Innovative Projects Realized

SN-38 (or 5-FU) drug encapsulation in Iiposomes transported by magnetotactic bacteria for localizedcolorectal cancer treatment

Cancers are treated today with the appropriate combination of chemotherapy drugs, surgery

and radiation. Chemotherapy is almost invariably dosed intravenously, and enters the

systemic blood flow where it circulates around the whole body, coming into contact with

healthy cells as well as cancerous ones. This systemic dosing has two big problems: too little

drug gets to cancer cells, and too much drug comes into contact with healthy cells, causing

side effects. Frequently, these dose-limiting side-effects prevent us from delivering the

maximally effective anti-cancer drug dose.

Professor Sylvain Martel of Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal’s Nanorobotics laboratory has

pioneered an approach using special bacteria that can be directed by a magnE)tic field to

deliver chemotherapy directly to the site of tumors, reducing side-effects. With the support of

a team of co-investigators from McGill University (Drs. Te Vuong, Gerald Balisl, Maryam

Tabrizian, Nicole Beauchemin, Danuta Radzioch) and the Universite de Montreal (Dr. Louis

Gaboury),

Photo-curable Polysiloxane Resins for Engineered Ferroelectret Films

Polymer ferroelectrets are light weight and flexible materials that display piezoelectric behaviour. These properties make them ideal for use as transducers in the aerospace industry. However, the traditional methods used to prepare high performance polymer ferroelectrets cannot be used for large scale manufacturing due to poor reproducibility or high cost. Furthermore, these manufacturing techniques rely on commercially available materials that are not intended for use as ferroelectrets. Due to these manufacturing challenges, polymer ferroelectrets have not been adopted for widespread use in industry. To address these barriers, we propose a novel two part approach that consists of: (1) developing polysiloxanes tailored to enhance the piezoelectric behaviour of the films and that are compatible with vat photopolymerization and (2) using vat photopolymerization to fabricate polysiloxane ferroelectret films with a highly ordered internal structure. Combining purpose made materials with an advanced additive manufacturing technique will allow for the fabrication of high performance ferroelectret films at an industrial scale. This will enable the industry partner to manufacture electronic devices incorporating polymer ferroelectrets.

The impact of ore recovery uncertainty in geometallurgy

Mining systems are complex to model since they involve (1) creating adequate representations on how sub-models (mining processes) are interconnected (the ore/waste flowcharts) and (2) there is a lack of understanding of the impact that small variations have over the entirely system. Moreover, developing adequate models requires the use of modern predictive tools that account for high dimensional and big data information, for instance remote sensed geochemical ore composition and laboratory test responses. Although such digital twins intuitively seem the best option, is uncommon to find them used in real mine projects. Even more, it is still unusual to find mine projects developed under a unified mining system concept. The aims of this project are (1) to present and prove a suitable representation of mining processes, centered in the mine planning and design stage, and (2) to quantify the impact of small disturbances in the ore recovery prediction into the mine plan. By doing so, we deliver proof that uncertainty quantification in mining systems is feasible and profitable. Results will be presented in internal reports and conference articles.

Recurrent neural network modeling of working memory

The temporary maintenance of information is known as working memory, and it enables behaviour that we take for granted, such as remembering a phone number or avoiding an obstacle after turning off the lights. Despite its importance for everyday behaviour, the neural mechanisms underlying working memory are/remain unclear. While some single-neuron recordings in monkeys correlate with working memory performance in humans, it has proven difficult to connect these sets of data with existing network models for the human brain that/as they include thousands of neurons. Here, we propose leveraging recent advances in machine learning to re-analyze existing data and bridge this gap. We will develop a flexible cortical network model by training an artificial recurrent neural network (RNN) to perform a memory task originally completed by monkeys. Individual units of the RNN will be validated with single-neuron data, and the population-level dynamics of the RNN will be compared to mechanisms proposed by existing network models.

Réduction d’échelle d’un procédé de liquéfaction de la biomasse lignocellulosique résiduelle

La production de biocarburants possédant de faibles intensités de carbone requiert la mise en place de procédés optimisés permettant de valoriser au maximum le carbone biogénique. La mise à l’échelle de démonstration de nouvelles technologies représente donc une aventure risquée, et la conception d’une usine génère souvent des questions devant être répondues rapidement afin de ne pas retarder le déploiement de ces nouveaux procédés. Dans certains cas, les technologies sont actuellement disponibles à des échelles conséquentes (tel qu’à l’échelle pilote) et pour réduire les couts associés à l’obtention d’informations complémentaires, une réduction d’échelle est souvent à considérer. Cette dernière permettra d’effectuer des tests à plus petite échelle qui pourront par la suite être transposés à des plus grandes capacités via un facteur d’échelle. Ainsi, dans le cadre de ce projet, une réduction d’échelle d’un procédé de liquéfaction catalytique sera effectuée afin d’optimiser rapidement et à moindre frais différents paramètres d’une importance cruciale pour les prochaines étapes de commercialisation de la technologie du partenaire

Optimization of the economic potential of Jerusalem artichoke asfeedstock for production of ethanol, inulin, and biomass pellets

CENNATEK Bioanalytical Services Inc. is leading a R&D project with the goal of using

