Innovative Projects Realized

Efficacy of the plant extract CELEXT07 and the botanically derived Thymox in suppression of Cannabis fungal diseases under greenhouse production systems

The legalization of Cannabis (marijuana) is now supported by 66% of Canadian voters. Aphria Inc., was the first approved and licensed producer under the MMPR to begin growing in a greenhouse and is currently the second-largest marijuana producer in Canada. Unfortunately, Cannabis is attacked by a plethora of phytopathogens leading to a number of diseases with the most commonly reported are grey mold and powdery mildews. Pesticide use is regulated by the Health Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) ensuring compliance and appropriate guidelines for use of the pesticides and maximum residue limit (MRL) so as to not pose any health concerns in humans. The project will focus on the use of biodegradable botanically-derived compounds CELEXT07 (pending registration) and Thymox® with strong antimicrobial properties to suppress disease incidence and severity of Cannabis fungal diseases.

Application of Deep Learning Artificial Intelligence Tools in Pharmaceutical Processes

The last 5 years have seen remarkable advances in speech, image and language recognition tools that have been made available to the public through computer and mobile devices’ applications. Some of these significant improvements were achieved by an artificial intelligence tool known as deep learning (Hinton et al., 2006) that generally refers to a set of novel neural networks algorithms.
It is recognized that training of deep neural nets require a vast amount of data. In this sense manufacturing processes are ideal candidates for deep learning applications since they utilize computers and information systems for monitoring and control thus generating massive amount of data. This is especially true in pharmaceutical industries such as Sanofi where large data sets are routinely stored for monitoring and regulatory purposes. TO BE CONT’D

Fate of Toxigenic and non-Toxigenic Escherichia coli during storage and brewing of tea

Tea is often considered as a healthy drink that is rich in antioxidants and other health constituents. However, tea can become contaminated during production and pathogens such as Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) that could potentially can persist over extended storage periods. The true risk of STEC linked to tea is unclear as on one side, the beverage is brewed in hot water and although contains natural antimicrobials. However, on the other hand, STEC can become heat resistant in the dry state that could enable survival during brewing. The proposed study will look at survival of STEC on different tea blends and the ultimate fate of the pathogen during brewing. The research will benefit the collaborating partner through identification of the risk and possible solutions. The Intern will benefit by working on a commercially relevant project given how much tea is drank every day in Canada.

Predicting and Detecting Data Exfiltration using Machine Learning

Bell’s Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) team is collaborating with academic institutions in order to further research and develop cyber security analytics for the protection of critical infrastructure and data. The focus of this research is to create and leverage Machine learning for Data Exfiltration on Big Data specifically for network security purposes. This research to design distributed algorithms fast enough for analyzing massive high-dimensional data generated by on web application and firewall logs to detect cyber threats/ attacks and anomaly in the network.

Maximizing solar energy penetration in the smart grid using innovativepower system architecture.

Electrical Energy represents one of the fastest growing types of energy; however this growth

is accompanied by diminishing fossil fuel resources. Renewable sources of energyespecially

solar- represent one of the possible ways to meet this increased demand. For that

reason , many countries have ambitious plans for increasing their electricity production from

solar energy. Utilities believed that integrating solar electricity into their systems is not a

difficult task, however when the penetration level of solar electricity started to increase, they

began to face new untraditional problems. Most of these problems are due to the intermittent

nature of solar energy. The high variability in production-due to temperature variations,

moving clouds, etc. – greatly affects the reliability, stability and security of the electric power

system. In this project, we are trying to develop a new innovative architecture for the power

system that helps utilities integrate solar electricity into their grids while maintaining the

performance of the power system.

UBCO-FortisBC collaborative research partnership: Rehabilitation options analysis for dewatering systems in power generation facilities

The dewatering systems in the FortisBC hydropower generation facilities need long-term rehabilitation solutions. The purpose of this project is to develop a risk assessment model for the dewatering systems of hydropower generation facilities, and to identify the best long-term rehabilitation solutions for such facilities. Recommendation on long-term maintenance and rehabilitation will be provided on the basis of failure risk, safety risk, maintainability, costs, and environmental impacts. Component level failure events and probabilities will be considered in establishing the overall system risk for all possible rehabilitation options. The life cycle system costs and environmental impacts will be considered together with the risks to identify the most suitable rehabilitation option through a generalizable risk assessment model.

