flexible photovoltaic devices fabricated from polymers have the advantages of being light-weight, low-cost, and scalable in manufacturing. By integrating flexible photovoltaic devices with sensors, it is possible to develop a self-powered sensing textile that allows continuous highly sensitive monitoring without external power supply. TO BE CONT’D

Roles des technologies langagieres dans les organisations

La stagiaire se propose d’explorer systematiquement I’offre de technologies langagieres au

Canada et de mettre en parallele cette offre avec les roles des systemes d’information dans

les organisations tels qu’ils sont presentes par Gurbaxani et Whang (1991).

Megalexis, cabinet linguistique multiservice situe a Montreal, est bien place pour formuler des

preoccupations et des questions relativement au marche des technologies langagieres,

auxquelles la stagiaire s’efforcera de repondre en dressant Ie panorama de ce marche. En

outre, Megalexis, pourrait tirer de la description detaillee des fonctions et des caracteristiques

de chaque outil des indications sur la maniere d’optimiser I’adequation des outils en place et

d’autres outils avec ses besoins. Par ailleurs, Ie fait de disposer d’un panorama complet et

actuel de I’offre en technologies langagieres constitue un moyen de promotion des acteurs

de !’industrie de la langue et des membres de “AILIA (Association canadienne des industries

de la langue).

Global dynamics of descending interneuron function in free-moving Caenorhabditis elegans

Enacting complex behaviours, such as locomotion, involves network-wide integration of information at the level of the nervous system. This understanding highlights the need for appropriate technologies to monitor the global dynamics of neurons in these networks. However, previous studies employing model organisms have been limited to low resolution imaging, few neurons and/or immobilized specimens. In order to systematically correlate the generalities of behavior to neuronal and neural circuit function, concurrent brain-wide monitoring of the activities of many neurons in unperturbed animals is required. The current study will employ advanced microscopy methods in conjunction with sophisticated genetic tools and computational analysis algorithms utilized in a relatively recently developed experimental paradigm to monitor head neuron dynamics on a global scale in free-moving Caenorhabditis elegans. In so doing, our overarching objectives are to 1) describe on a network-wide level how neuron function contributes to forward and backward locomotion and 2) characterize how descending input from higher-level interneurons, themselves often poorly characterized in the context of locomotion, contribute to general and goal-oriented behavior. We anticipate that our findings will underscore a network density in C. elegans analogous to that of large organisms, including vertebrate spinal cords. To Be Cont’d.

Mapping forest structure using multi-frequency RADAR data

The goal of this research is to map forest structure (height, plant cover) in the rain forest region of Queensland, Australia. This requires the use of RADAR data as it is not weather dependent, i.e., can see through clouds in a region that experiences 1,424 mm of rain annually. This work builds upon my undergraduate thesis (completion date May 2019) results which developed automated methods (Python code) to include multi-frequency RADAR data which should improve our ability to discriminate forest structure (tree height, plant cover). If our project is successful at improving the ability to map forest structure in a rain forest, than the future of the project will be to apply the automated methods to a synoptic region for operational applications. Expected outcomes include (a) the completion of a manuscript for publication based on thesis results (Murray, Storie and Sims, 2019); (b) better understanding of how L- and S-band data interact with forest structure; and (c) the potential improvement in the ability to map forest structure using multi-frequency RADAR data.

Brazing Metallurgies and Processes for Attaching Sintered Carbide Tiles – Year two

A two-year study on brazing technologies used for sintered tungsten carbide tiles is proposed to address the following technical objectives: 1) brazing metallurgy for sintered tungsten carbide and substrate high strength steel, 2) adherence mechanisms between different braze compositions and carbide tiles, 3) brazing parameters for optimized brazed joint performance, and 4) the mechanical stresses developed through the brazing process. The goals of the project will be 1) a full understanding of the current technologies used to braze carbide tiles, and 2) recommendations for the selection of braze metallurgies for optimum brazed tungsten carbide performance. The findings in this project will be used as a foundation for a guideline on brazing technologies. InnoTech Alberta, our funding partner, will use the findings to oil companies and equipment manufactures, leading to increased durability and reliability of mining equipment.