Innovative Projects Realized

Upgradation of biocrude oil and its fractions into drop-in transportation fuels: Novel bimetallic and trimetallic catalysts development from biochar derived from hydrothermal liquefaction of various low value feedstocks

Currently, around the world municipal solid wastes creating a serious risk to human health and the environment; the cheapest and commonly used management technologies for these wastes are landfilling or combustion. However, landfill releases methane and other greenhouse gases, also it has potential to pollute surrounding soil and groundwater. On the other hand, municipal solid wastes can be processed via hydrothermal liquefaction technology to convert agricultural, kitchen and other organic waste streams into bio-crude oil that is environmentally green and carbon neutral. Thus, production of bio-crude oil has several techno-economic challenges and many technical areas need proper understanding. However, there is a compelling need to develop techno-economic viable production process of bio-crude oil to add value to underutilized waste. Thus, the main objective of this project is to produce carbon-neutral liquid transportation fuels (gasoline, diesel, and jet) from municipal solid wastes. The technology developed from this study will be implemented at NULIFE GreenTech Inc. production facility for producing bio-crude oil and bio-residue.

A Distributed Learning and Automation System for Passive Solar Greenhouses

The proposed research focuses on optimizing the partner organization’s innovative passive solar greenhouses. We propose a distributed learning and automation system (DLAS) that collects sensing data from multiple greenhouses. The DLS learns an optimal predictive model by aggregating the local models from multiple edge devices. The DLAS keeps improving the model as more sensing data is available. The predictive model will be used for automating the control of multiple greenhouses. The proposed project will benefit the partner organization by automating and optimizing the greenhouse controls with AI-based predictive decisions at the edge. The proposed project will help achieve energy efficiency and the eventual net-zero carbon emission goal.

Attentes et réticences des publics à l’égard des dispositifs de médiation de la musique : vers un guide des bonnes pratiques

L’Étude partenariale sur la médiation de la musique (EPM2) s’inscrit dans un contexte global où la
médiation culturelle est considérée comme l’un des fondements de la redéfinition des politiques de
l’éducation, de la culture et de la diversité. L’EPM » est un nouveau projet de recherche de l’équipe
Partenariat sur les publics de la musique (p2m) dont les travaux portes sur le développement des publics
de la musique et la médiation de la musique.
Par la mobilisation des chercheurs et des professionnels, le projet de partenariat EPM2 sur le rôle de
l’enseignement et de la pratique de la médiation de la musique dans la reconfiguration contemporaine du
métier de musicien a pour objectif de 1/ recenser et analyser les manières d’intégrer la médiation de la
musique dans le milieu de l’enseignement supérieur en musique et dans le milieu professionnel; 2/
co-construire avec ces mêmes milieux des supports de création et d’évaluation des activités de médiation
de la musique qui accompagneront les médiateurs et les musicien.nes à toutes les stades de leur carrière.
Ce projet est novateur en ce qu’il repose sur la mutualisation des forces d’enseignant.es, de chercheur.es,
et d’étudiant.es issu du milieu cégépien jusqu’à l’université qui travailleront en étroite collaboration avec
les professionnels du milieu de la musique (diffuseurs, producteurs, musiciens).

Evaluation of Changes in Urban Forests in The Annex Neighbourhood, Toronto from 2010 to 2022

Urban forests are an essential component of green and sustainable communities. They play a critical role in ecological and social wellbeing by providing beneficial ecosystem services which improve environment and human health. Nonetheless, urban and infrastructure development, invasive species, and environmental stresses threaten urban tree survivorship. While public trees are often well-documented, there is limited knowledge and research related to trees on private land. This highlights the need to implement community urban forestry stewardship programs to determine baseline condition, understand changes and trends, and protect the urban forest from further deterioration. This project aims to evaluate and analyze changes in the urban forest in the Annex neighbourhood in Toronto in terms of several tree attributes derived from the Neighbourwoods inventory protocol. This project will assess changes in urban forest structure, composition, abundance, and condition through time, informing actions to improve urban forest health and associated human health and wellbeing.

Climate change innovation in the aftermath of the Paris Agreement: Exploring finance, technology, and capacity-building responses

The 2015 Paris Agreement is clear: significant climate change action will require innovation and a number of different responses, touching on finance, technology, and capacity-building. This will likely include the deployment of new tools, ranging from new models in education and the support of knowledge transfer to novel financing and policy frameworks. As we approach nearly a decade since this landmark agreement was signed, the proposed research aims to examine a models linked to each of these three broad themes (finance, technology, and capacity-building) that may be useful to dealing with the climate problem, including using augmented reality, open knowledge bases, and emerging finance ecosystems. Research products, ideally published in peer-reviewed journals and/or white papers, will examine each of these topics. Empirical analysis of the mission of a major project of the host – developing the world’s first open engineering encyclopedia for clean energy innovation – will be provided.

Understanding the dynamic of harmful algal blooms in boreal lakes of Abitibi-Temiscamingue

Cyanobacteria are the Earth’s oldest photoautotrophs and responsible for today’s oxygen level. However, when they overgrow and form a bloom, they cause ecological degradation and sometimes become life threatening because of the cyanotoxins they produce. This phenomenon is linked to high concentrations of nutrients, elevated water temperature and low water movement. Recent observations showed some unusual occurrence of harmful cyanobacterial blooms under the ice cover. This study aims to better understand the seasonal dynamic of harmful algal blooms in boreal lakes by identifying the specific driving factors responsible for their development in two lakes of Abitibi-Témiscamingue (Quebec, Canada). The outcomes of the project will contribute to develop comprehensive knowledge and new tools for improving water quality for Lake Beauchamp near the city of Amos and Lake Fortune, for which the watershed organisation of Temiscamingue is building a new management plan and for all Canadian lakes.

