Innovative Projects Realized

Propriétés immunomodulatrices de l’activité bactéricide de la phospholipase A2-IIA sécrétée sur le microbiote

Nous étudions les interactions entre une protéine bactéricide, la phospholipase A2-IIA sécrétée (sPLA2-IIA), et la flore microbienne intestinale (microbiote) afin d’en évaluer l’effet sur le système immunitaire. Nous avons observé que des souris transgéniques exprimant constitutivement la sPLA2-IIA humaine (sPLA2-IIATGN) présentent un important désordre immunitaire. En tentant de vérifier l’hypothèse que ce désordre est causé par l’activité bactéricide de la sPLA2-IIA sur le microbiote, nous avons mesuré par séquençage d’importantes différences dans la composition du microbiote intestinale des souris sPLA2-IIATGN et leur contrôle. Nous avons également découvert qu’éliminer cette flore par l’administration d’antibiotiques réduit considérablement ce désordre immunitaire. Il est connu que la flore peut moduler l’expression de la sPLA2-IIA. Notre premier objectif sera donc de vérifier si le niveau de sPLA2-IIA est modulé par l’administration des antibiotiques. Nous vérifierons également l’effet bactéricide de la sPLA2-IIA sur différentes bactéries afin de confirmer les résultats de séquençage. Nos résultats permettront de mieux comprendre comment les interactions entre la sPLA2-IIA, la flore microbienne et le système immunitaire contribuent au développement de désordres immunitaires.

Using the cannabis microbiome for sustainable production

Microbes in horticulture are typically something to avoid or eliminate, as pathogens are a significant problem in yield a crop quality. But microbes can also be beneficial, by helping plants access nutrients and preventing pathogen outbreaks. Rather than trying to eliminate all microbes, it may be better to manage naturally occurring, diverse microbial assemblages in the plant and within the production facility. The addition of specific beneficial microbes may also help improve crop performance and help transition facilities to organic production. To do this however, a comprehensive knowledge about the microbes associating with cannabis and its production is needed.

Validity and Reliability of Ultrasonography for the Objective Assessment of Diaphragm Function in Healthy Adults

The diaphragm is the major inspiratory muscle in humans. Making accurate assessment of diaphragmatic function a key component of monitoring and assessing respiratory health. Presently, the gold-standard clinical assessment of diaphragmatic function involves measuring the pressure difference across the diaphragm using dual balloon-tipped catheters. While this technique is direct, accurate and reliable, it is also expensive, invasive and not suitable for all patient populations. Recently, the use of ultrasonography to measure muscle tissue stress and strain during contraction has emerged as a powerful and effective tool to non-invasively assess cardiac function. Similar techniques have been proposed and piloted in the assessment of diaphragm function, but have not been validated with current gold standards. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to introduce a novel method of evaluating the contractile properties of the human diaphragm in healthy, young adults. TO BE CONT’D

Shorebird Habitat Use and Foraging Ecology on Bulls Island, South Carolina

My research focus is shorebird ecology and conservation. Shorebird populations are declining globally, likely as a result of environmental changes and the expansion of human development. These birds are particularly vulnerable to habitat loss or degradation at their coastal wintering sites where they refuel from migration and prepare for their next breeding season. I will conduct my field work on Bulls Island in South Carolina, an important wintering ground for several shorebird species. To better understand habitat use and to estimate abundance and distribution of shorebirds on Bulls Island, I will conduct regular surveys from January to the end of April. It is important to monitor this population in order to assess current and future pressures on these species. To determine food availability as a measure of habitat quality, I will take substrate samples at various sites on the island and identify and count invertebrate prey. Wintering sites with high density and diversity of invertebrates are extremely important for the well-being of shorebird populations. The data I collect on Bulls Island will provide information on the relationship between shorebird behaviour and habitat quality at this site. […]

Controlled release of analgesics for opioid-free post-operative pain control

Amacathera Inc. has developed a novel, injectable, hydrogel platform technology that extends the release of drugs over time in the body. The company’s lead program is targeted at pain relief following surgery. They have combined their hydrogel with an anesthetic in order to provide pain relief for up to 72 hours. This eliminates the need for the prescription of opioids, as well as reduces patient healthcare costs to the hospital. In this project, the intern will work with the hydrogel to conduct experiments to 1) provide further proof that the hydrogel is able to release the anesthetics for 72 hours and 2) develop new formulations of the hydrogel which will further increase the length of release for other drugs, for example, a release of 1 month. Amacathera Inc. will use the information in its initial meeting with the FDA and to enter into phase 1 clinical trials, as well as to expand its product portfolio and disease areas.

The Skyscraper : a viewing instrument for the metropolis

My doctoral research deals with the summit of the skyscrapers, considered as a dual device: as seen from the city below, and as looking at it, thanks to the viewing decks they deploy.
Whereas their exterior shapes mark the skyline, they offer vantage points for the discovery of the metropolis by the local residents and the tourists alike.
Together with a historical analysis of the main stages in the design of the skyscrapers and their summits, the focus is a comparative analysis of a set of observation desks, located in cities such as New York, Paris and Montreal, and considered in their latest developments.
Shanghai has been an extraordinary stage for high-rise structures for the past twenty years. The investigation of Shanghai’s buildings is particularly relevant to my research, both in terms of the quantity of observation decks located in the city and in terms of their design and operation. Besides the development of the thesis, the research stay will generate publications and support the development of a collaboration on high-rise buildings between Jiao Tong university and UdeM.

