Innovative Projects Realized

Investigation of Recrystallization Inhibitory Effect of Terpolymer Nanoparticles in Ethylcellulose Membrane for Amorphous Solid Dispersions of Drugs with Low Solubility

Poor water-solubility limits the total use of the drug in the human body of many recently discovered drugs. Recently, Amorphous Solid Dispersion (ASD) technique is being used as an efficient way to enhance solubility of poorly soluble drugs which are prevalent in pharmaceutical industry while providing sustained release, however the instability of ASD may cause recrystallization of the drug, decreasing the utility and may cause side effects. Controlled release (CR) coating with a novel terpolymeric nanoparticle (TPN) as pore forming material is proven to be an effective way to reduce the side effects, and the recrystallization inhibition effect of the TPN as pore former should be studied, benefiting the partner organization with new insights to controlled release formulations.

Control of Line Complications with KiteLock (CLiCK) in the Critical Care Unit

A central venous access device (CVAD) is a thin, silicone tube that a doctor may insert into the vein of a patient to deliver medications directly into their bloodstream. If the patient does not need constant medication, nurses fill the CVAD with salt water or citrate to keep the tube open. This is called ‘locking’ the CVAD.
Because a CVAD is a foreign object introduced into the body, it may put already vulnerable patients at risk of developing complications such as infection and blood clots.
We propose partner with SterileCare Inc. to investigate a novel locking fluid with additional protective properties in critical care patients. We will compare CVAD complication rates to those treated with standard of care locks in multiple hospitals. This will aid SterileCare Inc. in testing their product in a patient population they have not yet studied.

High-Resolution 3D Mapping and Modeling of Solar Neighbourhood Potential

This research project will be focused on the development of a new software technology in order to model and map maximum solar energy potential on the rooftops and facades of buildings with high spatiotemporal resolution, with particular emphasis on optimal community design for smart net-zero energy solar communities. The goal of this project is to increase our assessment ability of solar energy utilization and planning support for clusters of different types of buildings (such as mixed use communities in which different forms and functions of buildings will be considered). Appropriate parameters will be identified that are important for estimating community based solar energy availability and for the development of a comprehensive open source GIS software tool coupled with EnergyPlus in order to enhance, merge and utilize the strong capabilities of the two software tools for the performance of solar simulations in a 3D geospatial context. This project will contribute to the feasibility study to our partner organization S2E Technologies Inc., as it will create a new software tool in order to model and map the case study area to determine the best locations for solar PV installation.

Evaluation of saline-tolerant forage mixtures for establishment, forage yield, and saline soil remediation

Recent estimates of agricultural land on the Canadian prairies suggest that 1 million ha are affected by moderate to severe soil salinity. These areas are not suitable for seeding annual grain crops. Perennial forages have the potential to remediate saline soils through salt ion uptake, lowering the water table, improved soil biological activity, and weed suppression. This project will evaluate establishment and remediation benefits in saline soils with perennial forage mixtures compared to annual grain crops. A field study will be carried out at three saline sites to evaluate the practice of seeding perennial forages with a companion crop. Saline-tolerant forage mixtures will be seeded in saline soil with and without a barley companion crop. The success of establishment will be evaluated by collecting data on plant density, NDVI drone imagery, forage yield and quality, and economic returns. The field component of the study will also assess the potential of forages to remediate saline soils by comparing the quality of pollinator habitat, weed suppression, and soil biological activity to an annual grain crop rotation. A greenhouse experiment will evaluate the performance of forage mixtures with high diversity compared to low diversity in saline soil conditions.

Vegetation Growth Trajectory Responses of Native and Invasive Plants Across Different Biogeoclimatic Zones within the McKay Creek Wildfire Area

Impacts of increased wildfires and wildfire intensity have impacts that go beyond the initial devastation often shown on the news. Wildfire recovery is a long, difficult, and multi-faceted undertaking, especially within the context of a changing climate. This project is intended to better understand the impacts of wildfire on invasive and native (culturally important) plants. Plants are the cornerstone of ecosystems including food systems for people and wildlife. It is critical for us to learn which plant species are able to grow back on their own and if invasive plant species become worse after wildfire in order to inform ecological restoration going forward (such as the need for seeding native plants and where invasive species may need to be controlled).

Development of a model-based approach to assess bioequivalence based on dermatopharmacokinetic data obtained from comparative studies on topical dermatological drug products

Market approval of generic products requires that such products are shown to have equivalent safety and efficacy as the innovator product currently on the market. In general, generic topical dermatological products require comparative clinical trials in patients which require a large number of patients, are expensive and lengthy. This has led to a shortage of generic medicines that are meant to be applied to the skin. We developed a surrogate method to assess the safety and efficacy using tape stripping of human skin which is a relatively non-invasive technique. However, this method involves numerous determinations and is time-consuming. Hence, our objective is to develop a more efficient and expedient method using a model-based approach from which pharmacokinetic parameters relevant to assessment of a topical formulation can be deduced which will circumvent the need for numerous measurements and assumptions. Publication of the results will enhance the future prospects of the partner organization, Learn and Confirm Inc.

