Innovative Projects Realized

Evaluating the Evidence-Base for Internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT) for Substance Use Treatment in Canada

The intent of this research project is to make iCBT technologies safer, and evidenced based for the Canadian populations. Many available products on the market have not been tested or evaluated for safety and whether or not they are effective in helping people self-manage their mental health needs is unknown. The research and interviews from this project aim to answer these unknown questions.

Visualizing the Performance of Scientific Applications Executing with Space-Time Domain Decomposition

Today’s high performance computers offer the possibility of computing complex large scale computational fluid dynamics simulations in a reasonable time. In practice, exploting the thousands of computing cores to achieve the desired solution time is very challenging. These challenges include finding enough work to keep all these cores busy, and assigning work to different parts of the computing platform that can include different types of multicore processors and manycore graphics processors. A promising approach involves simultaneously computing different time intervals in the simulation, using what is called the parareal algorithm. Careful monitoring of the performance of the computation is required in order to fine tune the implementation of this algorithm so that it produces the desired benefit. This project will investigate the development and use of a visualization tool to allow effective use of the parareal algorithm on current high performance computers. This will enable Envenio to achieve significant performance gains on large-scale real world fluid dynamics problems.

Kinetic-based supramolecular discrimination of clinically significant analytes

Supramolecular chemists have constructed macrocyclic structures called “hosts” that can selectively encapsulate a small molecule “guest.” Selective recognition is instrumental when trying to take host-guest chemistry to the real world. Drug detection, reversal, and delivery are growing applications for host-guest chemistry. However, things become complicated in biological systems due to the presence of salts that can perturb binding. Consequently, most hosts have poor performance in biofluids. Ultra-high affinity hosts whose binding strength is seemingly unaffected by salts overcome this limitation. However, they tend to be promiscuous and have similar binding strength to similar guests, making selective recognition challenging. This project aims to show that selective recognition can be achieved for an ultra-high affinity host in biofluids. By looking at the kinetics (speed) rather than the thermodynamics (strength) we hope to provide fundamental knowledge of kinetic discrimination of these promiscuous hosts. An ultra-high affinity host that can operate in biofluids and be utilized for analyte distinction would have vast applications in healthcare.

Development of Novel Methods for the Automated Extraction of Lipid-Soluble Compounds Year One

Current analytical methods for the extraction of lipid-soluble compounds (fatty acids, cholesterol, antibiotics, pesticides, vitamins) are costly and time-consuming. Recently, we have assessed a novel patent-pending “kit” method for extracting fatty acids and cholesterol from food and tissues with great success. We propose to continue testing this method for extraction of lipid-soluble vitamins, pesticides and antibiotics for the continued sale of kits to potential research laboratories. As a postdoctoral fellow I will continue to have the opportunity to fully engage myself in this project, which is something that Certo Labs has not had the resources to do prior to my first year of the fellowship. This will continue to be of great benefit to Certo Labs as I can continue to develop and assess the utility of our extraction kit on numerous lipid-soluble compounds. Following testing, we now have the capability and resources to package kits and for sale online to end-users

TrypScore Deeplinking Integration

Incorporated in 2019, Medidas Digital created TrypScore, a mobile application designed to positively impact driving behaviour and help reduce the 1.35 million fatalities and 50 million serious injuries caused by vehicle collisions across the world each year. Unlike User-Based Insurance and telematics monitoring systems, TrypScore uses gamification, incentivization and engagement to put drivers at the centre of the behaviour improvement process. Anonymized and aggregated data is collected by the mobile technology and visualized in web-based applications to enhance the value to the partners in our mission. Geospatial technology is used to provide consumer intelligence data alongside proximity-based marketing for our corporate partners who provide rewards for our drivers. Driver behaviour scoring technology is used to heat map concentrated areas of driver risk to inform municipalities, safety organizations and researchers on behaviour patterns and positive or negative change through proactive measures.

This project will focus on the optimization of deep-linking processes to analyze how the user is finding the technology and then analyze how the user engages with the mobile and web-based applications. The completion of this project will ensure that the applications are being downloaded or logged into efficiently and designed for maximum engagement, thus enhancing its value as a positive behaviour-change tool. This project has great importance as the information related to when and how users are downloading the technology or how they are engaging with the technology will have a direct effect on the company’s mission of reducing collisions and saving lives.

Développement d’un système d’aide au diagnostic en agriculture

En partenariat avec le compagnie XLKey, le projet vise à développer un système pour centraliser les données de milliers de producteurs agricoles afin de leur offrir des analyses qui leur permettront de situer la performance de leurs cultures et de leurs opérations par rapport à d’autres producteurs partageant des conditions semblables. Concrètement, en accumulant des données précises sur le sol, les plantes et les opérations, il sera possible de mieux cibler et chiffrer les problématiques auxquelles font face les producteurs, et ainsi les aider dans leurs prises de décision et permettra de faire une gestion des opérations en fonction des caractéristiques et des besoins précis de leurs champs. Donc, les entreprises agricoles connaîtront inévitablement une augmentation des rendements, une baisse des coûts de production ainsi qu’une baisse des émissions de GES.