L’adoption de l’Automatisation Robotisée de Processus : Une approche par l’analyse de processus d’affaires

L’Automatisation Robotisée de Processus (ARP) est une approche efficace pour améliorer la productivité des organisations par l’automatisation des tâches répétitives. La mise en oeuvre de l’approche ARP est peu coûteuse et facile à réaliser (Willcocks & Lacity, 2016). Cependant, aucune étude n’a porté spécifiquement sur l’élaboration d’une approche permettant aux organisations d’adopter efficacement l’ARP pour automatiser leur processus d’affaires. Plus précisément, il n’existe aucune approche pour guider les organisations à identifier les processus d’affaires qui conviennent le mieux à l’ARP. Ce projet de recherche vise à élaborer une nouvelle méthode permettant d’analyser des processus d’affaires et d’identifier les processus qui conviennent à l’ARP. La méthode développée dans le cadre de ce projet de recherche permettra aux experts-conseils de Cofomo d’aider leurs clients à bénéficier efficacement de l’adoption de l’approche ARP afin optimiser leurs processus et ainsi diminuer leurs coûts d’opération et améliorer leur productivité et la qualité des services fournis.

Connecting Healthcare Data with the Blockchain

This project focuses on using blockchain technology and smart contracts to manage the health care data access. Blockchain is the distributed ledger based on verified transactions, and the smart contract is the programmable part of the blockchain which can automate more complex transactions. Blockchain provides a secure and durable distributed database to store data accesses and we can automatically grant or revoke access to the users by using smart contracts. Diffusing health care data over different organizations and managing these data is still a challenge which jeopardizes patients’ privacy. The main goal of this project is investigating the potential and performance of the new health data access management system with the blockchain as an infrastructure.

Restauration des parcs à résidus potentiellement générateurs de drainage minier: effet des recouvrements et/ou amendements organiques sur la stabilité des résidus contaminés à l’arsenic

Les méthodes de recouvrements et/ou amendement organiques sont privilégiés pour limiter l’oxygène ou l’eau d’atteindre les résidus réactifs et de générer du drainage minier acide (DMA) ou de drainage neutre contaminé (DNC). Ils permettent de valoriser des matériaux peu coûteux et disponibles à proximités des parcs à résidus ainsi que de favoriser la revégétation. Toutefois, l’effet des matériaux organiques sur la stabilité des métaux/métalloïdes dans les résidus sont encore incertains. Dans ce contexte, ce projet a pour objectif d’évaluer l’effet des recouvrements et/ou amendements organiques à base de tourbe sur la stabilité de l’As et autres métaux dans des résidus potentiellement générateurs de DNC contaminé à l’As. Des essais de laboratoire impliquant des essais batch et des essais en mini-cellules seront réalisés. TO BE CONT’D

Integration of smart sensing fabric in a DVT pressure stocking

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT), formation of blood clot in deep vein usually in leg, has severe health complications that can lead to disability or death. Applying a cyclic pressure can improve blood circulation and may prevent DVT. This cyclic pressure can be implemented via mobile compression socks (MCS). However, MCS only apply static pressure, which reduces the effectiveness of the MSC. The Toyo team has developed and patented a compression stocking capable of applying cyclic pressure. Although the patented TOYO MSC (TMSC) performs satisfactorily and proves the concept, the sensing component of the TMSC is bonded on the cuff. It makes the cuff inflexible, uncomfortable to wear and aesthetically unpleasing. Thus, There is a need for a fully integrated system wherein the pressure sensors are unobtrusively integrated in the cuff fabric (or the pressure stocking) allowing more precise monitoring of the pressure. TO BE CONT’D

Using Wireless Communications to Enable Decentralized Analysis and Control of SmartDistribution Systems.

In this project we are proposing a framework that uses wireless communication links to

enable decentralized and real-time load flow analysis of distribution systems. This analysis is

performed by smart agents installed at each bus in the distribution system. Using the

outcome of this analysis we can perform decentralized real-time control.

The proposed framework allows the analysis to take into account any changes in the system

status (generated power, load power, DG status, transformer tap settings, .. etc.) as soon as

it happens, and hence the appropriate control action can (but not necessarily) be taken in the

next iteration of the analysis.

We have selected the backward / forward sweep method to perform the load flow analysis in

this project, in such a way that each agent will perform a part of the calculations and forward

the results to its parent or children so that the analysis can proceed. In this project we will verify the validity …

simulator ns-3.

Development of novel crop protection technologies using Canadian microbes

Development of new and improved plant biotimulants through the combination of soil-borne bacteria like Pseudomonas chlororaphis PA23 should provide new opportunities for crop improvement in the Canadian Agri-Food market. The proposed MITACS Accelerate project will support collaborative research and develop synergies between industry and scientists at the University of Manitoba to investigate the effect an an established plant growth promoting bacteria, PA23, in the presence and absence of one of Stoller Enterprises most well-known biostimulant product, BioForge. Together, the Belmonte lab and Stoller Enterprises Canada will work towards the commercial development of PA23 with existing Stoller products. Through formulation enhancement, we will development a deeper understanding into the products and timing of product application for crop improvement. Our work is driven by innovation and will train one MSc level student. The impact of this work will be realized by broad agricultural application to crops grown in Canada and around the globe and will dive innovation through discovery based science.