Jerusalem artichoke as a feedstock for the production of ethanol, inulin and biomass

pellets. The Jerusalem artichoke crop contains large amounts of carbohydrates, mainly

inulin, which can be converted to sugars such as fructose. Fructose is used as a sweetener

in the food industry and has several health benefits. The inulin, other extractable sugars,

and cellulose can also be used to produce ethanol. Cellulose within the biomass of the

Jerusalem artichoke plant contain sugars that can be fermented into ethanol, which is then

purified by distillation to be used as a blend with gasoline in automobile engines. The

leftover biomass not used for inulin and/or ethanol production can be pelletized and used

for combustion and heat generation. As a result, the entire crop can be used to produce

value added products to maximize the economic potential. The first phase of the project

involves…TOBECONTINUED

Prédiction de la pauvreté à partir d’enquêtes socio-économiques et de données géospatiales

Dans les pays en voie de développement, des enquêtes sont utilisées pour mesurer le niveau de pauvreté des ménages. Pour étendre cette information à l’ensemble de la population, il est nécessaire de prédire la pauvreté des ménages à partir des enquêtes et d’imputer cette prédiction à chaque ménage du recensement. L’utilisation de ces données permet aux gouvernements et aux agences d’aide au développement de mieux cibler les populations les plus pauvres. Les outils de ciblage sont d’une importance capitale pour améliorer le ratio bénéfices/coûts des interventions. Afin d’améliorer ces outils, l’objectif de ce projet de recherche sera d’enrichir les approches existantes. Dans un premier temps, il s’agira d’effectuer un recensement des méthodologies et des données disponibles. Une série d’enquêtes et de recensements seront utilisées pour tester les algorithmes les plus récents et sélectionner les plus performants. Dans un second temps, il sera question d’enrichir les bases de données disponibles avec des données géospatiales et d’en évaluer leur apport pour la prédiction de la pauvreté.

Diagnostic of past and future freezing rain using an ensemble of regional climate simulations

It is common to observe many types of precipitation during the winter when the temperature is near 0°C. These can be on the form of freezing rain, wet snow and ice pellets. When combined with strong winds, they can be catastrophic, in particular on the transmission and distribution power networks. According to the climatology, southern Quebec is particularly affected by freezing rain and it is possible to diagnose its occurrences using regional climate models. The goal of the proposed project is to assess the future changes in freezing rain using ensembles of regional climate models (spatial grid spacing of > 25 km) in combination with multiple diagnostic methods to determine the type of precipitation. The analysis will give a range of spatial distribution of occurrences of freezing rain under past and future climate scenarios over North America.

La navette autonome de la Petite Bourgogne répond -elle aux besoins de la communauté ?

Le quartier de la Petite Bourgogne, à Montréal, connait des problèmes d’accessibilité alimentaire. De nombreux habitants n’ont pas accès à des denrées saines, abordables et en quantité suffisante à proximité de leur logement. Le quartier est considéré comme un désert alimentaire dans lequel les épiceries sont absentes ou à grande distance des résidences. Un accès difficile à l’alimentation entraine des conséquences avérées sur la santé physique et psychique des résidents. Le projet pilote du Quartier de l’Innovation consiste à mettre en place une navette autonome dans le quartier afin de relier les habitants aux commerces alimentaires et aux espaces communautaires. La recherche consiste à vérifier la pertinence de cette navette et de son trajet comme réponse aux problématiques d’accessibilité rencontrées par les résidents. Les conclusions de la recherche permettront d’optimiser la diffusion de cette innovation sociale.

Determination of oxygen stability and shelf life of cannabidiol oil formulations.

We intend to develop standardized protocols for oxygen stability and shelf life testing of cannabidiol oil formulations. Overall, we will study the effect of time, O2 pressure, temperature, and sample quantity on the oxidation of different formulations, and how this accelerated oxidation profile can be extrapolated/modelled to predict long term shelf life under ambient conditions. As with any product, increased shelf life decreases production costs for the supplier. This work will afford graduate students the opportunity to gain experience in an expanding industry. Furthermore, this project will be beneficial to Anton-Paar as they develop accurate and economic analytical equipment for this industry.

Prediction of Vortex Breakdown over Wing Geometries Using Detached-EddySimulation

The formation of vortices and their interaction with the aircraft wing and body is one

the most interesting problems in aerodynamics. These vortices are usually generated

and convected from different parts of the lift providing devices. Their interaction with

the flow field, can case unsteady force and vibration. At some configurations, it can

alter the aerodynamics characteristics of the aircraft by inducing separated regions in

the flow field which causes sudden loss of the lift know as stall condition. Extensive

information about this phenomenon can be obtained through a computer simulation

during the design process in order to provide required data for the efficient design of

the aircraft. In this research, a computer simulation of this problem will be carried out

using an accurate numerical discretization technique.

Metagenomics of black pepper (Piper nigrum Linn.) rhizomicrobiome for the development of beneficial and safe bioinoculants

This project is aimed at disentangling the root and rhizospheric soil microbiomes in order to develop bioinoculants as biofertilizers and biocontrol agents for improved productivity and health of black pepper instead of using agrochemicals. This new green product will lead certified organic black pepper, a better environmental and human health.