Innovative Projects Realized

room marketplace

Room Marketplace This will be an online marketplace where homeowners can list their rooms for rent and renters can rent a room. This Marketplace will allow users to collect and pay for a room, and write reviews in their room/renter. This will help our suit of companies rent rooms (we currently have 37 rooms we rent out). This will create a community of homeowners who have success in renting rooms out, we build trust with, and can then market our other services such as SweepNsleep software to allow their houses to function better with less effort.

Business Strategy Intern To Develop Protein Distribution Channels For Spirulina

This project is initiated to shift this company from having developed an advanced algae cultivation platform developed through research, into a commercial enterprise. To achieve this we need to build demand for the algae product (spirulina) within the market place. As we succeed in creating demand, this will trigger the release of funding to continue to scale operations to achieve economies of scale that will enable better product margins to be achieved and ensure that investment capital will receive its due return on investment as well as enabling consumer product costs to decrease and thereby facilitate increased demand.

Key project objectives include: Identification of key Canadian Food Processors and Distributors, Contacting these processors and distributors with the intent of negotiating forward contracts to supply protein for production of consumer foods for sale through multiple sales channels. Intern will also spend time getting acquainted with lab and algae production processes to provide backup support for these functions

Design and synthesis of well-defined sphingomyelins by a modular, divergent strategy

In 2021, over 2.2 billion doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines were produced to combat a truly devastating pandemic. Such medications represent the fastest vaccines ever to be developed, with some of the highest efficiencies reported. The above vaccines contain messenger RNA (“mRNA”) trapped inside lipid nanoparticles (“LNPs”), which are globules composed of fatty substances and possessing a diameter of a few billionths of a meter. The fatty material in such LNPs includes a number of greasy compounds called lipids. The technology that enabled the creation of these life-saving medicines was developed through principles that constitute the focus of this application. The same technology can be harnessed to treat many diseases that are currently incurable.
One type of fatty agents that are essential for the proper functioning of RNA-LNP medications are “helper lipids,” among which the so-called “sphingomyelins” occupy a privileged position. Small quantities of sphingomyelins can be extracted from animal sources. However, this is biologically unsafe, to the point that pharmaceutical preparations avoid all animal-derived products. Furthermore, materials extracted from animal sources are mixtures of compounds, whereas medicines must contain well-defined, chemically pure sphingomyelins. This proposal aims to devise a practical, economical synthesis of sphingomyelins.

Assessing scientific rigour and 3Rs implementation in Canadian research: Investigating animal use protocols and stakeholder perspectives

Millions of animals are used in research each year. This practice is justified by the expectation that the benefits of such research will be significant, outweighing the harms imposed on animals during experiments. Indeed, animal research has led to countless improvements in human health and quality of life. However, there is growing concern that current practices are inefficient, with many animal experiments generating unreliable results, and findings that do not lead to effective human therapies. Implementation of scientific ‘best practices’ (e.g., appropriate statistical analyses, reducing unnecessary distress) has the potential to improve the outcomes of animal research, and reduce animal suffering during experiments. However, ensuring the uptake of these ‘best practices’ is challenging. In Canada, all animal research must be described in a protocol and approved by an animal care committee. These committees have the ability to request additional information or modifications to enhance the quality of research during protocol review, thus helping improve the reliability of findings and reducing animal suffering. In this project, I therefore aim to investigate the current impacts of animal care committees on research during this process. This will help identify opportunities to improve protocol review and the quality of Canadian research.

Deep Insight: An AI driven tool for advanced analysis of criminal case file data.

We will create a tool that leverages advanced Natural Language Processing techniques to identify various named entities and their relationships from the ample of police case files containing text data. We will also create a validation tool and a visualization tool that will help us create a trustable AI tool for advanced police case file analysis. Moreover, we will continuously consult with the subject matter experts for their input to make this tool more robust in a iterative basis.

