Innovative Projects Realized

Explore thousands of successful projects resulting from collaboration between organizations and post-secondary talent.

29670 Completed Projects

2811
AB
4990
BC
801
MB
663
NL
825
SK
8841
ON
9197
QC
95
PE
568
NB
1088
NS

Projects by Category

Optimizing logistics of logging debris supply for bioenergy production

Logging operations in British Columbia produce an estimated 15.5 megatonnes per year (MT/yr) (oven dry basis) of forest residues. Traditionally this logging slash has been piled and burnt on site. Due to the rising concerns around climate change and increasing demand for energy, these harvest residuals are becoming a desirable fuel source for sustainable bioenergy production. However, due to the logistical complexities, high cost, and fossil fuel intensity of collection and transportation, careful planning is necessary to provide these fuels to local energy facilities in an economically feasible and environmentally benign manner. This research proposes the optimal procurement strategy for delivering 100 000 Bone Dry Tonnes (BDT’s) per year of harvest residuals to a 112 megawatt (MW) Howe Sound Pulp and Paper power facility located near Vancouver, BC. A new transportation and logistics simulation model has been developed which implements high resolution real data from supply operations in the region.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Gary Bull

Student:

Partner:

Ledcor Group

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Construction and infrastructure

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program:

Accelerate

Disseminating Evidence-Based Preventive Interventions to Promote Wellness and Mental Health in Children and Youth: A Collaborative Approach

As mental health services are increasingly overwhelmed, there is a need for a more upstream, public health, focus on prevention of these concerns. Preventive interventions target the risk (e.g., bullying, family and dating violence, problem behaviors) and protective factors (e.g., social emotional learning, stress management, family, and school connections) that can undermine child and youth wellbeing. Many of these concerns can be addressed before mental health disorders onset in adolescence or young adulthood. Despite considerable evidence of their efficacy in reducing the onset and duration of mental illnesses in children and youth preventive interventions are rarely disseminated at levels that could make a significant difference to the mental health and well-being of our children and youth. This intern will assist in the process of defining a new organization for the integration of preventive interventions into the tools available to BC youth from the prevention and early treatment of mental illness.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Bonnie Leadbeater

Student:

Partner:

Foundry

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

University of Victoria

Program:

Accelerate

Developing a surrogate marker to asthmatic tissue: the nasal cavity

Our research proposal will explore the unified airway theory and determine whether the sinuses express biological similarities to the lungs in participants who only clinically present with Chronic Rhinosinusitis (CRS)or asthma and not with both diseases. The unified airway theory suggests that the lower (lungs) and upper (sinuses) airways are intrinsically connected and function together as one unit and the biological processes, such as inflammation, in the lower airway are similar in the upper airway. Therefore, we will examine several markers of inflammation by measuring gene expression levels of inflammatory cells and proteins in both the upper and lower airways. We expect that participants who have CRS either with or without asthma will exhibit a unified airway by displaying similar inflammatory markers in the lungs and sinuses if their diseases are immune driven. We do not expect to see a unified airway in participants whoseCRS is due to a localized infection, structural risk factors, or isolated sinus disease. Discovering when the inflammatory profiles of the sinuses and lungs are the same in participants who only have CRS or asthma will provide novel evidence for the unified airway theory and support for the possibility of using the sinus TOBECONT’.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Andrew Thamboo

Student:

Partner:

Providence Health Care

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program:

Accelerate

Mechanochemical transformation of crustacean shell waste to valueadded products

The Crustaceans industry is a major part of Canadian seafood production, however, it results in the generation of significant amount of crustacean wastes. The disposal of the wastes is often costly and challenging. The exoskeleton of the crustacean waste contains chitin, which can be converted into value-added products. Our lab had developed an innovative, green and safe method for the production of chitin and chitosan from the crustacean waste which requires at least 14 times less energy, 10 times less water, and 8 times less chemicals compared to the traditional methods. We have achieved the production of chitosan with high purity (DDA>90%) and a high yield. Thus, our technology not only resolves the industrial effluent issue for chitosan production but also it significantly lowers the cost of production. By participating in L2M, we are seeking to identify the customers, develop entrepreneurship skills and validate our novel technology.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Audrey Moores

