Evolutionarily guided rational design of vaccines, antibody therapeutics, and accurate serological assays for COVID-19

Efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 have failed and we face an ongoing pandemic that has already infected millions of people world-wide. There are currently no drugs or vaccines that have been approved for the treatment of COVID-19, and existing blood tests for immunity suffer from inaccuracies. Moreover, since antibody or vaccine development can […]

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Utilization of high pressure processing (HPP) to deactivate viruses and pathogens

Hospitals, diagnostic laboratories and medical research organizations have witnessed an upsurge in the generation of biohazardous medical waste during the COVID-19 pandemic. This waste is potentially detrimental to the environment and public health and needs to be adequately decontaminated and disposed. Incineration is the most routinely employed technique to treat biohazardous waste but the method […]

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Bio-Stream COVID test

The detection of SARS-CoV-2, the causative of COVID-19, is challenging because the used techniques, such as nucleic amplification, cannot detect a whole virus. Instead, it amplifies nucleic acids that can be fragmented with no information about the presence of an infectious virus. We propose to use a technology based on the use of a physic […]

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STRUCTURAL HEALTH MONITORING AND LIFE PROGNOSIS OF COMPOSITE STRUCTURES

Structural Health Monitoring/Management (SHM) through adequate prediction of the remaining useful life of structures is a major area of interest for the aerospace community, especially considering aging aircraft where the growing maintenance costs can reduce their economic life. Also, composite structures due to their high strength-to-weight ratios, high stiffness, inherent corrosion resistance, and improved fatigue […]

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Formulation of Environmentally Sustainable Growing Media Using Industrial Waste Streams as Nutritious Amendments

In light of the national emphasis on climate change and clean growth, the federal and provincial governments have set key goals for developing and implementing globally sustainable production and consumption models in ways that improve the environment. The agricultural industries are seeking innovation and new technologies to develop more choices and alternatives in the raw […]

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The impacts of human activity and landscape change on Rocky Mountain mammal communities

Gaining an understanding of the interacting impacts of human activity and landscape change on wildlife is an important step towards better understanding how to manage and conserve wild areas. The effects of landscape change on mammal communities have been studied, but interacting disturbances are rarely addressed. In Alberta’s Eastern Rockies, human activity is prevalent in […]

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Examining backcountry recreationists’ understanding and use of the avalanche danger scale: insights from qualitative interviews and responses to an online survey

Danger scales use a combination of colours, words, and severity levels to efficiently communicate basic hazard information to a target audience. Avalanche warning services around the world use a colour-coded, five-level danger scale to communicate the severity of snow avalanche conditions to recreational backcountry users. While past research has primarily focused on helping forecasters produce […]

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Assessment of anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties of metal-ion-filament laced 3D-printed personal protective equipment

3D-printed personal protective equipment can provide a locally-sourced manufacturing network to address shortages for Canadian front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, however little is known about the harmful germs that can live on 3D-printed material. Certain metals-ions are known to have anti-microbial properties and can be incorporated into 3D-printed plastics. We will study the anti-microbial […]

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A Systemization of Knowledge on the Dual Nature of Technology in Providing Support to Sexual Assault Survivors

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in sexual assault incidents. Research shows that when there are disasters and economic meltdowns, there is usually a spike in sexual assaults. The world is experiencing both a pandemic and economic downturn. With self-isolation, social distancing, and the stay-at-home orders, the use of technology […]

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