The appearance of polished gold and silver has always been attractive to the human eye. The high reflectivity of these surfaces naturally makes them strong candidates for optical designs that are based purely on reflective optics. When circular grooves are scribed into metal surfaces, some very interesting optical effects can be observed, and in some […]

To ensure effective cancer treatment, it is vital to match the drug with the molecular characteristics of the patient’s tumor. This research project is focused on developing functional diagnostic assays that may be used eventually in the clinic to stratify patients for targeted therapies. The project will provide a unique opportunity for the interns to […]

Mindfulness meditation has recently received considerable interest in clinical and in broader contexts for its mental health and cognitive benefits. It has been proposed that giving people feedback about their meditation relevant brain activity during or after meditation can help people learn this difficult skill, and initial work looks promising, but there are a number […]

While modern pesticides have dramatically improved crop yields and food security, the challenges of emerging pest resistance, environmental run-off, and the need to help crops better cope with weather-related stresses like drought and extreme heat all demand new solutions. Our partner, Suncor, has recently developed a new class of plant immune aids that activate a […]

Echinacea purpurea is a popular herbal medicine with a global market of ?$1 billion but there is tremendous variability yet limited distinction between the products on the market. Amway Canada is a leader in the production and distribution of Echinacea products, and now aims to leverage the company`s unique Echinacea resources by sequencing the plant`s […]

Lack of affordable, reliable access to the Internet in remote, rural, and Indigenous communities in Canada and internationally has led to a digital divide affecting billions. Left has developed its RightMesh technology, which lets nearby mobile devices connect without the Internet. Normally data flows from a phone, through Internet Service Providers (Telus, Shaw), to the […]

Financial indicators of an individual firm may be in the form of time series, vectors, or even richer data, such as text or images. The purpose of this work is to explore and develop methods for dealing with such data, and in particular perform the clustering/classification of such data into similar groups. In the project […]

There has been an extensive growth in additive manufacturing, 3D printing, over the past couple of years. At the moment, pure polymers are mainly used for manufacturing parts and they yield low strength and stiffness, not suitable for load-bearing products. The use of carbon fiber composites in 3D printing can significantly improve structural properties. Currently, […]

Canada’s financial services industry faces significant challenges to remain internationally competitive in the rapidly evolving web and big data environments. Scotiabank and its global competitors have as a key priority effective use of a large and growing amount of data to optimize the design and pricing of product offerings, to communicate effectively with clients, and […]

Craniofacial fractures require stabilization to restore appearance, facilitate healing and improve patient’s outcomes. The current standard of care is rigid titanium plates, which require drilling, screws and bending of titanium plates with plyers during surgery to conform to the complex geometry of the face. This is an over engineered solution that is not only difficult […]

Microarray testing allows high-volume analysis. This work will compare open-source software to in-house analysis methods within SQI Diagnostics. The goal is to enhance the performance of current assay designs and to inform and guide the next-generation of assay designs (ie 384 well plates) which will support SQI’s technology leadership position. After implementing a print run […]

Minimally invasive techniques are used for a wide variety of procedures in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Many procedures require insertion of a needle along a straight-line path to the site of the disease. Real-time magnetic resonance (MR) imaging offers the means to visualize the needle relative to a small target lesion and avoid […]