Student:

Partner:

Springboard Atlantic Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Clean Technology; Advanced Manufacturing; Sustainability & the Environment

University:

McGill University

Program:

Accelerate

Characterization of various insulation materials, coatings, and non-metallic membrane for corrosion under insulation performance

Corrosion under insulation (CUI) is among the major damage mechanisms acting in Oil & Gas processing plants and chemical industries that causes process leaks, and the failures of thermally insulated systems. The hydrocarbon leaks from CUI result in the increased carbon footprint and can even cause catastrophic fires. CUI triggers from inevitable moisture ingress in thermal insulation, and so need to be better understood and managed for cleaner and safer operation of process facilities. The major uncertainty with CUI is from the variety of insulation materials and coatings used in the industry, the majority of which are not fully evaluated and reported for quantified corrosion risks and related implications. This research project aims to test various in market insulation materials, coatings, and non-metallic membrane for CUI performance. Other than understanding the CUI mechanisms, this project will improve the scientific literature and support refinement of industry standards on CUI.

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Faculty Supervisor:

George Jarjoura

Student:

Partner:

Integrity Products & Supplies Inc

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Dalhousie University

Program:

Accelerate

Effects of a novel probiotic supplement on bone health in postmenopausal women

Menopause is the natural cessation of a woman’s menstrual cycle. During this transition, low levels of estrogen and associated pro-inflammatory state stimulates a rapid decline in bone tissue which may ultimately increase the risk of fragility fractures. Prevention strategies are warranted to maintain bone mineral density and a strong skeleton after menopause and use of probiotics may serve as a promising approach. Probiotics may modulate bone via regulation of the gut microbiome and subsequent anti-inflammatory pathways in a bacterial strain-specific manner. The objective of this study is to examine the effects of a novel probiotic supplement on attenuating a loss of BMD, modulating fracture risk, and improving markers of bone cell activity and inflammation compared to no intervention in postmenopausal women.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Wendy E Ward

Student:

Partner:

Lallemand Bio Ingredients

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

Brock University

Program:

Accelerate

Sediment Budget of the Lower Fraser River

Sediment processes are regularly disrupted in large sand-bedded rivers and deltas as a result of human development. Development of the Fraser River delta and estuary, associated with sediment dredging, dykes, and flow diversions has been linked to reduced volumes of sediment delivered to the delta front and systematic channel degradation. As a result, the delta may be sediment starved and transitioning from a growing to an erosional state, increasing its vulnerability to oceanic forces (e.g., waves, tidal forces). However, the impacts of a reduced sediment load to the delta front and the extent of riverbed degradation of the lower Fraser remains unknown. The proposed project will examine existing bathymetry surveys, dredging records, and sediment inputs at Mission to determine the modern sediment budget of the lower Fraser River. The results will allow Northwest Hydraulic Consultants (NHC) to make recommendations related to sediment management of the lower Fraser River.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Jeremy Venditti;Ryan Bradley

Student:

Partner:

Northwest Hydraulic Consultants Ltd

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Simon Fraser University

Program:

Accelerate

Synthesis and characterization of various nanocarriers and ministring DNA product for ocular gene delivery

Gene therapy has the potential to effectively treat a wide range of ocular disorders. However, the introduction of foreign therapeutic genes to cells is incredibly challenging. Compared to viral vectors, non-viral vectors (NVV) are far less immunogenic and less toxic. However, NVV are less efficient than viral vectors at delivering therapeutic genes because they must overcome numerous cellular barriers. An appropriate design of the components of the NVV will enhance the properties of the vector to improve delivery into the cell. Our group is working to optimize various nanocarriers and develop a DNA NVV that exploits Mediphage’s proprietary miniaturized DNA construct, called ministring DNA (msDNA). msDNA vectors confer higher transfection efficiency than traditional plasmid DNA strategies, and their smaller size allows for the delivery of higher copy numbers of therapeutic genes. We are confident that our strategy will lead to the development of an effective NVV for ocular gene delivery.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Shawn Wettig

Student:

Partner:

Mediphage Bioceuticals Inc

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Manufacturing; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Waterloo

Program:

