Projets novateurs réalisés

Validation et exploitation à pleine échelle d’un système d’épuration tertiaire décentralisé par filtres à scories en recirculation pour l’élimination du phosphore

Le projet vise à tester un système de traitement des eaux usées des résidences isolées, avec un débit allant jusqu’à 3240 L/d, dans le but de réduire les concentrations de phosphore au-dessous de 1 mg P/L. Les filtres à
scories d’acier en recirculation sont une technologie passive efficace à cette fin. Leur épuisement peut être retardé par la réduction des carbonates dans l’eau lorsque ces filtres sont installés après un réacteur biologique,
cependant la variation de température peut ralentir le métabolisme microbien impliqué dans ce processus.
L’analyse du fractionnement du phosphore permettra de comprendre les limites de son élimination dans chaque réacteur de la filière de traitement.

Restauration des peuplements forestiers affectés par la maladie corticale du hêtre

La maladie corticale du hêtre les arbres matures en diminuant graduellement leur vigueur. La mort de ces arbres favorise un
afflux de lumière qui contribue à accentuer l’envahissement par les gaules de hêtre (EGH). Cet envahissement est
problématique puisque le hêtre n’est pas une essence prisée par l’industrie et il interfère avec la régénération d’autres
essences. Présentement, la stratégie face à cette situation est la récolte d’arbres matures affectés par la MCH, ainsi que les
arbres voisins sains. Cette stratégie favorise encore davantage l’EGH. Le présent projet vise à développer une approche de
restauration des peuplements affectés par la problématique MCH/EGH dans un contexte de fréquence accrue des
sécheresses. Le stagiaire testera une suppression partielle par trouées de jeunes hêtres couplée à une plantation souscouvert.
Les membres de la coop Terra-Bois profiteront en fin de projet d’un guide contenant une stratégie récolte/restauration
applicable à leurs peuplements.

Exploring the Potential of Chitosan and Chitosan-Lipid Complexes as Adjuvants and Delivery System in Vaccine Development: A Systematic Screening and Evaluation Study

Vaccines are essential in protecting individuals from infectious diseases by preparing their immune systems to recognize and combat pathogens. The tremendous impact of vaccines on public health cannot be emphasized enough, as they have saved countless lives since their inception. However, the adaptability of viruses and other infectious agents has necessitated the development of new vaccine strategies. Genetic material-based vaccines have emerged as a promising approach, offering improved design and immune responses. Nevertheless, these vaccines require adjuvants to maximize their effectiveness. This research project focuses on exploring the potential of chitosan, a natural biopolymer, as an adjuvant. Chitosan possesses immune-stimulating properties, and its cationic nature and chain length might influence its effectiveness. Additionally, the project aims to develop a delivery system platform utilizing hybrid chitosan/lipid nanoparticles. This platform would serve the dual purpose of delivering nucleic acid and stimulating the immune system.

The Influence of a Sports Vision Training Program on Performance of Related Tasks of Visual Perception in Varsity Athletes

The proposed research project will assess the efficacy and effectiveness of a generalized Sports Vision Training (SVT) program on varsity athletes through comparing the effects of a 10-week program to a 5-week program. The
SVT program consists of training methods aimed at improving visual perception and efficiency of visual processing. Varsity athletes of hockey, basketball, and volleyball will be assessed in a variety of measures of
sensorimotor and visual abilities at pre-, post-, and follow-up from the training. The objective of this project is to identify the most effective methods for training visual abilities in sports to improve sport performance in athletes.
The partner organization will benefit from this project through the validation of the programs and methods that the partner organization currently uses in their practice. The partner organization will also gain a further understanding of new methods to apply to their Sports Vision practice in the future.

Simple Perfusion Reconstruction Algorithm Clinical Research Study and Development

CT angiograms (CTA) are used to detect vessel occlusions in the brain in stroke patients and are a diagnostic criteria of acute stroke. Current standards of care require that an additional CT perfusion scan to be taken in order
to accurately locate large and medium-vessel occlusions, allowing for the administering of endovascular therapy (EVT) to the patient. These scans are expensive, expose the patient to additional radiation, inaccessible in rural
and remote areas and crucially takes more time.
SPIRAL is a machine learning algorithm that accurately detects large vessel occlusions (LVO) in the brain following stroke using only CTA imaging. Currently, the market demand for SPIRAL remains to be determined and
SPIRAL requires continuous deployment to reach a commercially viable product. Gavin Lau will benefit from working on this project by: (1) obtaining further training in advanced MRI imaging and CT perfusion image
processing methods, machine-learning algorithms, and image analysis; and (2) learning to commercialize our product through the Lab2Market program, preparing him for a career in medical innovation and technology.

