Innovative Projects Realized

Identifying wetland ecosystems and plants of Eeyou Istchee James Bay that are vulnerable to climate change

Wetlands house a great diversity of plant species, particularly bryophytes as the humid environment permits this poikilohydric group to flourish. Compared to the wetlands of western Canada, our knowledge of the plant biodiversity in Québec’s boreal wetlands is fragmentary. Furthermore, while it has been demonstrated that wetland conditions and functions are affected by climate dependant factors such as precipitation and fire cycle, the link to biodiversity and rare species presence has not yet been investigated at the landscape level. This PhD project will determine the species diversity and rare species occurrences in different wetland types across the black spruce boreal forest of Québec. The The PhD student will analyse the results in the context of climate change to determine the relative vulnerability of different wetland types and their biodiversity to climate change in collaboration with Ouranos (https://www.ouranos.ca/en/).

Construction of a Numerical Model for Hydraulic Fracture Propagation in Multiple-Porosity Shale Petroleum Reservoirs

Shale reservoirs store gigantic volumes of petroleum (oil and gas). However, because of the complex nature of the reservoir rock, it is difficult to recover the oil and/or gas stored in shales. Under normal conditions, it is possible to extract only as much as 10% of the resources in place, thus leaving behind a huge potential that promises to satisfy the energy needs of Canada for several decades. The proposed research project aims to provide a scientific methodology whose practical application will allow increasing the recoveries from shales, i.e., getting more oil and/or gas out of the “difficult to exploit” reservoir. The project is therefore aligned with the interest of Canada for boosting its incipient shale gas industry.

Level the field: sport and disability inclusion

Canadian Sport Policy states a desire to provide sport programs that are accessible and reflect the full diversity of Canadian society. However a recent evaluation of 61 sport organizations in British Columbia revealed that most organizations are ill-equipped to serve people with disabilities wishing to partake in their leisure and sport programs (with some individuals with specific types of disabilities and impairments having little to no opportunity to get involved). Additionally, people with disabilities are underrepresented in other roles within the sport system and face many barriers to getting involved as spectators/fans and volunteers or to pursue careers in sport (for example, working as coaches or sport administrators). This research will investigate what factors facilitate or impede individuals with impairments from engaging in sport in diverse roles. It is intended to inform practices and polices that lead to more accessible and equitable sport opportunities for British Columbians with disabilities.

Investigation of the microbial harbouring quality of stainless and galvanized steel, fibreglass and plastic drains and various drain designs in a food or beverage processing environment

Wastewater drains and drainage systems have been identified as a potential source of microbial contamination in animal, food and beverage processing facilities, which potentially lead to contamination of product and negative downstream public health and economic consequences. Of particular concern are well-known food borne pathogens Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella, which form biofilms on surfaces that allow the organisms to be more resistant to washing and antimicrobials. The ability of various different stainless steel drains and drainage systems to harbour foodborne pathogens and bacteria will be assessed and compared to that of commonly-used drains and drainage systems. The wastewater from hog processing, chicken abattoir, and fermented beverage facilities are to be assessed for microorganisms including Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, coliforms, yeast and mold and aerobic counts.

The Effective Knowledge Transfer of Novel Approaches to Understanding and Addressing the Risk Factors for Cognitive Fatigue in Wildland Firefighting Settings

Given the increased risk to fatigue in fire zone dispatchers working in wildland fire settings, and the lack of scientific literature about this topic, the purpose of this study is to create evidence-based knowledge translation tools to help address and reduce the risks for cognitive fatigue and poor decision making in wildland firefighting settings. These materials will be originated based on an onsite investigation to further understand the complex relationship and mechanisms of fatigue in coordinator staff during a typical fire season. As a final result, we will create effective knowledge translations tools to assist future strategies to successfully manage occupational cognitive impairment.

Securing IoT in Transportation Applications using Blockchain

The proposed solution will address IoT security challenges by using the blockchain technology to create feasible trust mechanisms. We will develop a solution by which exchanged information remains trusted and confidential to be handled efficiently at different places, and we will apply it to a smart transport use case.

