Innovative Projects Realized

Effects of joint loading on immune cell populations at the healing ACL tendon graft-to-bone interface

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), one of the major ligaments maintaining stability of the knee, is frequently injured. Afterwards, a surgical reconstruction using a tendon graft is typically used to restore stability and allow individuals to achieve improved levels of mobility. Reconstruction involves taking a portion of tendon from elsewhere in the body and guiding/securing it through bone “tunnels” in the knee to approximate the original ACL. One of the critical factors determining the success of this surgery is the ability of the graft tissue to integrate with adjacent bone. The biology and mechanics of this process remain largely unknown. This project aims to reveal the healing process as it relates to the key cell types involved as well as to mechanical load to the joint. The results of the study have the potential to identify therapeutic targets and rehabilitation regimens that will improve graft-to-bone healing.

Women and the UN: An examination of Virginia Gildersleeve’s Contributions to the United Nations

This project will examine Virginia Gildersleeve’s role in the creation of the United Nations Charter at the 1945 San Francisco Conference. Gildersleeve was one of nine female delegates sent overall to the conference (out of 160) and the only woman on the American delegation. She significantly shaped the UN Charter and the foundation of the United Nations itself. Despite the importance of her contributions, her work remains largely unacknowledged and under-researched. Gildersleeve was a former dean of Barnard College; most primary source material on her life and accomplishments are held at the Columbia University archives in New York. This project will enable Jordan Kantypowicz to conduct original archival research on Gildersleeve’s diplomatic accomplishments that have been largely overlooked. Specifically, the findings of this project will contribute to the United Nations History Project, the leading website devoted to creating resources for teaching and researching the history of international organizations that is managed by Professor Heidi Tworek.

Using a Modified Delphi Process to Identify Elements of a Mobility Enhancement Comprehensive Care Model For Older Adults Transitioning from Inpatient Rehabilitation to Home in the Community.

After leaving the hospital, about 65% of older adults go back into the hospital because of mobility problems. Mobility problems are caused by many factors such as cognitive (e.g. dementia) psychological (e.g. depression), physical (e.g. medical conditions), environmental (e.g. bad roads), financial (e.g. low income), social (e.g. relatives/friends) and personal (e.g. age). Usually, these mobility factors have been studied on their own. Looking at these factors together can help healthcare workers uncover and target the main issue(s) that cause mobility problems for older adults after leaving the hospital. We will use four phases to co-develop and test a model that will allow healthcare workers to look at these factors together. First, we will search the literature and describe the main features for each factor. TO BE CONT’D

Dynamic ion speciation during hydrolysis of aryltrifluoroborates

The Suzuki-Miyaura (SM) coupling reaction is a widely studied reaction between organoboron compounds and organic halides. Over the last 30 years the reaction has been improved as new discoveries are made in relation to the reactant species. Its applications extend to pharmaceutical and natural product synthesis due to its versatility. Unfortunately, several of the mechanisms involved in the SM reaction have yet to be uncovered. Pressurized Sample Infusion Electrospray Mass Spectrometry (PSI-ESI-MS) is a technique that has successfully be used to elucidate catalytic mechanisms in the past, and we wish to apply this methodology to demystify the SM reaction. Increased understanding of the reaction could lead to a wider scope and further applications.

Developing a Protocol for the Post-Assembly Functionalization of Chemically-Tailored Copolymer Membranes

Traditional chemical separations, such as water filtration for example, are often energy intensive and require large amounts heat to achieve success. In an age with a growing need for clean technology, there has been increased demand for membranes capable of achieving these separations, without the traditional downfalls. These so called super-membranes are capable of producing drinking water from seawater, removing nitrogen gas from air, and can also be used to purify valuable pharmaceutical compounds. Despite the effectiveness of these membranes, they are seldom used in industry as they can be difficult to produce on a large, commercial scale. This project will focus on developing a detailed protocol for producing a specific type of copolymer membrane that exhibits a chemical structure known as the ‘Hollow Fiber Geometry’. In a lab setting, this unique membrane will be produced. An experimentation phase will then take place where the membrane’s water filtration capabilities will be evaluated. Exploration of this membrane in the lab will contribute to a more reliable production protocol for producing these membranes on a large-scale basis.

Optical Flow Measurement Around a Rising Bubble

Bubbly flows are ubiquitous in many systems and also fascinating from a fundamental perspective. Injecting bubbles into a liquid is often used to enhance mixing which leads to improvement in heat and/or mass transfer characteristics of the flow. This finds many applications in chemical industry, energy sector, and even biomedical engineering. This internship provides an exciting opportunity for developing a flow visualization technique that allows the examination of the mixing enabled by a rising bubble as flow passes by bubbles in a bubbly flow. The intern will have access to some unique flow loop and flow visualization facilities that are not available in her home institution, and get a chance to be mentored by the experts in the field in a topnotch university (Seoul National University is ranked 36 in the QS World University Rankings). The results will be disseminated a conference presentation, if not a journal paper.

