Innovative Projects Realized

Identification des partenaires des protéines p190RhoGAP

Les stades les plus avancés du cancer sont caractérisés par la présence de tumeurs secondaires appelées métastases. Elles apparaissent suite à la dissémination de cellules tumorales dans l’organisme. Pour cela, les cellules tumorales acquièrent des capacités de migration et d’invasion. Les protéines de la famille des RhoGTPases sont impliquées dans ces phénomènes, il est donc nécessaire que leur activité soit finement régulée, notamment par d’autres protéines. Parmi celles-ci, les protéines p190RhoGAP dont on retrouve deux isoformes p190A et p190B, sont retrouvées mutées dans de nombreux cancers.

Notre projet vise à mieux comprendre le fonctionnement des protéines p190RhoGAP et leur impact sur le cancer. Pour cela, nous déterminerons de manière exhaustive les partenaires de p190A et de p190B, mais également de mutants de p190A retrouvés dans les cancers, par une technique innovante : le BioID. Nous validerons les protéines partenaires de p190RhoGAP par diverses approches biochimiques et évaluerons l’impact fonctionnel de ces interactions, en analysant notamment leur impact sur la migration et l’invasion des cellules tumorales. A terme, ces résultats pourraient nous permettre de définir de nouvelles stratégies thérapeutiques pour améliorer la prise en charge des patients atteints de cancer invasif.

Real-Estate Valuation with Heterogeneous Geospatial Information

The proposed project investigates the extraction of geo-location information from online map services to augment the available attributes of real-estate properties, thereby enhancing model valuation of property sales price. Specifically, five distinct and concurrent objectives are proposed, each undertaken by a separate intern, to explore the feasibility of utilizing different data types retrieved from online map service, including satellite imaging, street-view photography, and traditional mapping of amenities. As these raw data are relatively complex, state-of-the-art machine learning technology, including convolutional network, graph neural network, attention mechanism, and objection detection models will be employed to extract meaningful geo-location information. Completion of this project will yield both commercial and technological benefits for the partner organization, as they control the distribution and access of the proprietary technology of automated property valuation.

A Community-Based Participatory Action Research Project to Examine How People Who Use Drugs are Represented in Anti-Stigma Campaigns and How Anti-Stigma Work Can be Made More Inclusive

Through a review of existing anti-stigma campaigns targeting stigma towards people who use drugs (PWUD) and a series of focus groups conducted with marginalized PWUD, this community-based research project will explore how anti-stigma campaigns can be made more inclusive of all PWUD, especially those most severely impacted by stigma. The project is being guided by a community advisory board made up of drug user activists from the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) and findings will be mobilized to advocate for improved efforts to address the stigma PWUD face in the current overdose crisis. As VANDU is an organization that regularly consults with governments and policy makers on drug policy (including anti-stigma interventions) and also engages in its own advocacy campaigns this research will benefit the partner organization by informing and empowering its members in their ongoing work to fight stigma and advocate for the rights of PWUD.

Diversity and abundance of and effects of anthropogenic development (forestry harvesting) on crepuscular aerial insect populations (primarily lepidoptera, coleoptera) and how they influence an aerial insectivore (Eastern whip-poor-will)

Birds and insects who are active at dusk and dawn rely on environmental cues, such as light, to forage. Whip-poor-will are one such bird, and they rely on flying insects that are active during the same periods for food. Which insects, however, is not well understood but is important to know for conservation efforts focused on declining whip-poor-will populations. Additionally, birds and insects are sensitive to changes in their environment that result from the expansion of anthropogenic disturbance. Forestry harvesting practices can temporarily affect bird and insect populations by directly altering their habitat or indirectly through other means. Despite that, the way harvesting practices and affect populations of insects and birds that are active at dawn and dusk is poorly understood.

