Innovative Projects Realized

LiDAR-based geospatial analysis of glacial landforms in the aspiring Georgian Bay UNESCO Geo Park – Year Two

Canada has been glaciated many times in the last 2.5 million years and large ice sheets many kilometres thick have profoundly affected Canadian landscapes by eroding rocks and moving sediment. Using data from modern ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland, glacial geologists have very recently recognized the imprint of fast flowing corridors of ice with ancient ice sheets called ice streams creating a new paradigm in understanding ancient continental-scale ice bodies. The key to recognizing and mapping ancient ice streams is newly developed high resolution laser techniques (Light Detection and Ranging) which now provide hitherto unavailable detail of the Earth’s surface and the typical landforms created under fast flowing ice streams. A systematic program of LIDAR mapping of glacial landforms around Georgian Bay will provide new data on the last ice sheet and its mode of flow and its effects on the landscape including the erosion of Georgian Bay and other Great Lake basins.

LiDAR-based geospatial analysis of glacial landforms in the aspiring Georgian Bay UNESCO Geo Park

Canada has been glaciated many times in the last 2.5 million years and large ice sheets many kilometres thick have profoundly affected Canadian landscapes by eroding rocks and moving sediment. Using data from modern ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland, glacial geologists have very recently recognized the imprint of fast flowing corridors of ice with ancient ice sheets called ice streams creating a new paradigm in understanding ancient continental-scale ice bodies. The key to recognizing and mapping ancient ice streams is newly developed high resolution laser techniques (Light Detection and Ranging) which now provide hitherto unavailable detail of the Earth’s surface and the typical landforms created under fast flowing ice streams. A systematic program of LIDAR mapping of glacial landforms around Georgian Bay will provide new data on the last ice sheet and its mode of flow and its effects on the landscape including the erosion of Georgian Bay and other Great Lake basins.

Development of a molecular assay for determining the number and viability of vaccine organisms

This project is designed to evaluate/test the viability of commercial live coccidial poultry vaccine. The efforts will be made to enumerate individual species within a mixture of several to many vaccine species. The current research revolves around viability-qPCR that may be able to simultaneously amplify and quantify parasites in a variety of samples and concentrations. . The viability/qPCR to detect and quantify species complexes in a cost-effective manner would be useful for vaccine quality control. The ability to test samples for viability in vitro (in addition to quantifying the agents present) is of direct interest to vaccine manufacturers as well as diagnostic laboratories within Canada and globally

Development of advanced chemical techniques for the production of graphene-based nanomaterials from graphite – Year Two

Graphene is a recently discovered two-dimensional material with remarkable properties that scientists and industry are intensely striving to understand and exploit. It can be used in energy applications (e.g., batteries and supercapacitors for electrical vehicles), as conductive thin films for solar panels, as membranes for water desalination, and in antibacterial and antiviral coatings. ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. (ZEN) is a Canadian next-generation nanomaterials technology company that develops graphene-based technologies to help protect humanity and the environment, while significantly enhancing existing products. ZEN is focused on the development of its unique Albany Graphite as a precursor material for graphene production and various industrial applications. Prof. Aicheng Chen’s research team at the University of Guelph has developed laboratory scale techniques to synthesize graphene-based nanomaterials from ZEN’s unique Albany graphite. Two US patents and one Canadian patent have been recently granted. The aim of this proposed Mitacs Elevate project is to scale-up and transfer these newly patented approaches and innovative technologies from the Chen Research Lab to ZEN for the commercial production of graphene-based nanomaterials for clean energy, environmental, and medical applications.

Development of advanced chemical techniques for the production of graphene-based nanomaterials from graphite

Graphene is a recently discovered two-dimensional material with remarkable properties that scientists and industry are intensely striving to understand and exploit. It can be used in energy applications (e.g., batteries and supercapacitors for electrical vehicles), as conductive thin films for solar panels, as membranes for water desalination, and in antibacterial and antiviral coatings. ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. (ZEN) is a Canadian next-generation nanomaterials technology company that develops graphene-based technologies to help protect humanity and the environment, while significantly enhancing existing products. ZEN is focused on the development of its unique Albany Graphite as a precursor material for graphene production and various industrial applications. Prof. Aicheng Chen’s research team at the University of Guelph has developed laboratory scale techniques to synthesize graphene-based nanomaterials from ZEN’s unique Albany graphite. Two US patents and one Canadian patent have been recently granted. The aim of this proposed Mitacs Elevate project is to scale-up and transfer these newly patented approaches and innovative technologies from the Chen Research Lab to ZEN for the commercial production of graphene-based nanomaterials for clean energy, environmental, and medical applications.

Effets d’un entraînement à l’effort sur les adaptations hémodynamiques de patients coronariens: vers la détermination de variables prédictives de réponse à l’entraînement.

L’impact bénéfique de l’activité physique dans le traitement de nombreuses pathologies est largement démontré et son importance dans la réadaptation cardiaque est avérée. En parallèle, l’utilisation de différents biomarqueurs comme évaluation des processus physiopathologiques relatifs à la maladie coronarienne et l’IC est de plus en plus répandue. Cependant, il n’existe pas à ce jour « un » marqueur spécifique ou « un ensemble spécifique » de marqueurs prédictifs de l’évolution de la pathologie en lien avec un programme d’entraînement.
Dans ce contexte, je souhaiterais collaborer avec le Dr. Mathieu Gayda, PhD du Centre EPIC de l’Institut de Cardiologie de Montréal (ICM). Grâce à cette collaboration, il me sera possible de mesurer des paramètres cardiopulmonaires et hémodynamiques (VO2, débit cardiaque, pression de remplissage diastolique ventriculaire) associée aux évaluations cérébrales (Doppler transcrânien, fNIRS) afin de déterminer le caractère répondeur ou non répondeur des patients à l’entraînement.
Les résultats potentiels de ce projet permettront à moyen terme d’améliorer la qualité de vie des patients en leur permettant d’acquérir plus d’autonomie dans leur vie quotidienne en limitant les réhospitalisations grâce à un programme d’entraînement personnalisé.

