Projets novateurs réalisés

Synthesis of a photoswitchable DNA quadruplex (G4) with tetra-fluorinated azobenzene

G-quadruplex (G4) are a type of DNA or RNA that can fold into different types of structures, where four guanine bases are held together by Hoosteen hydrogen bonds. The type of structure that forms plays a key role in genomic events that can affect telomerase activity. Unregulated, telomerase can cause tumour formation, and in some cases, cancer. By targeting G4s, it is possible to prevent tumour formation. While there have been the development of G4-binding ligands to chemically modulate G4 formation, to the best of our knowledge, no one has attempted to modulate G4 structure directly from within the structure itself. We aim to incorporate a tetra-fluorinated azobenzene chemical modification into a G4 structure. Azobenzenes have photoswitchable properties that disrupt molecule structure have been used in other types of RNA drugs (ex. short interfering RNAs) to control drug activity, turning it on or off after exposure to certain wavelengths, based on the chemical substituents on the azobenzene structure. In the case of a tetra-fluorinated azobenzene, its structure can be controlled through the use of blue and green light.

Soutenir la mise en place de milieux d’activités sociales plus inclusif pour les personnes cérébrolésées : une recherche-intervention

Les lésions cérébrales affectent plus de 4% de la population canadienne. Une des conséquences majeures de ce
type de lésions n’est pas nécessairement physique : elle est sociale. En effet, la participation sociale des
personnes cérébrolésées diminue drastiquement après un accident, ce qui génère de l’isolement et d’autres
problématiques importantes liées entre autres à la santé mentale.
Selon la documentation scientifique, un des obstacles majeurs à la participation sociale des personnes
cérébrolésées est le manque d’inclusivité des milieux d’activités. Par exemple, les personnes cérébrolésées se
butent souvent à la stigmatisation, à l’exclusion et aux préjugés dans ces milieux. Pourtant, malgré l’importance
de la participation sociale pour le rétablissement et l’inclusion sociale de cette population, peu d’intervention
actuelle mise sur la mise en place de milieux d’activités plus inclusifs.
L’objectif de ce projet est donc de – en collaboration avec le Centre de recherche pour l’inclusion sociale des
personnes en situation de handicap (CRISPESH), l’Association des accidentés cérébrovasculaires et traumatisés
crâniens de l’Estrie, ainsi que Lésion Cérébrale Canada – développer, expérimenter et analyser une approche
d’intervention visant à soutenir les milieux d’activités sociales à devenir plus inclusif pour les personnes
cérébrolésées.

Remote Wireless Charging and Energy Harvesting

The main objective of this project is to offer efficient and commercially viable solutions for wireless power transfer to portable devices such as Recon’s wearable units. The first phase of the research is dedicated to determine pros and cons of various such techniques and the maximum power and distance for wireless power delivery to such systems. The transferred power can be used as a top-up power to extend the battery life of the products. If the results of the first stage indicates that we can reliably deliver more than top-up power, the extra power will be used to charge the battery as well. Using reliable power sources for wireless power transmission, we plan to reduce the size of the battery on the portable devices and provide better user experience for Recon’s customers.

Momentum Resolved Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are a family of materials that are host to many quantum phenomena which could potentially be used to build the next generation of high-speed, energy-efficient electronic devices. These materials are comprised of atomically thin sheets stacked on top of each other, with the interactions between sheets playing a critical role in determining the physical properties that are exhibited. By controlling how sheets are stacked and introducing new atoms between sheets, it is possible to fine tune the properties of TMDs for specific use cases. The focus of this research project is to investigate the effects of stacking on the electronic properties of tantalum diselenide (a common TMD). This will be accomplished by using momentum-resolved electron-energy-loss spectroscopy in a transmission electron microscope. In this technique a beam of high energy electrons is used to excite different electronic processes inside a specimen, with the electrons losing some of their energy in the process. Passing these electrons through different filters then makes it possible to map out the energy-momentum relationship of the processes in question. Ultimately, this project will provide new data to the field of TMD research.