L’impact de l’innovation collaborative sur la création de valeur chez les PME manufacturières québécoises dans le contexte de l’Industrie 4.0

Pour faire face aux changements fréquents dans leur environnement externe, les PME manufacturières sont appelées à effectuer régulièrement des virages numériques leur permettant l’adoption et l’intégration des nouvelles technologies. Pour relever ce défi, elles ont besoin de développer des capacités technologiques leur permettant de mieux gérer leurs ressources et de les rendre plus disponibles aux moments opportuns. Les grandes entreprises relèvent ce défi à travers l’innovation. Faute de moyens et de ressources propres, les PME manufacturières multiplient les efforts pour développer leur potentiel d’innovation à travers l’innovation collaborative.
Avec une approche pragmatique, notre recherche vise à développer un modèle d’innovation collaborative permettant aux PME manufacturières québécoises d’innover ensemble et d’assurer leur pérennité dans le nouveau contexte de l’Industrie 4.0.

The Future of Ontario’s Manufacturing Workforce: A Roadmap to Assess Needs and Capabilities

The purpose of this research project is to better understand the human resource needs and capabilities of the advanced manufacturing sector in Ontario so as to support industry competitiveness and technological change. This research also contributes to labour market development for Ontario’s workforce through an analysis of training and educational providers and recruitment and retention approaches. This project is closely related to the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing’s objective of raising awareness of Ontario’s advanced manufacturing ecosystem. More specifically, it contributes to Trillium’s core programs of work that focus on 1) new production technologies and the modernization of Ontario manufacturing and 2) skills, talent, and the future of Ontario’s manufacturing workforce.

Développement d’un outil d’aide à la décision pour la sélection de sites pour des entreprises manufacturières en Amérique du Nord

Les dépenses d’investissement en capitaux d’une entreprise manufacturière représentent un secteur important du développement industriel : les acquisitions, le développement de marchés, la recherche, ou l’ajout de lignes de production dans une entreprise transnationale, s’accompagnent souvent, en effet, de flux de capitaux et de main d’oeuvre importants. À partir de différentes sources de données démographiques et de marché, publiques et privées, le projet vise à développer un outil d’aide à la décision pour la sélection de sites pour des entreprises manufacturières. Cet outil servira à identifier et à quantifier les paramètres stratégiques capables de guider un processus décisionnel et opérationnel lié à un scénario d’investissement, comme le choix d’un site industriel, en réduisant au minimum le risque lié à cette décision importante.
Basé sur un modèle de simulation et de décision, l’outil développé devra être calibré pour tenir compte de divers paramètres (marché, main d’oeuvre, secteur industriel …). Il devra enfin être capable d’identifier, de reconnaître et de regrouper les investissements historiques relatifs à différents clusters industriels (comme l’industrie du papier, de l’aluminium ou de l’aérospatiale) selon leurs comportements propres, aux États-Unis et au Canada, et à partir de données récentes représentant des projets d’investissements.

Mine Revegetation in the Yukon

The mining industry is one of the leading sectors of the Yukon economy. Mining companies are committed to restoring the land affected by mining activities to meet closure plan requirements. Revegetation of impacted sites is a challenge all mining companies face in sub-arctic regions because: 1- Lack of knowledge regarding which plants to use for revegetation and how to implement them effectively in the field; 2- Lack of commercially available seeds and seedlings.
Applied research using innovative methods is required to provide answers to the unique challenges facing mines operating in Yukon, one of which, is revegetation at mine sites. The objective of this project is to build a Ph.D project with the University of Alberta, the Yukon Research Centre and a mining company: Goldcorp.
Through this Ph.D project, applied research will be conducted, engaging with Yukon First Nation, to expand and disseminate knowledge regarding mining revegetation in the Yukon.