Accelerated development of soybean cultivars resistant to soybean cyst nematode and white mould

The proposed research aims to develop a paradigm shift whereas the selection of materials containing resistance genes and QTL for soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and white mould WM) resistance by marker-assisted selection (MAS) applied on the F4 single plants. The University of Guelph uses a nursery in Costa Rica, Central America, to advance breeding materials from F2 to F4 generation. The latter seeds are planted at the Woodstock station, where phenotypic selection occurs on a single individual plant basis for characteristics such as visual agronomic performance, maturity, number of pods per plant and absence of disease and lodging. This project aims to improve selection efficiency for disease resistance traits such as SCN and WM resistance that are difficult to select for phenotypically. It will result in saving on resources spent on testing materials that do not hold promise for the development of disease resistant, high yielding soybean cultivars.

Co-développement d’outils de promotion de la santé cognitive par et pour la population de 50 ans et plus.

La maladie d’Alzheimer et autres troubles apparentés sont en augmentation notamment en raison du vieillissement de la population. Les adultes et les aînés éprouvent des craintes face à la survenue de ceux-ci. Bien que le contrôle de facteurs de risques modifiables pourrait prévenir jusqu’à 40% de ceux-ci, une majorité d’adultes et d’aînés croient que seulement les facteurs héréditaires en sont responsables. Plusieurs sources d’information sont disponibles à ce sujet mais elles ne sont souvent pas accessibles. Différentes stratégies de promotion de la santé peuvent être utilisées pour diffuser et favoriser des changements d’habitudes de vie basées sur des informations fiables accessibles présentant les facteurs de risques modifiables et des moyens concrets de promotion de la santé cognitive et de prévention de la perte d’autonomie et de la dignité des personnes vivant avec la maladie d’Alzheimer.

Simulating policies to achieve 100% zero-emissions vehicle sales in Canada

The overall objective for this project is to support the research of two Master’s students to advance and apply methods for modelling climate policies in transport, a field in which START in the School of Resource and Environmental Management at SFU is one of the leading research teams in the country and in which Navius Research Inc is the leading Canadian consulting firm. The project focuses on advancing the behavioural realism of a technology-adoption model, the AUtomaker-consumer Model (AUM). One intern will improve AUM’s representation of ZEV charging access. A second intern will incorporate at least one measure of consumer equity into AUM. The internships will allow the students to learn valuable analysis and modeling skills, under the guidance of leading modelers in the field. Navius will learn about the AUM model, which will improve their ability to provide climate transport policy analysis.

Development and characterization of novel whole-cell flours from Canadian pulses

In this partnership, researchers from the University of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre aim to work collectively to create a novel type of “whole-cell” flours from Canadian pulses, such as pea, chickpea, and faba bean. In comparison with conventional pulse flours obtained from dry milling/grinding, the new pulse flours are anticipated to offer low-glycemic benefit and have higher levels of dietary fiber and protein, which will be more favorable for producing healthy foods to enhance the health and well-being of Canadian consumers. The collaborative research and development activities will promote the use of high-quality and nutritious Canadian pulses in the food industry, thus supporting the growth of the agri-food sector in the country.

Solutions TLM : Conseils d’intégration basés sur des tests psychométriques

AtmanCo est une entreprise œuvrant dans le domaine du développement du potentiel humain. Des tests psychométriques sont conçus afin de mesurer le profil psychologique d’un individu. Ces tests sont utilisés en entreprise dans les contextes d’embauche, de gestion d’équipes et de développement des compétences. L’équipe de développement de Solutions TLM, en collaboration avec AtmanCo, travaille actuellement sur un coach virtuel. Le coach virtuel est une plateforme web mobile visant à guider les gestionnaires afin d’assurer une bonne intégration des nouveaux membres dans leurs équipes via un système automatisé d’accompagnement.
Le système automatisé d’accompagnement se fera en proposant des recommandations par le biais d’un agent artificiel. Les recommandations proposées pourront être retirées, réordonnées et épinglées par l’utilisateur. L’agent artificiel doit utiliser ces interactions pour corriger ses recommandations. Ainsi, l’agent pourra apprendre à prédire des recommandations pertinentes à afficher au gestionnaire.

Comparastore – Développement des Affaires

Fondé par 2 étudiants, Comparastore est le premier comparateur d’entrepôts au Canada. La plateforme venant d’être terminée, l’enjeu principal de Comparastore concerne maintenant son développement des affaires, c’est-à-dire enrichir la plateforme de diverses solutions d’entreposage afin que ses utilisateurs puissent y comparer tous types d’offres et trouver celle qui correspond à leur besoin.

Dans ce contexte, les responsabilités du stagiaire en développement des affaires seront : (1) Répertorier des entrepôts sur la plateforme ; (2) Créer et mettre en œuvre une stratégie commerciale pour convertir les entrepôts répertoriés en partenaires d’affaires ; (3) Concevoir et réaliser une stratégie d’acquisition de trafic web.

Les deux co-fondateurs étant polyvalents, avec des compétences complémentaires, parviennent à assurer le développement produit, web et des affaires. Néanmoins, ne pouvant être au four et au moulin en même temps, ils sont débordés. Notre équipe a besoin d’un membre supplémentaire pour l’aider au développement des affaires et permettre à Comparastore de se développer le plus rapidement possible. Ce projet nous permettra donc de répondre à ce défi.