Schools, Austerity and Privatization in the Pandemic Era

This project critically assesses the work of K-12 educators has been affected by the policies of the Ontario government under Premier Ford, both prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, including class size increases and mandatory e-learning, as well as during the pandemic, including its public health policies, the pivot to virtual learning and alternative school timetables. This project argues that the government’s policies during both periods were broadly consistent with an approach of fiscal austerity for public education, the pursuit of opportunities for private actors, a disregard for the professionalism of educators and an adversarial posture towards their unions. The project combines analysis of government and school district policies with interviews with experts including government policymakers, school district officials, union leaders, academics and education activists. Comparisons will be made with pandemic responses in other jurisdictions. A comprehensive research report will be provided to the Ontario Teachers’ Federations and its affiliates.

Micropatterned Surfaces for Fouling-Resistant Oil Sands Instrumentation

The Canadian oil sands industry has undertaken substantial research and development efforts aimed at improving oil sands tailings treatment processes, with the goal of reclaiming tailings deposits and returning the environment to its natural state. Instrumentation plays a key role in optimizing tailings processing, but implementation of new technology has been hampered by issues related to fouling due to residual levels of bitumen present in tailings streams. The proposed research will investigate surface engineering techniques aimed at reducing or eliminating fouling. In particular, microscopic patterns inspired by natural materials such as shark skin will be laser-etched into materials commonly used in tailings instruments, such as stainless steel or sapphire. Successes in this area would improve process reliability, reduce maintenance requirements, and allow commercial application of promising new instruments. The knowledge gained through this project will increase the understanding of the utility of surface patterning for processes in the oil sands and other industries.

Design of a Compact Accelerator Based Neutron Source

The Mitacs Globalink Award will empower an interdisciplinary research effort which is geared towards the realization of a prototype Compact Accelerator-based Neutron Source in Canada (CANS) at the University of Windsor. Three beamlines are being planned for the CANS facility and they are intended to serve applications in materials sciences, medical sciences and fluorine-18 radioisotope production.

Critical research and development needs to be conducted on three major aspects of the CANS infrastructure – the source, neutron transport and beamline instrumentation. The collaboration with Forschungszentrum Jülich will provide key training to Canadian researchers in the use of the Vitess software package which is utilized for modeling neutron instrument performance. This project will be geared towards the optimization of neutron transport and instrumentation for the small-angle neutron scattering instrument.

Thermophotovoltaics for waste-heat to electric power conversion on spacecrafts – Year Two

Space missions are very costly, limited and often short-lived. The capabilities and value of a space mission depends on the energy and power available on a space craft. For many space missions it is not possible to bring an energy source that can supply the required power throughout the entire duration of the mission. Furthermore, spacecrafts often generate excess heat that is largely unused. Cooling systems on spacecrafts are designed to radiate unwanted heat into space to prevent overheating. However, unwanted heat on spacecrafts has great potential to generate electric power.

The objective of this project is to integrate a novel thermophotovoltaic (TPV) device into a spacecraft propulsion system. TPV devices use a photovoltaic cell to convert radiant heat into electric power. The TPV system in this project comprises a novel optical cavity structure that concentrates radiant energy from a heat source onto a PV cell. This TPV system is made of durable and inexpensive components, has no moving parts, and does not generate vibrations which could hinder the operation of a spacecraft.

Unpaved forest roads as a source of suspended sediment in the Honna River watershed

The Honna River is the drinking water source for the Village of Queen Charlotte (pop. 950), and is also important salmon habitat. Sediment from unpaved forest roads near the river may be entering the channel in significant quantities. In a previous internship, intern David Reid implemented a channel reach-scale study of all sediment sources in the Honna River in an effort to determine the total volume of sediment contributed from the road, and also how this volume compares to natural sediment sources. The goal of the proposed internship is to complete the reach scale sediment budget by taking second measurements of channel profile to estimate bank erosion rates, and sediment storage in channel. The measurement of suspended sediment concentration and discharge has been ongoing, and will continue during this internship. Collected data will be analyzed to assess the impact of forest roads at the reach scale. Specifically, the effect of traffic will be examined, and the role of the timing of sediment input investigated. Results will be used to manage wet weather road use in the Honna River watershed, and will also fill research gaps related to reach-scale sediment input from roads to rivers.

Thermophotovoltaics for waste-heat to electric power conversion on spacecrafts

Space missions are very costly, limited and often short-lived. The capabilities and value of a space mission depends on the energy and power available on a space craft. For many space missions it is not possible to bring an energy source that can supply the required power throughout the entire duration of the mission. Furthermore, spacecrafts often generate excess heat that is largely unused. Cooling systems on spacecrafts are designed to radiate unwanted heat into space to prevent overheating. However, unwanted heat on spacecrafts has great potential to generate electric power.

The objective of this project is to integrate a novel thermophotovoltaic (TPV) device into a spacecraft propulsion system. TPV devices use a photovoltaic cell to convert radiant heat into electric power. The TPV system in this project comprises a novel optical cavity structure that concentrates radiant energy from a heat source onto a PV cell. This TPV system is made of durable and inexpensive components, has no moving parts, and does not generate vibrations which could hinder the operation of a spacecraft.