Analysis and Optimization for Industrial Safety and Efficiency: Novel Methods for scheduling Resources under Learning-Forgetting Effects

Irwin’s Industrial Safety, as a leading provider of safety and project management services, has collected safety and efficiency data over a list of projects since 2013. As a part of Mitacs Accelerate project, those data have been analyzed and the results have been visualized to enlighten opportunities for future optimization. This research proposes a framework to integrate the safety and efficiency data of projects in the consulting services that Irwin’s provide for its clients. As a result of the proposed framework, stakeholders (Irwin’s, its clients, contractors) will reduce incidents and accidents in the projects as well as reduce inefficiencies in terms of time and cost. In addition, an optimal resource allocation model that incorporates the unique attributes of this project will be developed. Studies show that learning (the ability to do a job faster due to repeating) and forgetting (increasing the time to finish a job due to interruptions and breaks) significantly affect the duration of activities and the utilization of resources. This project will incorporate learning and forgetting in the scheduling of resources benefits Irwin’s to reduce the delays, financial penalties, and incidents due to congested activities.

Processus, outils et systèmes d’information pour une gestion del’innovation intégrée au sein de PME innovantes

Les projets visent, dans les deux entreprises ciblés, soit des PME, à :

• contribuer par diverses analyses, recommandations et implantations, à améliorer

sensiblement le système de gestion de l’innovation dans ces entreprises,

• et surtout à intégrer le système de gestion de l’innovation à la stratégie d’affaires

et aux activités régulières de l’entreprise (stratégie, marketing, finances, etc.),

• dans le but d’aider ces entreprises, dont l’une est encore émergente (Kinova) et l’autre

est surtout centrée sur les services (Discovery Air une entreprise de services

d’aviation), à capitaliser davantage sur de multiples formes et voies d’innovation

technologique et commerciale (produits, procédés, marchés diversifiés) pour

augmenter leur croissance et compétitivité;

• en particulier, en les aidant à mettre sur pied les diverses innovation

organisationnelles requises, soit les des systèmes d’information et de veille, des

processus de développement de produis et des outils de collaboration

• le tout dans le but ultime de les aider à pratiquer l’innovation collaborative ou…

Automating the Analysis of Fish School Recognition in Echograms in the Bay of Fundy

FORCE uses hydroacoustic echosounder surveys to evaluate the impact of tidal turbines on marine animals in the Bay of Fundy. FORCE use Echoview software to read in the raw sensor data (e.g. voltages) and convert it to a visual representation. Echoview contains some algorithms to detect the bottom of the ocean. However, the FORCE hydroacoustic data is very noisy from several sources including “entrained air” pushed below the surface of the water through turbulence (i.e., eddies, vortices), and irregular surfaces on the bottom of the ocean. In order to analyze the survey data, manual post-processing is currently required to annotate the data. This manual process delays the turnaround to reporting, potential consistency and provides opportunity for inconsistency. Using a newly created automated process, data will be available for reporting in a more timely fashion, allowing for a faster reporting cycle. This project will provide OERA with the ability to automate analysis and reporting of this newly prepared data.
Using a complex series of R scripts initially designed to explore the data, rather than reporting it, the project will adjusted and updated to automate to allow for manual reporting.

Genetic mapping and characterization of loci controlling resistance to powdery mildew (Golovinomyces cichoracearum) in Cannabis sativa

High quality Cannabis sativa varieties are needed in Canada since the legalization of recreational Cannabis in fall of 2018. Unfortunately, powdery mildew, caused by the fungi Golovinomyces cichoracearum is a major disease of cultivated cannabis. We propose using high-throughput genotyping tools to map new resistance genes to this pathogen. Our approach will include genome wide association (GWA) mapping and map-based cloning strategies, involving phenotyping hundreds of individuals at reproductive maturity and through an in vitro approach. The candidate genes will be characterized for their positive selection patterns, and will be functionally validated using the Arabidopsis thaliana model system. The protein subcellular localization of the candidate genes will be observed in tobacco leaves thanks to a transient expression experiment. This project will help Aurora to create sustainable resistances to powdery mildew in high-quality varieties and will help Pauline to develop her career as a plant molecular geneticist.