Innovative Projects Realized

Improving flexible, printable electrochromic devices with silver nanowires

An electrochromic device alters its optical properties such as tint or colour through a voltage. They are currently used in car rear-view mirrors, smart windows, electrochromic displays and eyewear. Conventional electrochromic devices are built on glass, but future applications such as foldable displays demand mechanically flexible devices. Furthermore, to reduce manufacturing costs, materials that are printable are highly desired. In this project, silver nanowires, which are cylindrical-shaped silver filaments that are easily synthesized in solution, will be used to improve the performance of printable, flexible electrochromic devices. Firstly, meshes of silver nanowires will be used as transparent electrodes to enable electrochromic displays on transparent paper. Secondly, silver nanowires will be used as an additive to improve the performance of inexpensive polymer-based electrochromic displays. This work aims to lower the cost of electrochromic devices and enable new applications such as flexible or disposable products.

Recurrence Interval of Large Earthquakes in the Eastern Himalaya

I designed my master project for performing paleo-seismological research in the eastern Bhutan, where no instrumental or historic earthquake is known and where a historic surface rupture along the Himalayan front was recently identified. Based on the ages of the known large historic earthquakes in the eastern Himalaya, the newly identified surface rupture could have been produced by the ~1714 CE (Common Era), ~1255 CE, or ~1100 CE earthquake. The goal of this research is to identify and characterize paleo-seismic events in the eastern Bhutan and determine how often large, destructive earthquakes occur in the eastern Himalaya. The age of the paleo-earthquake will be determined by dating the displaced river terraces applying radiocarbon (14C) dating and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) thermochronology. The results will contribute to seismic hazard evaluation in the area and the debate about a potential for subduction-type mega-earthquakes in the Himalaya in general.

Economic and environmental impacts associated with removal of productivity-enhancing technologies in the Canadian beef cattle industry

Beef cattle play an important role in food production worldwide by making use of resources from which humans can derive little nutritional value to provide a nutrient-rich foodstuff containing protein, minerals and vitamins. However, greenhouse gases and ammonia that are produced by the cattle industry are associated with climate change. Producing nutritious beef that meets consumer demands with minimal environmental impacts requires a concerted effort from all stakeholders in the beef industry. Changes in local and global consumer demand have created both opportunities and challenges for the cattle industry. Therefore, an assessment of the environmental and economic implications of removing PETs is necessary to provide science-based information that considers the environmental and economic impacts of market expansion in this area and to assist consumers in making informed decisions about food purchases.

Improving the bending stiffness of multi-ply folding boxboard with maple HYP

BCTMP (Bleached chemi-thermo-mechanical pulp) or HYP (high-yield pulp) is an important

sector in the Canadian market pulp business, and most of them has been exported to Europe

and Asia and over half of it is used as middle-ply furnish in Folding Boxboard (FBB). FBB

requires high bending stiffness for crush resistance, z-directional strength for preventing delamination,

surface smoothness for good printing, and good die-cutting performance for

conversion. Maple HYP has been known to be the premium pulp in the middle ply of FBB

since it has a very high bulk. In this project, we will determine the difference in fiber stiffness

and compressibility as well as bulk formation mechanism between maple and eucalyptus

HYP. This will help identify the potential advantages of using maple in FBB and develop

practical strategies to maximize the contribution of maple HYP to bulk and bending stiffness

as well as other properties of FBB.

Cited: Partnered Knowledge Mobilization Between Research and Media Organizations

This is project that creates audio documentaries that are grounded in academic research. As part of this project, Mitacs interns will work for three distinct podcasts: Cited Podcast, Crackdown, and Blue and Goldcast. These podcasts are meant for a general audience, and have wide popular and critical appeal. They are developed in a unique collaborative approach (putting students, scholars, and professionals together), which makes for a compelling final product. Mitacs interns will conduct original research and reporting to support the development of these podcasts. Then, the episodes will be distributed widely with prominent media partners, including CBC and NPR programs.

Impact of Post-Quantum Cryptography on PKI, Common Libraries, Protocols and Crypto Agility Requirements

Advances in quantum computing have Entrust Datacard and their customers concerned about whether the industry is ready to move to post quantum cryptographic algorithms, particularly for PKI use cases. Entrust Datacard and University of Ottawa will test the quantum-readiness of commercially-available PKI. The end goal is to provide guidance to the community about the impact of particular PQ algorithms on common infrastructure, provide examples of safe migration paths where they exist, and recommend changes or mitigations based on discovered issues. This research will help establish Entrust Datacard’s leadership moving towards post-quantum cryptography and prepare the market to meet the challenges of a post-quantum world.

Managing Talent Migration for Innovation and Growth: Challenges and Opportunities in the U.K.

