Innovative Projects Realized

EVALUATION OF THERAPEUTIC NATURAL KILLER CELLS

The intern will undertake the development and evaluation of a novel gene-edited immune cell therapy for the treatment of different cancer types. The cancer immune cell therapy is a hot and rapidly growing field that has yielded success and clinically meaningful benefits for the treatment of certain cancers. Many of these successes have been with a kind of treatment called CAR T cells, which are potent anticancer cell therapies yet pose significant safety concerns, namely a potentially lethal inflammatory condition called cytokine release syndrome and neurological complications.
Ankarys is a Canadian early stage start-up that is leveraging advances in gene editing technology and stem cell biology along with its scientists’ deep expertise in the investigation of cell therapies to develop a proprietary cell therapy product: engineered stem cell-derived natural killer cells. Natural killer cells are our body’s first line of defense against viral infections and cancer growth, and have been shown to be safe in different contexts of treating cancer.

Demystifying Maritime Governance:Analysis of the frameworks and emerging issues for the governance of shipping in Canada

This project will undertake research on the governance of shipping Canada (a) to explain its global and domestic structures, frameworks, actors, interconnections, and processes in the simplest terms possible and (b) to analyse contemporary major drivers of change in the system. Four transformative issue areas will be addressed, namely the interface between shipping and Indigenous rights, the significance of marine spatial planning for shipping, the growing role of risk governance and self- regulation, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the occupational health and safety of seafarers. The project will draw upon the continuity between international and domestic regulation and administration of shipping, highlighting differences in approaches in the Atlantic, Arctic, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, and Pacific regions, as well as roles for federal, provincial, territorial, and Indigenous governments.
The project aims at enhancing general understanding of the complexity of governance of shipping to better inform decision makers, rights holders and stakeholders tasked with shipping issues and to better contextualize public debates on such issues. Accordingly, the principal impact of this project is educational. The project anticipates a range of deliverables for the various audiences.

Optimization and validation of collagen fiber manufacturing

Natural biomaterials such as cotton, wool and bamboo are common biofibres due to their accessibility and high performance characteristics in textiles. However, their strictly defined composition is severely limiting, as the materials cannot be adapted for alternative uses. Thus, producing biomaterials at an industrial scale has been an active area of research, where the goal is to create materials found in nature at a high throughput. In addressing this problem, 3D BioFibR has created a manufacturing process for various biofibres with applications in biomedical research, healthcare, aerospace engineering, and sustainability. For example, our ColiFibR is comprised of collagen, a protein responsible for the structure of our tissues, and has uses in vaccine development, drug discovery, and tissue growth. Through this project, 3D BioFibR will be able to achieve a production rate viable for commercial application, and move our technology from the lab bench into the market.

Considerations for an exercise training program for women living with obesity-related infertility: a community-based feasibility study

Increased physical activity has been shown to be beneficial for people who experience infertility and obesity. However, limited research exists on exercise programs that help women improve their ability to conceive. Using the principles of exercise science, our research team will develop an exercise program for women experiencing infertility and obesity. Due to COVID-19, there has been a suspension in fertility services, highlighting the need for non-invasive treatment options that can be prescribed virtually.
Nutra Holdings Inc. is a nutritional supplement e-commerce company based in St. John’s, NL. This is an innovative partnership as the development of an exercise program for women with infertility will expand Nutra Holdings Inc. into the field of exercise prescription. In the future, this has potential for new products to include packaging exercise programs and supplements. Nutra Holding Inc. will share principles of marketing for knowledge translation from academic research to the general public.

Modelling and Simulation of District Energy Networks

District energy systems are specialized and sophisticated energy solutions that require detailed design and analysis. Their integration with existing utility infrastructure strengthens the resiliency and reliability of the energy services as it enables cities to achieve their energy savings targets and greenhouse gas emission targets. This research will investigate and model the use of distributed energy resources like combined cooling heat and power generators, heat pumps, thermal storage units, thermal and PV solar and waste heat to determine optimal system operation. Seven district energy systems will be developed to model business as usual, cooling only, heating only, as well as combined heating and cooling scenarios. Systems will be comprehensively analyzed used primary thermodynamic principles of mass, energy, entropy and exergy analyses. Environmental impact assessment along with techno economic evaluation will also be conducted. Overall, the primary objective of this research is to model and analyze distinct district energy systems for various applications.

Sectoral use of ammonia as a clean solution

This project consists of three subprojects. In the first subproject, an ammonia-fueled a power generator will be developed and experimentally tested. Thus, the emission released from the generator such as CO2, NOX, and SOX, will be reduced substantially. The second subproject of the project is to investigate the ammonia economy starting from production to last use in various sectors. Evaluating a microgrid system and compatible electrical vehicle, and their economic benefits, advantages or disadvantages will be researched extensively. In the third subproject, a review of ammonia economy with a cradle-to-grave approach will be conducted, results of this research will be used in life cycle assessment analysis to define goals and scope, inventory data and possible impacts to the environment. Life cycle assessment will be done for all dimensions and domains of ammonia.