Ocean Sound Speed Profile Estimation Using the Pulse-Echo Technique

The proposed research project aims to develop a method for estimating sound speed profiles in underwater environments. By utilizing pulse-echo acoustic techniques, we can accurately determine the sound speed, which is crucial for various applications such as ocean acoustic studies. The expected benefits to our partner organization include improved underwater acoustic measurements, enhanced mapping of oceanic features, and better management of fisheries. This research has the potential to revolutionize sound speed estimation, leading to advancements in multiple industries and sectors, particularly in oceanography and fisheries, thus fostering sustainable practices and scientific understanding of our marine environments.

Elastic Coarse-Grained Reconfigurable Arrays

Standard microprocessors are not getting faster anymore, however, consumer and industry demand for faster and lower-power computing is insatiable. The project aims to research and develop a novel computer-hardware platform to be used for accelerated low-power computing versus the use of microprocessors. The new hardware platform, called a coarse-grained reconfigurable array (CGRAs), can be configured accordingly for a specific application. The platform is comprised of a 2D array of user-configurable computational blocks that can be programmably connected to one another. The platform is “elastic” in the sense that its internal computational blocks perform their work whenever input data is ready, rather than performing work at fixed prescheduled times. CGRAs are a promising candidate for realization of future application accelerators, both in the datacentre/cloud, as well as at the edge.

Quantum Chemistry and Optimization

The project consist of an exploration of molecules simulation with the help of high power computation and quantum computer. Specifically for this project, one of the following will be simulated:
CO2, CH4, H2, N2, and O2 or small organic molecules or Metal-Organic Frameworks

MyHomie

The proposed project aims to commercialize our innovative real estate platform, MyHomie, by launching the V2.0 version to achieve product-market fit. Our larger goal is to develop an automated process that allows homebuyers and sellers to transact with just one click. We understand that this is an ambitious objective, but we believe that it is attainable with the right resources and commitment. The project goal is the successful commercialization of MyHomie buyers app. It will greatly benefit Keylo by creating new revenue streams. This project will also allow us to attract and retain top talent, further improving our technological capabilities and competitive advantage. By prioritizing the features that the market demands and integrating user feedback, we aim to establish ourselves as a leading innovator in the real estate industry, with MyHomie becoming the go-to platform for buying homes.

HDL x Ayogo: Lifeplan Coach’s Assistant

LifePlan is a platform designed to improve outcomes through effective Shared Decision Making (SDM), structured education and behavioral science-based goal setting. The platform creates value for human services, healthcare, and innovative life sciences companies by helping their clients become effective participants in their own care journey.

Ayogo, a key driver of innovation within the digital healthcare space since 2010 is partnering with the Health Design Lab, a research and design center at Emily Carr University to further develop the Life Coach portion of the platform. Coaching is a powerful technique for improving healthcare outcomes, but it is also expensive and hard to scale due to a multitude of factors — Coaches must keep track of the psychological, medical and psychosocial context of each patient, record it in some form of database, and then apply their intuition and training to that context.

The project will help to eliminate the friction by building AI tools to support coaches and develop tools that will make the coaching process both scalable and more motivational.

Empathetic Spaces Partnership – Open Source STEAM Kits and Publications

The Empathetic Spaces Partnership is an interdisciplinary research program investigating new materials, tools, methods and frameworks in the field of living responsive architecture, a new sub-discipline of architecture that focuses on how buildings respond to their occupants. The proposed research project supports this by having the intern document and be involved in developing concepts, tools and knowledge behind responsive architectural testbeds used by the Living Architecture Systems Group and its partners. This allows Riverside Architectural Press to translate innovative research from experts and engage with a wider audience that includes researchers, artists, and designers. Creation of a kit for interactive architecture allows for the distillation of key LASG concepts into a digestible learning tool for STEAM education. By drawing from principles of Open Source, the publications and kit engages students and the community, creating a critical discourse through making and design research that will be available to all Canadians.

Platform of multifunctional biopolymer food packaging applications improving sustainability of food packaging & extending shelf-life

The proposed multifunctional platform of bioplastics demonstrates an attractive alternative to food packaging, improving the sustainability of plastics within the food sector, reducing our dependence on fossil-based polymers. The optimized biopolymers meet the expectations of safety and other benefits of plastics for both, the consumers and retailers. Our proposed formulations can handle higher temperatures for critical application, such as retort or sterilization processes, extend the shelf-life of packaged food products; furthermore, our solution can be directly integrated within the existing infrastructure of plastics manufacturers, minimizing markup on the cost of existing non-renewable single-use plastics. CFIN funding will allow us to acquire a key piece of piloting extrusion equipment to
scale up previously developed formulations to higher TRL levels. With the potential to scale up nationally, the compostable bioplastic will accelerate the adoption of sustainable bio-based alternatives, providing all the economic benefits of plastic products, without the negative environmental impact.