Innovative Projects Realized

Explore thousands of successful projects resulting from collaboration between organizations and post-secondary talent.

13270 Completed Projects

1072
AB
2795
BC
430
MB
106
NF
348
SK
4184
ON
2671
QC
43
PE
209
NB
474
NS

Projects by Category

10%
Computer science
9%
Engineering
1%
Engineering - biomedical
4%
Engineering - chemical / biological

An Investigation into the Role of Fe Mineralogy in Hydrocarbon Remediation in Western Canadian Soils

Contamination of soils with toxic hydrocarbons (e.g. benzene) is a widespread environmental concern in Canada. Remediation of contaminated soils is often destructive to land resources. In-situ remediation built on soil infiltration with biostimulatory solutions represents an effective approach that bypasses this drawback, however field studies suggest it is not effective under all conditions. The reason for this, however, is unclear. The objectives of the proposed work is to identify limiting factors to remediation in soils as well as to develop a novel, deployable sensor for monitoring soil contamination and remediation with respect to soil properties.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Ian Burgess

Student:

Michael Schmidt

Partner:

Environmental Material Science

Discipline:

Other

Sector:

Other

University:

University of Saskatchewan

Program:

Characterizing Geotechnical and Hydraulic Properties of a Novel Nano-Graphene-Based Adsorbent (Grafta®) used in Permeable Reactive Barriers (PRBs), using Experimental Tests and Numerical Analysis

Permeable Reactive Barrier (PRB) is an in situ permeable treatment zone designed to capture and remediate a contaminant plume. PRBs have become important components among the various technologies available to remediate groundwater contamination and are now a standard in the remediation industry. Grafta®; an in-house patented technology provided by Comnipex is a novel material that has not been commercially applied within a PRB context. For design purposes as well as installing the Grafta®, it is required to understand and estimate its efficiency and stability/hydraulic behavior under the stress imposed by the overlying soil and hydraulic boundary conditions. By help of a pilot scale 3D physical model and numerical simulation, Grafta® performance will be investigated in different in-situ conditions.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Kamran Esmaeili

Student:

Behzad Mehrgini

Partner:

Comnipex Corporation

Discipline:

Engineering - civil

Sector:

Construction and infrastructure

University:

University of Toronto

Program:

Improving the efficiency of the Thermal Energy Exchange and Storage systems: A dynamic modelling approach

Space heating and cooling are considered significant contributors to global energy consumption. Fossil fuel energy sources are accessed to meet the demand quickly but contribute to CO2 induced global warming. The thermal energy storage can meet electric peak demand and mitigate fossil fuel related emissions. The Terra-thermal Energy Exchange and Storage system (TEES) is unique to GSS Integrated Energy Ltd that takes rejected heat from buildings, solar thermal or Combined Heat and Power Generators, and ambient cold. A barrier to TEES technology’s widespread adoption is thermal energy recovery efficiency. The research project aims to develop a practical computational model validated by real field data to predict a TEES system’s thermal behavior. The technology will also save substantial energy bills for the Canadians on multiple thermal storage projects that include a single residential, commercial development, or a community.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Seyed Ali Ghoreishi-Madiseh

Student:

Arif Rabbani

Partner:

GSS Integrated Energy Ltd

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of British Columbia

Program:

Assessment of local air filtration in hospital wards to prevent spread of SARS-CoV2

A major mechanism for the spread of COVID 19 is inhalation of aerosols and droplets produced by an infected person. Localized filtration systems (essentially an air purifier with appropriate inlet and outlet ducting) could provide an important layer of protection in the event that other layers of protection (ie, mask wearing) are compromised. Delta Hospital is developing local air filtration systems that would extract the majority of particles produced by a patient (with or without a mask). Smoke visualization will be used to ensure that the systems do not increase bed-to-bed transport of particles. Simplified design approaches will ensure that the systems “do no harm”, but assessing the effectiveness is more complex: this is the subject of this internship. The intern’s work will be primarily experimental, first measuring particle concentrations in an unoccupied room using a controlled particle source. Later, concentrations of particles and air velocities will be monitored in occupied rooms with and without the filtration systems.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Steven Rogak