Determining the Community and Sub-Population Structure of West Coast Transient (Bigg’s) Killer Whales in the Northeastern Pacific

The transient killer whales that feed on other marine mammals in British Columbia waters (also known as Bigg’s killer whales) range from Alaska to California. However, relatively little is known about their life histories, including whether they belong to separate populations. We will determine the population structure of west coast transient killer whales (California to Alaska) based on photo id’s, locations of sightings, associations between individuals, and documented feeding behaviours. We will also document their home ranges, behaviours, social interactions and dietary specialties using a rich database of sighting reports and photographs in government and NGO databases. Confirming the presence and status of distinct populations of transient killer whales with dietary specialities will contribute to their conservation and aid in understanding their ecological roles within marine ecosystems.

Novel image processing techniques of standard DXA scans to better predict hip fracture risk

Osteoporosis is a generalized skeletal disorder common in older adults, in which a reduction in Bone Mineral Density (BMD) decreases bone’s strength and can result in an increased risk of fragility fractures. One of the sites commonly affected by osteoporosis is the proximal femur (“hip”), the fracture of which greatly decreases mobility and function, as well as being responsible for high health care costs for society (estimated at $619M annually)1,2.

We have developed novel image processing techniques to extract much more information from each clinical DXA scan than simply a BMD measure. This approach uses statistical modeling techniques to characterize the shape and distribution of mineral through the proximal femur, as well as the trabecular quality through texture analysis. A template model is established from a training set of images with patient fracture history data, after which any new scan may be mathematically represented by its differences from the template shape through scaling factors applied to the main modes of variation. The large complement of DXA scans in longitudinal databases presents an untapped opportunity for further investigation of our fracture-predicting algorithms and characterization of how different factors (such as medication use) contribute to fracture risk.

Identifying Challenges Faced by Women Entrepreneurs When Starting and Growing Businesses in Cambodia

This research project will focus on identifying challenges that women entrepreneurs in Cambodia face when starting and/or growing businesses. The purpose of the research is to help organizations identify areas where they can improve their services offered to empower women to start and grow their businesses. This research will be done by collecting participant feedback through the Monkiri E-Learning Application. Participants will be separated into groups and a randomized selection will be interviewed. The intern will be involved in the literature review, designing the research lesson and analyzing the results. This project will benefit Monkiri by having a trained researcher assist with some of the core research tasks.

On-Chip True Time Delay Optical Beamforming for RF Phased Arrays

Our space-based radio-frequency communication is suffering from the use of simple phase shifters. Its bandwidth capability is limited, ultimately reducing the satellite’s capacity and the system’s service availability. Most electronic beamforming implementations are bulky, frequency dependent and they consume a significant amount of power. To replace those electronic components, structures which guide light on microchips have been suggested and demonstrated to work similarly to how light inside of fiber-optic cables now all brings TV and internet to our homes. This project will thus evaluate the feasibility of using those small optical structure to implement an innovative beamforming network architecture. The integration and assembly of those optical structure can lead to smaller beamformer dimensions, larger communication capacity and a lower cost. By doing so we aim to revolutionize space-based communications and bring it into a brighter future.

Evaluation of CO2 Sequestration Opportunities in Lloydminster Post-chops Heavy Oil Reservoirs and Underlying Aquifers

Carbon capture and storage is a feasible, reliable and economic approach to reduce CO2 emission. Llydiminster area on the boarder of the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta is an area with significant heavy oil production and a large amount of CO2 resources from thermal operated heavy oil production facilities and oil upgraders. Deploying CCU technology in this area can significant reduce the CO2 emission in the oil industry in this area. This study focus on feasibility of carbon geo-sequestration in those heavy oil reservoirs and underlying aquifers in this area.

Comprehensive Waste Management Plan and Assessment

Durham Region is committed to responding to the climate emergency by embedding climate change considerations across all elements of Regional business. This research will involve an examination of the Region’s entire waste management system and develop a full life cycle analysis model for GHG emissions which can be used to identify opportunities and support strategies to reduce GHG emissions caused by waste management activities. This includes capturing activities related to contracted services as well as relevant indirect activities such as resident travel to Regional Waste Management facilities. This research is anticipated to expand existing efforts to quantify GHG emissions related to the Durham York Energy Centre and closed landfills developed as part of existing emissions reporting requirements.
The research will also explore utilizing wastes from a wide range of sources such as solid wastes, wastewater treatment wastes, and other types of wastes and recycling them into useful energy outputs. Specific systems will be designed to complete this critical task to cover waste into useful commodities such as electricity, heating, cooling, and drinking water. A thorough lifecycle assessment will be conducted to evaluate the magnitude of GHG emission reduction potential in Durham.