Development and Evaluation of a Rapid Diagnostic Assay for Avian Influenza to the Point of Care Setting

Ontario’s chicken industry contributes $2.72 billion to Canadian economy, and supports 19,183 full-time equivalent jobs (Ontario Chicken Industry Report, 2013). To date, 2015 has seen 309 individual outbreaks of avian influenza (AI) reported to the World Organization for Animal Health, a 147% increase on outbreaks reported in 2014. In Ontario alone, 29 farms were quarantined […]

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Clinical development of avocado-derived lipids as modulators of fatty acid oxidation for the treatment and management of obesity and diabetes

Obesity and diabetes are a significant global burden and there is an immediate need for novel treatments and management strategies. Our lab has shown that an avocadoderived lipid is a potent inhibitor of fatty acid oxidation (i.e., the cellular breakdown of fat for energy) which reduces mouse weight gain without toxicity. Inhibition of fatty acid […]

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Stock assessment in a changing world: quantifying the length of time series data for reliable stock assessments of Lake Whitefish in the Great Lakes

Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) are currently the subject of research to obtain Marine Stewardship Council certification for the fishery in Lake Erie. The declines of Lake Whitefish stocks in Lakes Huron, Erie and Ontario have drawn much concern from the fishing industry, regulators, and other stakeholders. Better estimates of the stock status are needed to […]

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Development of Standardized Laboratory and Semi-Field Methods for Assessing the Risk of Pesticide Exposure to Megachile rotundata F.

Non-Apis bees are now recognized as significant pollinators. For most crops visited by bees, pesticides are used for pest management, and there is concern about the potential negative effects of pesticides on wild and managed bees. Most toxicity studies involving bees have focused on honey bees (Apis mellifera), partially because honey bee data are required […]

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Development of Standardized Laboratory and Semi-Field Methods for Assessing the Risk of Pesticide Exposure to Megachile rotundata F. – Year Two

Non-Apis bees are now recognized as significant pollinators. For most crops visited by bees, pesticides are used for pest management, and there is concern about the potential negative effects of pesticides on wild and managed bees. Most toxicity studies involving bees have focused on honey bees (Apis mellifera), partially because honey bee data are required […]

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New strategies to improve the use of the predatory bug, Orius insidiosus, to control Western Flower Thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis, in greenhouse ornamental crops

The proposed research will investigate how to improve the performance and economic sustainability of Orius insidiosus as a biological control against Western Flower Thrips in greenhouse ornamental crops. New strategies to increase the efficiency of O. insidious will be investigated through the use of banker plants, supplemental food, and the use of lures. The project […]

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Domestic dog population dynamics in Villa de Tezontepec, Hidalgo, Mexico:towards improved canine population and rabies control.

Developing countries are faced with finding novel and humane ways to permanently reduce and control their dog populations. This is especially important for the sustainability of canine disease control and public health programs. Understanding the demography of domestic dog populations is central to the design of effective dog population management and zoonotic disease control interventions, […]

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Optimization of wood bison interspecific somatic cell nuclear transfer and embryo culture for species conservation

Interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer (iSCNT) is a promising technique whereby a bison donor cell is transplanted into a domestic cattle oocyte. Different fibroblast donor cells have been demonstrated to have different embryonic outcomes. Problems with SCNT embryos have been also reported after in vitro culture. Toronto Zoo’s efforts have focused on wood bison iSCNT, […]

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Le rôle du Canada dans la conception de l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), et l’influence du Commonwealth of Nations: critique et étude comparée.

Mon projet porte sur le rôle joué par le Canada dans la conception de l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) en 1997. Je m’attacherai à comprendre comment la rivalité France-Canada des décennies 1960-1980, en matière de francophonie, s’est transformée progressivement en coopération enthousiaste, au point que la candidate canadienne au poste de Secrétaire-général de l’OIF […]

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Development and testing of crops demonstrating improved biomass hydrolysis for biofuel production

Biobased products, mostly derived from plant biomass, have the potential to improve the sustainability of Canada’s natural resources and environmental quality while competing economically. Plant biomass, composed primarily of cell walls and modification of cell wall properties has the potential to improve biomass conversion to biobased products such as biofuels. Progress towards achieving this goal […]

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