In Vitro study of the anti migration and anti metastasis proprieties of Carnosol on oral cancer

Oral cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer, and the incidence of new cases and mortality is rising worldwide. Currently, oral cancer is treated with chemotherapy agents alone or in combination with radiotherapy or surgery. Chemotherapeutic approaches made the patients suffer from severe side effects and drug resistance. Henceforward, the current focus is leaning towards using plant-derived compounds (also called phytochemicals) as they have lower cost, exhibit less toxicity, are more effective, and with reduced adverse effects. Several phytochemicals displayed anticancer activity, because they target several molecular pathways including apoptosis, proliferation, cancer stem cells, inflammation, invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis. Carnosol, a naturally occurring phytopolyphenol found in sage, oregano and rosemary, has been shown to inhibit cellular viability, colony growth, induced cell cycle arrest, autophagy, and apoptosis in various types of cancer. Nonetheless, exploring its mechanisms of action, alone or in combination with a chemotherapeutic agent, can serve as a potential tool to decimate oral cancer.

Holistic Promotion of Youth Wellness from a Métis Perspective: The Gift of Knowledge Sharing with Métis Elders

Le stress objectif et subjectif de la femme enceinte suivant une catastrophe naturelle peut affecter son accouchement et augmenter le risque que son enfant développe des traits autistiques : urgence d’agir face aux changements climatiques

Une hausse de la fréquence des inondations dû aux réchauffements climatiques est anticipée au Québec et des impacts psychologiques sont à prévoir, notamment chez les femmes enceintes. Subir une catastrophe naturelle durant la grossesse est un stress qui laisse ses traces jusque dans le développement de l’enfant à naître, notamment en augmentant le risque de développer des traits autistiques. Parallèlement, le stress nuit au développement physiologique de l’accouchement. Or, l’accumulation de complications obstétricales durant la naissance, incluant la prise de médication (ocytocine synthétique et péridurale), a été reliée au risque d’augmentation des traits autistiques chez l’enfant. Ainsi, le stress prénatal maternel vécu lors de catastrophes naturelles pourrait augmenter le risque de complications obstétricales, la prise de médication et les traits autistiques de l’enfant. Les présentes hypothèses présument des impacts psychologiques, cognitifs et développementaux concrets sur les population qui seront victimes d’inondations ou de tempête de verglas sévères.

Caractérisation et modélisation des performances de l’enveloppe du bâtiment : Relation entre la localisation dans le bâtiment et le type d’isolation

Le projet se concentre sur la conception d’une structure d’enveloppe de bâtiment adaptée aux conditions climatiques du Québec et sur l’isolation des bâtiments avec l’aide de matériaux d’isolation écologiques et biosourcés. Le transfert de chaleur et d’humidité à travers l’enveloppe du bâtiment biosourcé sera comparé à l’enveloppe du bâtiment conventionnel utilisé dans la région de Québec. Des modélisations et des expériences sur site seront effectuées pour simuler le transfert de chaleur et d’humidité à travers l’enveloppe, et une simulation énergétique (par exemple, E+, TRNSYS, etc.) sera utilisée pour estimer la consommation d’énergie dans un bâtiment résidentiel de faible hauteur à ossature de bois. Une fois validés, ces systèmes d’enveloppe améliorés permettront l’itération et le raffinement des matériaux d’isolation biosourcés et des systèmes d’enveloppe de bâtiment, tout en contribuant à la connaissance de la performance hydrothermique des matériaux d’isolation biosourcés utilisés dans le contexte québécois.

Design of novel flexible cluster-based rare-earth metal-organic frameworks

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are a relatively new class of materials, which gained significant attention from the scientific
community in the past 10-15 years. The interest in MOFs is mainly due to their unique properties, which include tunable structure,
large surface area, extensive porosity, and a high degree of crystallinity. Because of these characteristics, MOFs have been used
in several areas, such as gas storage, ion-exchange, drug delivery, chemical sensing, adsorption, and catalysis. In this project,
new flexible cluster-based rare-earth MOFs will be synthesized, characterized, and used for simultaneous detection and removal
of organic pollutants from water. The outcome of this research could positively contribute to the materials chemistry field through
the obtention of new porous materials with flexible properties that could be used for multiple applications. At least one paper is
expected as a result of this project, with the creation of a strong collaboration between prof. Howarth’s and prof. Kaskel’s
laboratories.

Bringing Biogas to Mexico: From Responsible Waste Disposal to Circular Economy

Serious environmental problems exist in Mexico, but changes can still be made, especially where renewable energy initiatives can help individual companies derive economic benefits from responsible disposal of the waste they produce. This project will conduct market research for Mexico to understand food processing businesses and explore other potential target markets. By quantifying the advantages of biogas production and the advantage of using a Fitec AD system to clearly show the advantages over the status quo (landfilling or composting), we can engage local clients and increase the number of commercial-scale biogas facilities we can build in Mexico.