COMPARATIVE INVESTIGATION ON THE POTENTIAL OF PYROLYSIS TECHNOLOGY FOR RESOURCE RECOVERY FROM WASTES

The research problem to be addressed is the diversion of organic waste from landfills which, currently, in addition of using the limited space available, generate polluting leachate and greenhouse gases. On the other hand, landfilling organics represent a wasted opportunity to recover valuable chemical and energy resources. The internship will focus on the investigation of the potential of pyrolysis technology to address such problems, by creating opportunities to convert the waste into value-added chemicals and fuels. This project will research, investigate and critically compare the opportunities of a novel technology, such as the Bio-Techfar mobile pyrolysis to other technologies, including composting, anaerobic digestion, gasification, production of refuse derived fuel and combustion for heat and power. TO BE CONT’D
ts.

Surfactant-Enhanced Soil Washing (SESW) of Bunker C contaminatedSoil.

Soil washing (SESW) is a remediation process which utilizes surfactants in treating soils and sludges

which are contaminated with one or more contaminants. This process, however, has not been

employed on soils that are contaminated with Bunker C; a fuel derivative which is a very common

contaminant in many industrial areas and seaports due to its wide range use as fuel for ships and as a

backup fuel in power plants and mining sites. Bunker C has been found in the soils of an old mining

site on Avalon Peninsula, NL, during the reconstruction of the mine. This research intends to

investigate the optimum conditions for a successful removal of Bunker C from the soil through the

SESW process, while testing the efficiency ofIvey-sol non-ionic surfactant during the treatment.

Ultra-low power connectivity platform for low power Internet of Things (IoT) sensor nodes

In this project we address the problem of power consumption for wireless sensor nodes. This is where among different components of a sensor, RF transceivers consume a significant amount of power e.g. approximately 80%. Hence the main objective is this project is to tackle the power consumption problem at the RF transmitter, where we aim to reduce the power consumption to micro-watts of power, with minimal sacrifice in achievable data rate and by keeping the connectivity range within an acceptable radius.

Accelerate development of new technologies and applications for advanced water treatment – Year two

Global population growth, urbanization and changing climate patterns have increased the demand for potable water, wastewater reuse and value recovery from wastewater, and treatment of industrial process water. Population growth also results in increased demand for the shipping of goods by ocean freight, with the associated risk of the transport of unwanted marine life from one location to another by the discharge of ballast water. Also, the increasing sophistication of food and drug production requires a corresponding development of fluid protection technologies to prevent contamination by undesirable microbes. Consequently, there is increased demand for improved technologies that can provide sustainable treatment of water and wastewaters, protection of the water supply, and development of new fluid treatment methods. This research project will develop knowledge and technologies to allow the development of new Trojan Technologies products in these three areas.TO BE CONT”D

Accelerate development of new technologies and applications for advanced water treatment

Global population growth, urbanization and changing climate patterns have increased the demand for potable water, wastewater reuse and value recovery from wastewater, and treatment of industrial process water. Population growth also results in increased demand for the shipping of goods by ocean freight, with the associated risk of the transport of unwanted marine life from one location to another by the discharge of ballast water. Also, the increasing sophistication of food and drug production requires a corresponding development of fluid protection technologies to prevent contamination by undesirable microbes. Consequently, there is increased demand for improved technologies that can provide sustainable treatment of water and wastewaters, protection of the water supply, and development of new fluid treatment methods. This research project will develop knowledge and technologies to allow the development of new Trojan Technologies products in these three areas. TO BE CONT’D

Development of Fungal-Specific Stress Response Inhibitors for the Treatment of Fungal Infections

Drug resistance of medically relevant microorganisms poses a grave threat to human health and has severe economic consequences. Fungal pathogens pose an additional complication as they are closely related to their human host. Current therapies to treat fungal infections are limited and drug resistance has already emerged in the clinic. We have conducted extensive research on fungal drug resistance mechanisms and propose to target these mechanisms in combination with existing antifungals. Specifically, our aim is to target a key regulator of fungal drug resistance, the molecular chaperone Hsp90. Through a structure-guided drug design approach, fungal-selective Hsp90 inhibitors will be designed followed by chemical synthesis. We will further characterize these compounds for fungal-selectivity, enhanced efficacy, and minimal impact on human Hsp90. This work addresses the urgent unmet need for effective new antifungal therapeutics that act by a previously unexploited mode of action.