Student:

Myung Jik (Jim) Lee

Partner:

Fraser Health

Discipline:

Engineering - mechanical

Sector:

Health care and social assistance

University:

University of British Columbia

Program:

Accelerate

Bio-based Latexes using Switchable Hydrophilicity Solvent (SHS)

The proposal focuses on the design and synthesis of novel bio-based, biodegradable materials to be used in packaging and protective coatings (varnishes), and targeted at replacing the nonrenewable, non- biodegradable materials currently used to manufacture these products. Our new process allows us to obtain a desired combination of material properties, and also eliminates the need for using VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). We achieve this using a new type of solvent whose properties can be “switched” simply by introducing or removing CO2 into or from the mixture. BC Research as a partner organisation has a keen interest in exploiting the work, which has the potential to produce latexes from biopolymers, thereby reducing environmental risks as well as environmental pollution.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Michael Cunningham;Philip Jessop

Student:

Maedeh Ramezani

Partner:

BC Research Inc

Discipline:

Chemistry

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Queen's University

Program:

Developing soft, penetrable nanogel-based anti-infective coatings

The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as increasing microbial resistance to antibiotics, has highlighted our vulnerability to the spread of infectious diseases. Suncor has developed a photodynamic bioactive can prevent microbial growth on high-touch surfaces, such as doorknobs, railings, and keypads. In collaboration with Dr. Todd Hoare’s group at McMaster University, this efficacious compound will be encapsulated into nanogels and formulated as a sprayable coating that can adhere to smooth, high-touch surfaces and facilitate sustained release of antimicrobial agents while retaining its mechanical durability, all of which are essential for the commercial efficacy of an anti-infective coating. Based on this collaboration, we aim to generate 3-4 effective lead formulations to take forward into more detailed large-scale/commercialization studies. We anticipate these developments would have significant economic impacts for Canada (in terms of preventing biofilm formation on key surfaces of interest like pipelines, reactors, etc.) as well as health impacts in terms of improved sanitation in vulnerable sectors such as schools, hospitals and long-term care centres.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Todd Ryan Hoare

Student:

Madeline Simpson

Partner:

Suncor Energy Inc

Discipline:

Engineering - chemical / biological

Sector:

University:

McMaster University

Program:

Optimizing cellulose nanocrystal performance via in situ surface modification

Cellulose nanocrystals are plant-based materials that will enable us to shift from a reliance on oil and gas to the bioeconomy by replacing plastics and other chemicals made from oil. Potential products include biodegradable films for food packaging and thickening agents in food products and cosmetics. Nonetheless, their affinity for water limits the range of applications that they can be used in. We propose adding carbohydrates onto their surface to modulate their interaction. Furthermore, we currently cannot track these changes easily, which is crucial for their production at an industrial scale. We propose using a novel technique, based on the visible light emission generated when exciting these materials with UV light, to overcome this problem. This will enable BC Research, a specialist in bringing the production of these materials from the lab to industrial scale, to confidently bring them to the marketplace.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Emily Cranston

Student:

Marcus Johns

Partner:

BC Research Inc

Discipline:

Forestry

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of British Columbia

Program:

Examining intimal cell types in hypercholesterolemia and atherogenesis, at single cell resolution

Atherosclerosis is a disease defined by unresolved inflammation in the major arteries. High cholesterol is a major risk factor, resulting in fatty lesions developing silently for decades before causing heart attacks and strokes. Currently, no therapies exist that target the cells of the artery wall to suppress this disease. Myeloid cells (MCs) are white blood cells found in the inner artery wall, residing under a barrier of cells called endothelial cells (ECs). In the aorta, MCs are found only in areas where lesions grow. In mice with high cholesterol, arterial MCs engulf lipid and become “foam cells”. This is the first step in the formation of atherosclerosis. I believe that MCs and ECs communicate with each other within the artery wall and elevated cholesterol disrupts this communication. This work aims to target the cells within the artery, to restore proper cell communication, reduce inflammation, and ultimately decrease cardiovascular disease.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Myron I. Cybulsky