Preparation of High Entropy Cermet Powders for Thermal Spray

With an ever-expanding list of critical materials and minerals, it is crucial to find sustainable material solutions to well-established industrial requirements. High-entropy materials, i.e. materials that mix 5 or more constituents in near equi-atomic proportions, could mitigate these issues by offering highly resistant and stable materials. As a result, addressing the issues of critical materials could come from the replacement of certain materials by high-entropy counterparts made of non- (or less-) critical materials.

This project aims to specifically address the issue of ceramic-metals, also called “cermets”, that are often used as high-temperature seals or for tooling applications, with materials such as tungsten-carbide (WC). These materials are sought for their high hardness, high temperature resistance and high corrosion resistance. These applications are typically achieved by developing coatings via thermal spray, a high-temperature process in which melted or heated powder materials are sprayed onto a surface.

By relying on routine preparation methods such as gas atomization or high-energy ball milling, this research project aims to prepare high-entropy cermet powders, that could be used to develop coatings via thermal spray. The project will explore the processing and spraying of the powder as well as the thorough characterization of the powders and obtained coatings.

Application of engineering grade vector flow ultrasound in human physiological study

This project will stimulate discovery into blood flow dynamics and strengthen ties between Canada and Japan. By learning advanced techniques from Japan’s cutting-edge Verasonics ultrasound system, the intern will study large veins and the heart during physiological stressors including body tilting, breathing maneuvers and exercise. The potential discoveries may help uncover diagnostic imaging capabilities to better characterize normal and pathological cardiovascular function. This knowledge transfer can expand Canadian research, allowing Waterloo’s innovation capacity to advance work in application of next-generation ultrasound in cardiovascular physiology.
Importantly, the project fosters collaboration across physiology and engineering, leveraging expertise from Dr. Saijo’s Japanese team and Waterloo’s Dr. Au. Together, they aim to develop imaging techniques that will not only enhance Canadian capacity in physiological and ultrasound research but also contribute new methodologies for application of biomedical engineering globally.
The University of Waterloo is already recognized for promoting interdisciplinary projects and will serve as a hub to further grow ideas learned from Japan, creating opportunities for Canadian researchers. Through the Mitacs Globalink program, this project stands to drive Canada’s role in biomedical engineering innovation forward, bridging diverse fields for impactful, pioneering discoveries.

Evaluating Non-Market Investment Benchmarks and Liquidity Premiums in Canadian Pension Funds

Le projet de recherche proposé vise à étudier comment les fonds de pension canadiens peuvent mieux évaluer la performance de leurs investissements, en particulier ceux qui ne sont pas cotés en bourse, comme l’immobilier ou les infrastructures. Le stagiaire fera une revue des études existantes pour identifier des indices de référence (ou benchmarks) qui permettraient de mesurer ces performances. Il se penchera aussi sur la prime de liquidité, une compensation pour les investisseurs qui placent leur argent dans des marchés moins liquides. Ce projet bénéficiera non seulement au Régime de retraites de l’Université de Montréal (RRUM), mais aussi à d’autres fonds de pension au Canada en les aidant à prendre de meilleures décisions d’investissement pour garantir les pensions à long terme.

Remote Patient Blood Glucose Monitoring using rPPG

The project will enable contactless measurement of blood glucose using remote Photoplethysmography (rPPG) technology using patients’ face or finger videos which is a comparatively new artefact. There is a lack of training data and the blood volume pulse (BVP) signal extracted from the videos suffer from a lot of noise resulting in poor measurement accuracy. The proposed research will develop novel signal extraction and noise reduction techniques, new machine learning models to measure blood glucose, and collect new training data to improve the reliability of the methods for remote video-based blood glucose monitoring. The technology can contribute to patient wellbeing by enabling non-invasive blood glucose measurement, improve the quality of remote healthcare provisioning by allowing physicians to remotely check patients’ blood glucose levels, improve wellbeing of the caregivers by simplifying the task, and prevent serious health problems and hospitalization due to improper blood glucose levels.