Cortical changes measured with TMS and MEG following 3-weeks of hand movement training using a novel passive device

Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability, with long-term hand function impairments being the most common symptom among stroke survivors. As hand function plays a vital role in performing everyday activities, individuals with stroke face a significant impact in their quality of life including their ability to maintain independence, employment, and socially connectedness. To improve hand function and overcome challenges from this disability, IRegained® has developed the MyHandTM System, a therapy device that promotes various types of hand movements in a gamified environment. An initial 3-week intervention with the MyHandTM System has shown significant improvements in hand function in individuals with chronic stroke. However, it remains unclear what changes in brain activity in response to this therapy correspond with the improved hand function. Most stroke therapies rely on behavioural improvements as the primary outcome measure of recovery. The proposed research project involves a collaboration with IRegained®, where various tools that stimulate and measure brain activity will be used to better understand the effects of hand function therapy on the brain itself.

Development of low-cost and lithium-metal stable halide solid electrolytes for high-performance all-solid-state batteries

Conventional Li-ion batteries using liquid electrolytes (LEs) are suffering from insufficient energy density and safety issues when used for the flourishing market of electric vehicles (EVs). Replacing LEs with solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) to fabricate all-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs) has been regarded as an essential route to improve energy density and safety. Basically, a qualified SSE requires high ionic conductivity and electrode compatibility. Halide SSEs become attractive due to their decent ionic conductivity and good cathode compatibility. However, current halide SSEs depend on expensive earth-rare metal elements and are not stable with Li metal anode. Herein, we propose three main directions to address the challenges of halide SSEs for practical pouch cell applications. Namely: (1) developing high-entropy (HE) halide SSEs with low cost, (2) developing Li-metal stable halide SSEs with non-metal elements and element doping, and (3) fabrication of high-performance halide-based pouch-type ASSLBs. GLABAT solid-state battery Inc., as the partner organization, will support and be involved in this project. The success of conducting the project will accelerate the commercialization of ASSLBs, and bring technological innovations to businesses in GLABAT and in Canada.

Photonic integrated circuits for AR display light engines

Augmented reality (AR) is poised to transform human interactions. This project aims to explore the use of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) for the development of compact and high-performance image projectors, also called “light engines”, for AR glasses. PICs are a type of integrated circuit that uses light instead of electricity to perform various functions, such as signal processing, modulation, and detection. By using PICs, it is possible to overcome the disadvantages of today’s light engine technologies. The main objective of this project is to characterize and design components and circuits for PIC-based light engines. The project will start by characterizing already-fabricated waveguide-coupled silicon (Si) photodetectors and silicon nitride (SiN) waveguide thermo-optic switches. Based on experiments, the next generation of Si photodetectors and SiN waveguide thermo-optic switches will be designed using numerical simulation tools. In addition, photonic switching circuits using the switches and photodetectors will be designed. Then, the most promising structures will be fabricated at a commercial Si photonics foundry. The results of this project will contribute to the development of a new generation of light engines for AR, which will be more compact, efficient, and high-performance than current technologies. This will ultimately lead to a better user experience, and will pave the way for the widespread adoption of AR technology in various fields such as entertainment, education, and healthcare.

Évaluation de la modélisation des crues à grande échelle à l’aide d’une méthode SPH

Investiguer l’utilisation d’une méthode SPH pour la prédiction des crues à grande échelle à partir des données LiDAR. Les données LiDAR sont rendues disponible par le ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs du Québec. Plus spécifiquement : 1) générer des domaines de calcul compatible avec la méthode de calcul SPH Open Source (DualSPHysics) à partir des données LiDAR des certains bassins versants du Québec; 2) vérifier et valider les performances de la méthode SPH par comparaison avec des résultats de la littérature obtenus par une méthode Eulérienne; 3) Produire des visualisations 3D réalistes pour la communication grand publique.