First Nations Storytellers

The purpose of this internship is to research and identify best practice’s (desktop and interviews), make recommendations for marketing, products, and operations and finally to implement and evaluate. This will be done in cooperation with the co-founders. An ancillary benefit for the intern will be gaining business acumen through mentorship with the co-founders.

Développement d’un outil de détection des ponceaux par intelligence artificielle

Au niveau des municipalités, la gestion des ponceaux est de la responsabilité des gestionnaires de la voirie. Cependant, l’inventaire complet des ponceaux n’est pas toujours disponible en raison de l’éloignement de certaines zones rurales, et la non disponibilité historique des données du ministère des Transports du Québec pour ce type d’infrastructure. Afin de détecter et de répertorier les ponceaux isolés pour une zone d’études, MGA et l’Université de Sherbrooke proposent de développer un outil de recherche automatisé des ponceaux à partir d’images de drone à très haute résolution spatiale et des données géospatiales connexes

Discovery and synthesis of novel anti-viral compounds

Our ultimate goal is to develop small molecule drugs and validate their roles in viral replication inhibition. Collectively, we have the expertise in molecular and cell biology, biochemical, structural biophysical, and drug-discovery platforms. We have all the required infrastructure and resources available to realize our goals. Development of small molecule drug as antivirals include many steps and requires expertise from organic chemists, analytical chemists and cell biologists. The process includes synthesis of novel compounds, testing their solubility, stability and toxicity and finally validating anti-viral activity. The interns from NAIT will have the opportunity to learn drug development and validation strategies from analytical chemists and cell biologists.

Interns from NAIT has the perfect training about the instruments and techniques that API need for the novel drug synthesis pipeline for anti-virals. NAIT students will be involved in the drug analytical assays as well as cell bilogy assays. Particularly, students will be involved in testing drug stability, solubility and toxicity as well as cell based assays. Students will gain some industry work experience as well as build a bridge between academia and industry. We will identify experimentally validated novel small molecule hits with possibly anti-viral activity and deliverables including HPLC method validation for determining the stability of the novel compounds, development of a standard protocol and SOP for cell toxicity and viability assays, development of a standard method for plaque assays, and identification of lead compounds that shows the anti-viral activity.

Mobile Application Development

Ksalsuti Wellness Resources is seeking to create a mobile application to showcase the stories from the Turtle Island Series. The stories aim to improve to social and mental wellness of children by providing culturally relevant programming and materials from an Indigenous lens. These stories will have lessons embedded that focus on building positive self esteem, making positive choices, learning to manage emotions, dealing with anger in a positive way, showing care for Elders, dealing with worry, and building positive and meaningful relationships. The Mobile Application will play an audio recording of an elder reading the book in Indigenous languages Wolastoqey and Mi’gmaq. The Mobile Application will increase access, and exposure of the stories while also creating additional revenue streams for Ksalsuti. This project will enhance knowledge of Indigenous languages for the New Brunswick population and provide increased visibility for Ksalsuti’s products.

Characterizing the relationship between aroma profiles and odour perception in northern highbush blueberries

Blueberries consumption has increased in the last decades due to their delicious flavour and recognized health benefits. However, even if the blueberry flavour is naturally delightful, some consumers are concerned because this flavour is not consistent over weeks, which could result in a decreased purchasing interest. Blueberry flavour depends on many factors, especially the genetic and pre-/post-harvest factors. Cultivar selection is one of the most effective ways to modulate blueberry flavour, but berry breeders need to know which specific compounds they should regulate. Through a unique combination of chromatographic and olfactometric-mass spectrometric analyses, this project aims to determine which are the most impactful aromas from the hundreds of volatile compounds identified using instrumental techniques. The outcomes of this project could be used to understand the mechanisms driving the consumer preference in sensory studies and to assist in the prospective development of new selections with consistent flavour and enhanced marketability.

Advanced Simulation Methods for a Next Generation Computational Fluid Dynamics Solver Year One

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a branch of fluid mechanics that is focused on using numerical methods to solve and analyze practical engineering problems involving fluid flow. The purpose of the proposed research project is to develop novel simulation methods directed at applications in sensitivity analysis and design optimization. Sensitivity and optimization studies are becoming more common as engineers are challenged to determine optimal operating configurations for their designs. This project is directed at improving the tools available for conducting such studies through a partnership with ANSYS Inc., the market-leading developer of commercial CFD software. All development will be implemented and tested within the ANSYS CFD framework with the end goal of releasing the features to customers and establishing a technological advantage to ANSYS and its customers in the areas of sensitivity analysis and optimization.