Cluster local and global network embeddedness: implications for learning and innovation

Clusters are a geographically proximate group of inter-connected companies and associated institutions in a particular field, linked by commonalities and complementarities. They have long been recognized as motors of regional economic development. Numerous studies have found their positive influence on entrepreneurship and innovation compared to non-cluster regions. Indeed, there is an ample evidence explaining why clusters are beneficial for regions and why they generate positive externalities: it has been established that they give common access to a regional pool of talent and specialized labor, foster interactions between firms and associated research institutions thereby provoking the exchange of resources and knowledge.

At the same time, due to advances in transportation and communication technology and other globalisation-related trends, firms located in clusters have started to fine-slice production processes and disperse activities over multiple locations as an effective value-creation strategy. In addition to dispersing their value chains, firms also started to form different partnerships and strategic alliances with firms located outside their clusters. Despite the obvious importance of these processes, minimal attention been given to understanding how these transformational processes affect local cluster performance and innovation. […]

Effet des probiotiques sur le métabolisme osseux : étude chez la souris

La scoliose idiopathique de l’adolescent (SIA) est une maladie de cause inconnue, affectant 4% de la population pédiatrique et qui implique une croissance anormale et désynchronisé de la colonne vertébrale. Notre laboratoire s’intéresse à la composition de la flore intestinale (appelée microbiote) pour tenter d’expliquer le développement et la progression de la SIA. Dans ce projet collaboratif, nous voulons tester l’hypothèse que certaines souches de probiotiques (des micro-organismes vivants qui ont un effet bénéfique pour la santé de l’intestin), identifiées dans le laboratoire de Dr.Vidal à Lyon, pourraient avoir un impact sur le métabolisme osseux et ainsi être bénéfiques dans le cadre de la maladie. Nous voulons étudier chez des souris l’effet de probiotiques candidats sur l’expression de certains gènes et protéines en lien avec le métabolisme énergétique et osseux. L’étude du microbiote intestinal et des probiotiques est une avenue nouvelle pour contrer le développement ou la progression de la SIA et nos résultats pourraient mener à de nouvelles pistes de traitements.

Effects of changes in mechanical load on cardiac autoregulation in vivo

The heart beats 3-4 billion times in a person’s lifetime, making it the only part of the body that continues to work – without a break – for one’s entire existence! For this to occur, the heart must be highly regulated, so that is continues to function normally. Much of this regulation occurs within the heart itself, with the most important factor being tissue stretch. This allows the heart to adapt to changes in physical demands to keep blood flow in balance. Current studies looking at the regulation of the heart in response to stretch are performed primarily in isolated tissue and cells. In this Mitacs project, my goal is to study cardiac regulation in the intact animal, to understand how it works at the whole organism level. The research team at Colorado State University has developed a method for this, which I will learn, combine with my current techniques for measuring cardiac function, and then bring back to Dalhousie University to further explore cardiac regulation in healthy and diseased states […]

Bridging the Gap: Minerva Canada Teaching Module Project, Phase II

This project is an undertaking in coordination with Minerva Canada which aims to address a

gap between industry and the graduates of engineering programs in terms of attitudes,

knowledge and applied skills pertaining to health & safety in engineering practice. Through a

series of phases from curriculum planning to implementation, the project’s end product will

include stand-alone teaching modules that can be integrated into each year of an engineering

program related to health & safety for universities across Canada. The project is currently in

phase II, the development of a curriculum plan for content and integration into all four years of

engineering.

Advanced Composite Membranes for Water Vapour Separations

Membrane based energy recovery ventilation (ERV) is now a key component of most energy efficient modern buildings. The ERV market is estimated to grow to $3.8B by 2022. ERVs improve the indoor air quality of buildings through ventilation and reduce the energy cost of ventilation by using building exhaust air to pre-condition fresh building supply air. In cooling conditions heat and humidity are removed from the incoming air and in heating condition heat and moisture are added to the incoming air. The membrane in the device allows the transport heat and moisture without transport of other gases and contaminants from the exhaust air to the supply air. Current polymeric membrane ERV technology is durable and has moderate performance, but new materials are required to further increase the membrane vapour transport performance and function to make more efficient devices. TO BE CONT’D

Development of a calibration method for Mecademic’s Meca500 robot arm

Mecademic manufactures the smallest and most precise six-axis robot arm. The repeatability of this robot is better than 0.005 mm, but like any industrial robot, the robot’s accuracy is far worse. Although all robot parts are machined and assembled precisely, the only practical way of improving the robot’s accuracy is to calibrate each individual robot. While various methods for the calibration of six-axis robot arms have already been developed in the past, the proposed research project differs in several aspects. First, the applicant will use a CMM to measure the position and orientation of the robot’s end-effector. One novelty of the project will be the possible use of a datum cube as an artifact to be attached to the end-effector and probed with the CMM. This will significantly reduce the time needed for calibrating a robot. Finally, since the applicant will have full access to all physical characteristics of the robot, an attempt will be made to develop a simpler mathematical model, so that the model can be used in real time.