Developing an integrated hydrogen bio-methanation process to enhance and upgrade biogas production in an anaerobic digestion process

The increased energy prices and effects of climate change are severely impacting the day-to-day lives of Canadians. Moreover, essential sectors such as agriculture release substantial amounts of greenhouse gases, adding to climate change challenges. Hence, investing in local and sustainable energy sources is more critical now than ever to reduce these burdens. Therefore, biogas generation technology helps resolve these issues by biologically converting organic wastes, such as food waste or animal manure, to biogas and digestate (fertilizer). Biogas typically consists of 50% of methane (CH4) and 50% carbon dioxide (CO2), where the methane can be used to generate electricity and/or heat, and the CO2 is often released into the atmosphere due to its limited applications. The proposed project aims to optimize a biological method called hydrogen (H2) biomethanation, to convert CO2 to CH4 by certain microorganisms that utilize CO2 and externally generated H2. However, challenges to hydrogen biomethanation include the low hydrogen solubility in liquid and finding the optimal hydrogen-to-liquid ratio that maximizes CH4 content in biogas. Therefore, this study will address these shortcomings by conducting a series of experiments and modelling to optimize the process. Moreover, the study will also provide more insights into the environmental and economic benefits of hydrogen biomethanation compared with other conventional approaches to biogas upgrading. Biogas technology companies, such as the partner organization, can benefit from this project because it optimizes an essential process with minimal cost, energy, and chemical requirements to reduce the carbon footprint and maximize the energy output of their plants.

Characterization of PATL2’s role in Human Fertility for the Development of Non-hormonal Contraceptives

Norethindrone, the first oral contraceptive, is noted as one of the most pivotal molecules to be introduced into society. When introduced in 1960, norethindrone caused a societal paradigm shift by allowing for family planning and providing women with more agency over their reproductive system. Unsurprisingly, the women’s liberation movement, rise of feminism, and the increased percentage of women in the workplace have all been attributed to the emergence of the first contraceptive molecule. Contraceptives not only support those who want to avoid pregnancy; in many cases, birth control is prescribed as a method to treat another condition, such as to reduce pain in those with endometriosis, to protect against sexually transmitted infections such as pelvic inflammatory disease, for polycystic ovary syndrome, and to reduce hormonal acne. Birth control also impacts our society, economy, and planet. Despite their significance, in the past 60 years, hormonal contraceptive methods have remained the most effective, impermanent means of birth control despite their extensive side effects. As such, it is of the upmost priority to develop safer and more effective non-hormonal contraceptive methods. The Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC) intends to address this challenge by embarking on its first research project in reproductive biology as a part of the SGC’s new open science Women’s and Children’s Health Program (WCHP). This initiative will focus on drug discovery for reproductive biology, and the proposed research will contribute to this initiative by identifying and characterizing a protein target for non-hormonal contraceptive agents.

Tourisme durable et changements climatiques au Québec : Opérationnalisation du développement durable et d’un système de gestion des gaz à effet de serre

Ce projet vise à poser un diagnostic du tourisme durable dans les régions de la Mauricie, Lanaudière, la Montérégie et des Îles de la Madeleine. Il est aussi question de développer et de mettre en place un système de gestion de gaz à effet de serre (GES) par le biais de calculateurs de GES pour lutter contre les changements climatiques sur le secteur touristique au Québec. Pour traiter cette problématique, ce stage s’articule en deux grandes parties. Dans un premier temps, il est question d’établir un diagnostic du tourisme durable dans les régions mentionnées précédemment et de procéder à une analyse comparative avec les résultats obtenus. Dans un deuxième temps, ce projet a pour ambition de construire des calculateurs de GES en fonction des secteurs d’activités des régions étudiées afin de réduire les émissions à la source et de contribuer à la lutte aux changements climatiques. Il est ainsi important de coordonner les actions en vue d’atténuer les effets des changements climatiques dans ce secteur afin de stimuler la réduction des émissions de GES et de renforcer la capacité d’adaptation des entreprises aux impacts des changements climatiques.