Stabilisation géochimique des fosses remblayées et ennoyées avec du Bauxsol

Ce projet de recherche porte sur l’étude approfondie des propriétés du Bauxsol™, un produit dérivé de résidus de bauxite, pour améliorer la qualité de l’eau dans les fosses de mines à ciel ouvert. Ces fosses sont généralement remplies d’eau après la fin des activités minières et contiennent des résidus miniers et des stériles susceptibles de libérer des métaux lourds et d’acidifier l’eau. Le projet se concentrera sur l’évaluation de l’efficacité du Bauxsol™ à neutraliser l’acidité et à immobiliser les métaux lourds, comme le fer, l’aluminium et le manganèse, pour éviter qu’ils ne contaminent l’eau des fosses. L’objectif est de proposer une solution durable pour la gestion des sites miniers après leur fermeture, en réduisant les impacts environnementaux à long terme. De plus, le Bauxsol™ présente l’avantage d’être un produit dérivé de déchets industriels, ce qui permettrait de réduire les coûts associés à l’achat de produits chimiques traditionnels, tout en valorisant ces résidus. Les résultats attendus du projet pourraient ainsi offrir à l’organisation partenaire une approche innovante et rentable pour la restauration des sites miniers, contribuant à une gestion plus responsable des ressources et à une réduction de l’empreinte écologique des activités minières.

Smart MLOps: Supporting Machine Learning Pipelines with Drift Detection and Model Adaptation

This project aims to enhance responsible AI in dynamic environments by leveraging data drift detection and model adaptation techniques. By collaborating with IFS Canada, this project seeks to synergize academic exploration with real-world application, creating a dynamic partnership that bridges the gap between theoretical advancements and practical solutions. This project, focused on developing reliable AI solutions, seamlessly aligns with IFS’s core values of innovation and optimizing business processes. Key among IFS’ principles is ‘Trust’. In this collaboration, we commit to reinforcing this value by prioritizing AI model reliability and transparency. Through rigorous validation and accountability, our research aims to create AI models that consistently deliver accurate insights. This mirrors IFS Canada’s ‘Trust’ value, reinforcing their reputation as a dependable provider of enterprise software solutions.

Amélioration de l’analyse de la qualité des semences bovines par cytométrie.

DMV GénétiQ est une PME qui œuvre dans le domaine de la reproduction animale spécifiquement en exploitant un centre de récolte de semence de taureaux. Ses activités se résument en la récolte, la congélation, le sexage de la semence ainsi que la vente au niveau local et international. Chez DMV GenetiQ, les taureaux sont des sujets génétiquement supérieurs qui transmettent leurs qualités à leur progéniture, ce qui se traduit par une augmentation des performances à l’intérieur des troupeaux où leur semence est utilisée. La congélation de la semence de taureaux demeure un défi important et les résultats de nos recherches antérieures nous ont permis de mettre au point des procédés de cryopréservation améliorés. Nous voulons poursuivre sur cette lancée, en évaluant l’effet du plasma riche en plaquettes sur certaines structures précises des spermatozoïdes ainsi que sur leur motilité. La recherche au niveau de notre entreprise est d’une importance primordiale. C’est un domaine dynamique et en constante évolution et les avancées qui en découlent nous permettent de développer de nouveaux procédés et/ou produits. La recherche agit comme un moteur d’innovation et se veut un levier incontournable pour la croissance d’une entreprise.

CLIMB: Co-operators LLM-driven Interface to MLOps for Business

Machine Learning (ML)-based software quickly becomes complex due to being developed by multiple teams using different programming languages, with documentation stored in various locations. This complexity introduces communication and collaboration challenges, specially due to the fact that Co-operators Business Intelligence department manages over 1,150 assets, which includes ML models, APIs, databases, and more. The current tool for centralizing information, BAM PowerApps, suffers from performance issues, which limits its adoption by developers. Consequently, when maintaining and integrating code into ML projects, developers still face challenges in finding information and documents from other teams. The objective of the project is to compare the User Experience (UX) of using the Co-operators’s BAM PowerApps interface against the proposed CLIMB Chatbot for finding relevant information. This chatbot tool applies advanced AI techniques, such as Large Language Models and Retrieval-Augmented Generation, to find information quickly and easily across multiple document. If the CLIMB Chatbot demonstrates superior usability and faster query resolution, the BI department can streamline operations, reduce time spent search for information, enhance cross-team collaboration, and prevent duplicated work. This efficiency gain will allow developers to focus on higher-value tasks, resulting in improved productivity.