Accelerate

Evaluation of smart microcarriers for high-density culture and enzyme-free harvesting of primary dermal sheath cells and fibroblasts

RepliCel is a regenerative medicine company that develops autologous cell therapies to treat chronic tendinosis, UV-damaged or aged skin, and pattern baldness. The cells in this technology are isolated from skin biopsies obtained from patients. However, because of limited available tissue samples, RepliCel seeks novel technologies to improve their cell culture process, which is currently time-consuming, labor-intensive, and low throughput. The overarching goal of this partnership is to develop a high-density cell culture system using smart microcarriers that enables 1) producing millions of cells from small tissue samples taken from the back to the patient’s scalp and 2) harvesting the cells without using enzymes. This proposal will build on the encouraging results we obtained from previous collaboration and optimize the microcarrier formulation and culture protocols for primary cells isolated from patients. The proposed research is anticipated to result in significant economic gains for BC and Canada since the targeted technology applies to an emerging and strategic market. Innovations in this area can reduce the costs associated with current cell-based treatment and transform the health and life sciences sectors.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Mohsen Akbari

Student:

Partner:

RepliCel Life Sciences

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Biotechnology; Life Sciences (not health)

University:

University of Victoria

Program:

Accelerate

Evaluating water temperature forecasting models used to predict Fraser River sockeye salmon migration mortality

I will be working as an intern with Vynx Design Inc. generating temperature forecasts that will aid decision making for salmon fisheries managers. My research will focus on improving the accuracy and effectiveness of short-term temperature forecasts as well as enhancing the understanding of the relationship between river conditions and mortality. I will use both deterministic and statistical models to generate 10-day river temperature forecasts that will be used by Fraser River sockeye salmon in-season management for predicting in-river loss. I will then evaluate the performance of these models post-season by comparing river temperature estimates to actual observed conditions and the costs associated with each. In addition, I will generate historic river temperature forecasts for multiple sites along major tributaries in the Fraser River to better our understanding of trends in escapement discrepancies and river temperature.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Sean Cox

Student:

Partner:

Vynx Design Inc

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Aquaculture and Fishing; Ocean Tech; Natural Resources; Sustainability & the Environment

University:

Simon Fraser University

Program:

Accelerate

Testing of a MEMS gravimeter on a drone over the Mt Meager volcanic complex

Gravimetry is an important geophysical method for remote sensing of sub-surface geological structures and systems via detection of mass and/or density changes. Applications are both academic and industrial. Currently, gravimetry surveys are carried out using sensors that are very sensitive, but also heavy and expensive. Both specifications make gravimetric studies expensive and practically very difficult, especially for airborne surveys. A new miniature gravity sensor called Wee-g has been developed in Glasgow which is small enough to enable a wider range of survey techniques such as on drones. The two primary objectives of the research project will be to carry out a spatial gravimetry survey around the Mount Meager Volcanic Complex and continuous monitoring of the nearby landslides at Mount Currie. Both surveys will provide us with new insight into the structures and activity around each site, and also test the use case of Wee-g in such extreme environments.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Glyn Williams-Jones

Student:

Partner:

University of Glasgow

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Education

University:

Simon Fraser University

Program:

Globalink Research Award

Improvement of the adhesion and release mechanism of antiviral coatings via using hydrogels and adhesion promoters

The pandemic has shown us the importance of controlling different routes of transmission of infectious diseases. In order to slow down or stop infectious diseases, cleaning and disinfection of ‘high-touch’ surfaces need to be performed regularly. However, the development of an effective antiviral surface coating provides an additional protection layer against disease transmission. In this work, we aim improve the formulation that we have recently developed for our antiviral coating. The improvements will make the coating safer and more suitable to be used on different surfaces such as metal, glass, and different polymeric materials. The application of the antiviral coating inactivates the viruses on the surfaces of public spaces such as schools, hospitals, and grocery stores. The release mechanism used in our formulation increases the antiviral efficiency of the coating with more consistency in long-term protection. The active agents have already been tested and shown the highest efficiency against the HCoV-229E in the first phase of our work.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Drew Higgins

Student:

Partner:

Trimis Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

McMaster University

Program:

Accelerate

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