Hyphenated and Whole: Forms, Aesthetics, and Sociology in Korean-Canadian and Global Korean Literatures

My doctoral project aims to fill a common and critical gap between Asian-Canadian literature and global Korean-diaspora studies by undertaking the necessary examination, translation, and preservation of Korean-Canadian literature. As part of this larger project, I propose to develop my understanding of modern Korean literature, including its development, forms, and socio-cultural politics, to shape a comparative analysis of Korean diasporic literature in Canada in tandem with growingly trans-nationalizing Korean literature at “home.” Under the supervision of Dr. Capener, an expert in Korean literature, I will take part in Yonsei International Summer School’s course on “Modern Korean Literature” as well as other related courses— “Introduction to Korean Studies” and “Topics in Korean Culture: Globalization and Multiculturalism.” The outcome of this project will be an article, intended for journal publication, comparing aesthetic and political forms of Korean and Korean-Canadian literatures and a significant contribution to my dissertation chapter on the same topic.

Functional long non-coding RNAs in the 3D structure of the genome

Previous research has shown that most of the mammalian genome is transcribed, while most mammalian transcripts do not code for proteins and may instead be functional themselves. Non-coding RNAs play critical roles in some of the most fundamental processes in molecular biology. The vast majority of mammalian non-coding transcripts are constituted by long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) while we know little about their biological function. The FANTOM (Functional Annotation of the Mammalian Genome) projects have played a key role in the discovery of long non-coding RNAs and their biological importance. FANTOM is a large consortium effort led by RIKEN in Yokohama, generating large transcriptomic and genomic data sets which are then shared for analysis with the FANTOM consortium, consisting of ~100 laboratories worldwide. TO BE CONT’D

Complexe de cuivre pour le couplage Chem-Evans-Lam

L’objectif de ce stage serait de coordonner des ligands multidentates bis(NHC) bis(ylides) à des métaux légers de première rangée pour des applications en catalyse. Idéalement, puisque le cuivre, le cobalt, le fer et le nickel sont tous stables à un état d’oxydation de 2, le même ligand pourrait être utilisé pour chacun d’eux. Ces catalyseurs pourraient potentiellement avoir une application dans le couplage Chan-Evans-Lam. Ainsi, il faudrait synthétiser des ligands bis(NHC) bis(ylides) analogues à ceux précédemment faits par Dr Canac et ses collaborateurs, mais spécifiques pour les métaux légers. En effet, certains des complexes de cuivre ont démontré une plus grande difficulté avec les acides boroniques arylés à défaut de stabilité sous forme de Cu(III). Il serait alors possible de tenter de développer des complexes analogues à ceux de Pd de la recherche de Dr Canac précédemment mentionnée, avec le cuivre comme centre métallique. TO BE CONT’D

Development of functionalized iodine(III) species as organocatalysts

The iodine atom normally forms one bond with another atom. However, it can be forced to form multiple bonds, making it hypervalent. This draws away electron from the iodine, making it partially positively charged. It will thus attract and interact with negatively charged molecules or parts of molecules. This concept is Lewis acidity and can be exploited to trigger reactions that would not normally occur (catalysis). The goal of the project is to screen a large amount of potential Lewis acids based on hypervalent iodine and use the best candidates as catalysts. They could replace Lewis acids based on expensive and toxic metals as well as possess a unique reactivity that has not yet been explored.

Spectroscopie d’absorption transitoire dans la fenêtre de l’eau

La technologie laser permet aujourd’hui de générer des flashs de lumière (impulsions laser) ultra-brefs offrant une résolution temporelle attoseconde (1 attoseconde = 0.000 000 000 000 000 001 s). De telles impulsions offrent l’opportunité de suivre les mouvements ultra-rapides des noyaux atomique et des électrons dans les molécules, en temps réel. C’est ce que promet l’excitant et récent domaine de la science attoseconde.

La plupart des impulsions attosecondes sont générées dans la région du spectre électromagnétique correspondant à l’ultraviolet extrême. Dans le cadre d’une collaboration internationale entre l’Institut national de la recherche scientifique et l’Université de Hambourg, nous développerons des impulsions attosecondes dans une région particulière où l’eau n’absorbe que faiblement la lumière, appelée fenêtre de l’eau. Celle-ci permet de sonder spécifiquement les atomes constituant la plupart des molécules de notre système biologique, notamment le carbone, l’azote et l’oxygène. L’objectif du projet est de suivre l’évolution temporelle de processus chimiques ultra-rapides se produisant dans ces molécules d’intérêt biologique afin de mieux comprendre leurs mécanismes. La dégradation des bases azotées, les constituants fondamentaux de notre ADN, par les rayons infrarouges et UV nous est d’un intérêt particulier. TBC

Cryptic plant-colonizing fungi alter secondary metabolites in the chemically diverse, tropical plant Piper

The tropical plant genus, Piper, is well-known from the common table spice, black pepper (Piper nigrum). However, this plant genus is host to over 2000 species worldwide, with the chemistry of different plant species varying widely. This dissimilarity in plant chemistry has important consequences for the organisms that interact with it. Insects that feed on its tissue have to cope with the toxic chemicals, which can affect their ability to mount an immune response against an enemy. One feature that has not been investigated is how fungi that colonize plant tissue mediate the interactions between host plant and insects. In other plant systems, fungi contribute to the chemistry found in plants. The purpose of this research is to assess how this group of fungi alter plant chemistry and whether the compounds are produced directly by the fungi or indirectly by the plant as colonizing it may trigger an immune response.