Student:

Corey A Scipione

Partner:

Industrial BioDevelopment Laboratory

Discipline:

Biology

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Toronto

Program:

Shear-induced coalescence for controlling emulsion stability

To reduce the negative impact on the environment and increase the competitiveness of Canada’s oil resources in the global economy it is essential to improve the ability to separate crude oil from water. This proposal aims to advance the understanding of a novel mechanism to do this by studying individual oil and water droplets. The intern will employ cutting edge characterization techniques and carry out proof-of-concept experiments that will enable new technologies for separating oil and water when processing crude oil as well as in other applications like food and cosmetics. BC Research will then be able to leverage the new technologies to create new intellectual property, increase business activities, and create new jobs in Canada.

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Faculty Supervisor:

John M Frostad

Student:

Alireza Mashayekhi

Partner:

BC Research Inc

Discipline:

Engineering - chemical / biological

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of British Columbia

Program:

Accelerate

Thermomechanical Methane Pyrolysis for Production of Hydrogen with Solid Carbon

Today, 75% of the anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from CO2 produced by the energy and chemical sectors. In Canada, extreme temperatures and a dispersed population cause the figure to be over 80%. New solutions that are either CO2-free or CO2-negative are urgently needed. The approach in this project is to produce solid carbon (C) instead of CO2, where the carbon can be sequestered into the ground or cement instead of being released into the atmosphere. The solution pursued in this project will to decarbonize natural gas through methane pyrolysis. Much is still unknown about the ability of a catalyst to be regenerated by high-temperature mechanical methods. This project will focus on continuously producing hydrogen and lower-value carbon which can be cleanly separated by continuous mechanical means.

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Faculty Supervisor:

David Chester Upham

Student:

Hassnain Abbas Khan

Partner:

Strategic Reservoir Solutions Inc

Discipline:

Engineering - chemical / biological

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of British Columbia

Program:

Short-term Stability of Liquid Crystal Wavelength Selective Switches

Lumentum produces high-performance optical devices and test equipment for fiber optics communications systems. One such device is the Wavelength Selective Switch (WSS) that is used to switch optical signals between different optical fibers, depending on the wavelength of the light carrying the signal. Although these devices work very well and Lumentum is a leader in the design and production of such devices, their performance is currently somewhat limited by relatively slow fluctuations in the amount of light scattered into the desired optical fiber for a chosen wavelength. The source of these fluctuations is believed to be slow oscillations of the molecules in the liquid crystal that forms the central element in the switch. The aim of this project is to model the dynamics of the liquid crystal molecules so as to determine the source of these oscillations and how they can be reduced by modifying the material properties of the WSS. This will ensure that Lumentum remains at the leading edge of switching technology.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Marc Dignam

Student:

Parvin Navaeipour

Partner:

Lumentum

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Queen's University

Program:

Multiplexed POCT detection of inflammatory biomarkers for disease diagnosis and stratification

The local and global prevalence of infectious diseases require plenty of healthcare resources. Accurate and on-time diagnostic information is of critical value for appropriate patient treatment and healthcare resource management. Typically, single biomarker testing results are not sufficiently sensitive and specific to achieve the high accuracy of diagnosis and stratification. Testing multiple biomarkers (e.g. inflammatory markers) may significantly improve the sensitivity of diagnosis and the efficiency of clinical decision-making processes. Furthermore, point-of-care testing (POCT) technologies may fill the gap of long turn-around time of conventional lab testing techniques, making critical testing capabilities available in resource-limited settings. This project focuses on developing a POCT imaging cytometry system for simultaneous measurement of multiple inflammatory biomarkers and characterize the analytical performance of the testing method. Furthermore, the feasibility of simultaneous testing of protein and cellular markers using the proposed POCT system will be investigated.

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Faculty Supervisor:

James Stewart Aitchison

Student:

Xilong (Ryan) Yuan

Partner:

Thinkari Research Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering - computer / electrical

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Toronto

Program:

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