This project examines how technology firms in both Oxfordshire and London, U.K. attract and retain migrants with skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). U.K. technology firms greatly contribute to economic growth and innovation in the country. However, scholars, government officials, and employers are increasingly concerned that these contributions in the STEM sector will decline due to insufficient foreign talent as a result of policy changes and political tensions caused by Brexit and the politicization of migration, including high-skilled labour migration. By conducting research on how sub-state entities, clusters, and technology firms navigate political uncertainties as a result of Brexit and existing policies in the U.K., this project seeks to gain insight into ‘best practices’ and hurdles in international talent mobility in the U.K. with the goal of providing actionable policy recommendations to better enhance high-skilled migration policies. The empirical data generated will be used in 1) the applicant’s honours research essay, 2) the creation of a country profile on the U.K. (to be published at migrationforinnovation.info) where the applicant has an existing publication on Ireland, and 3) a co-authored publication. In addition, this project will result in a workshop presentation in the U.K. to academic and non-academic audiences.

Cartographie de l’épaisseur du neige à l’aide de données radar et multisource

Le pergélisol présent dans les hautes latitudes ou bien en altitude s’est développé sous des conditions climatiques particulières, notamment lors des dernières glaciations, où le climat permettait de maintenir le sol à des températures inférieures à 0°C pendant plus de 2 ans. Le gel a permis, entre autre, de stocker une quantité importante de carbone retrouvé dans des dépôts organiques, tel que des racines et des plantes. Or, le réchauffement climatique observés provoque la dégradation du pergélisol qui, conséquemment, libère des quantités de gaz à effet de serre. Des études sont donc nécessaire pour améliorer les connaissances sur les environnements nordiques, pour ainsi mieux modéliser les flux de carbone émis par ce type de sol.
Les études antérieures ont démontré que le couvert saisonnier de neige joue un rôle essentiel dans le régime thermique du pergélisol, en raison sa propriété isolante. TO BE CONT’D

Spatial Dynamic Modeling of Tropical Forest Change

The main objective of my research is to use spatial dynamic models (a combination of Cellular Automata model and Agent-Based model, short for CA-model and AB-model) to simulate future scenarios of tropical forest in the Guanacaste region, Costa Rica. It is a multi-layer model, including three layers. The top one is CA-model layer, and it is used for simulating the tropical forest change and transmitting this change over time. The middle layer is AB-model layer. The factors in this part are non-spatial data (e.g. policy, population and economy). The bottom layer is constraint layer. It expresses how the geographical factors constrain and impact on forest change. I aim to obtain the following results: i) evolution of the tropical forest n during the past 34 years, ii) a multi-layer model used to reproduce the process of tropical forest change, and iii) future scenarios of forest change simulated by the model.

Evaluation of influenza virus inactivation on filter salt coatings for respiratory protection applications

Airborne pathogens can easily and quickly spread respiratory diseases. Devices currently used for protection in hospitals, such as N95 respirators, rely only on filtration. Additionally, surgical masks have been increasingly used, although not effective against aerosols. This has been observed during past pandemics and epidemics of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), swine flu, and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). If the filters do not inactivate the pathogens, the contaminated masks can cause infection and transmission of the diseases. We propose a universal and reusable mask, which efficiently kills pathogens on its filter. We have reported the development of a safe, highly effective sodium chloride-coated filter, which destroys influenza virus using salt recrystallization. In this collaboration, we will further characterize the influenza-neutralizing capability of different salt coating formulations, by fine-tuning their properties to match different environmental conditions of use/storage. TO BE CONT’D

Development of a new high efficiency method for drug delivery using nanoparticles and liquid precursor in Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Enhanced Vapour Deposition (AP-PECVD) processr application in theranostics

Emerging as a targeted, safe and efficient pharmacotherapy is the approach of theranostics, which focuses on patient-centered care. It is a combination of diagnosis and therapeutics and provides a cost-effective specific successful treatment protocol. The aim of this research would be to take all the knowledge that has been gathered during the previous 2 years of study of nanoparticle and polymer deposition using atmospheric pressure plasma. It has been concluded that nanocomposites can be created, the next step will be to evaluate the cabability of the method to deposit two types of nanoparticles at the same time. This will create nanocomposites, which will contain particles responsible for drug delivery as well as imaging agents, allowing dual performance: therapy and diagnosis. In order to create the dual-application nanocomposites a careful analysis of not only the deposition itself, but also the process itself as it happens. To do that a unique configuration for Space-Resolved Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, which is one of this kind in the world, was built in Perpignan, France.

Strategic BC Salmon Health Initiative: effects of pathogens on the health and conservation of BC’s Pacific Salmon

B.C.’s Pacific salmon are in decline yet the causes are not clear. The role of disease in declining productivity is poorly understood but is potentially an important factor especially given recent controversies involving salmon farms and disease transmission to wild salmon. We have recently collected quantitative data on 47+ viral, bacterial, fungal, and protozoan pathogens in >16,000 out-migrating juvenile sockeye, Chinook and coho salmon and 4,500 salmon from farms culturing Atlantic and Chinook salmon. These large and complex datasets now require sophisticated analyses and results summarized for scientific papers, and to inform salmon management. Three postdoctoral fellows will lead the analyses, write-up and extension of the results. They will work in association with the Pacific Salmon Foundation, our partner, to conduct the analyses and help our partner better inform salmon management and develop conservation policies for the species that the Pacific Salmon Foundation helps to protect and conserve.