Validation of neurodegeneration screen hits in zebrafish: functional analysis of drug effects on neural activity

The OCE-CQDM Life Sciences R&D Challenge program is a groundbreaking collaboration between researchers at St.Michael’s Hospital (SMH) and Treventis Corporation (both in Toronto), as well as the University of Montreal (Dr. Drapeau, an expert in zebrafish models of disease). The zebrafish is a robust model for translational research because of our understanding of zebrafish biology […]

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Social Enterprises as Revenue Generation for the Non-Profit Sector in Canada

IL Canada would like to increase their revenue streams through inititating market-based approaches. The organization has struggled to identify appropriate social enterprise opportunities that can be replicated across the country. Examples of social enterprise opportunites for a NFP include: adding fee-for-service consulting; starting a new for-profit company that donates all profits to the organization; and […]

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Optimization of conformational epitopes against the NTS1 and P2Y6 receptors

The proposed project, performed with the company Immune Biosolutions, aims to develop superior antibodies for biological targets of interest for the treatment of colorectal cancer. Specifically, these targets are a class of proteins expressed on cell surface, which are notoriously difficult for the development of antibodies. The method involves making molecules look like the biological […]

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Nonlinear adaptive neural controllers – Year two

Contemporary machine learning has been very successfully applied to processing static images and words in consumer applications, resulting in billions of dollars in recent acquisitions of machine learning companies by Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, and Google. However, applications to dynamic information (e.g. movies, controlling robotics) has been less well-developed. In this project, will develop and apply […]

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Evaluation of viral sensitizer technology for improving influenza vaccine in an egg-basedmanufacturing process Year Two

Vaccination remains the most effective preventative measure for influenza infection. Seasonal influenza epidemics and the emergence of pandemic strains have increased the global demand for influenza vaccines, putting significant pressure on vaccine manufacturers. However, current vaccine manufacturing strategies rely primarily upon production in eggs, an age-old method that needs to be significantly improved. Recently, research […]

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Development of a Self-Regulatory App for Adults with Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is an autoimmune dysfunction that requires strict adherence to a gluten-free (GF) diet in order to prevent detrimental health outcomes. Following a strict GF diet is difficult given that gluten is added as a preservative or binding agent to many foods. Findings from a review suggest strict adherence to a gluten-free diet is […]

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Human Motion Inverse Optimal Control Constraint Learning and Inertial Measurement Unit Sensor Design for Rehabilitation

During physiotherapy a continuous assessment and progress tracking of a patient’s performance is of clinical interest. In this project, based on the promising results from the initial prototype, we will redesign the wearable sensors to improve tracking accuracy, communication speed and robustness, incorporate onboard data storage and computation, and minimize cost and size. Furthermore, we […]

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“Accelerating grain hemp improvement with genomics”

Genomics, the study of genetic sequence of an organism, can be of great benefit to plant breeders who wish to accelerate the development of new varieties. Natural Emphasis Ltd (NE) is interested in developing hemp that will produce more grain by increasing the number of female flowers on its plants. Our project is to identify […]

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Mucoadhesive nanoparticle eye drop drug delivery

Eye diseases, such as dry eye syndrome, affect about 15% of the population. Eye drop formulations are the most common way to treat eye diseases, but patients struggle with the multiple daily applications required and the resulting side effects. Our goal is to develop an eye drop formulation that requires less frequent application using nanoparticle […]

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Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Emotional Intelligence Training in Mobile Applications

This project aims to use literature evidences and data analysis techniques to develop new mobile games that train people’s “emotional intelligence”. The company will build the product prototypes based on current literature evidences and theoretical models. Then the data generated from the games will be evaluated to inform product performance, efficacy, and future developments. This […]

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Light collection optimization with semiconductor photodetectors – Year two

Better light collection by photodetectors would automatically improve signal to noise ratio and photodetector performance. For example, for the positron emission tomography application, it would result in a better image quality for a lower dose. The main cause of the light loss is too much reflection of light that is trying to travel from the […]

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Characterizing fucoidan-degrading enzymes from marine bacterium

Fucoidan is a polysaccharide found in brown algae (seaweed). ARC Medical Devices Inc. markets fucoidan purified from brown algae for post-surgical veterinary use to reduce interorgan adhesion development. This product works very effectively, prompting a desire to develop a similar product for use in humans. The challenge to this, however, is that fucoidan is an […]

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