Innovative Projects Realized

Diagnostic Software for Mapping Blood-Brain Barrier Pathology

When blood-vessels in the brain are damaged, substances can leak from the blood into the brain. This leakage can affect cognition and mental health, however there are currently no clinically-available tests for detecting such leakage.
In this project we are continuing the development of a method for diagnosing subtle leakages in the brain’s blood vessels using MRI. We have recently demonstrated that this technology may help explain why patients diagnosed with the same disease often have very different severities of outcome. Specifically, we have shown that: (1) patients with bipolar disorder, who have leaky blood vessels, experience much more severe depression, anxiety and disability; and (2) patients with lupus, who have leaky blood vessels, are more likely to experience cognitive impairment (compared to similar patients with intact blood-vessels). In the current project, we tackle the next stages of development, towards the translation of this diagnostic approach to routine clinical practice.

Broadening the vascular diagnostic service continuum of Koven Technology Canada through the development and validation of a novel in vitro diagnostic technology to diagnose peripheral arterial disease

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is caused by changes in the wall of the blood vessels of the legs that make them narrow and stiff. The main causes of PAD are atherosclerosis and smoking. Unlike many other diseases, there is no blood test that is capable of detecting PAD. Instead, persons have to be referred by their doctor and they must go to a specialized clinic where an expensive hour-long ankle-brachial (ABI) test is performed.

Koven wants to develop a simple, inexpensive and reliable blood test that can detect PAD. The project described in this application is intended to complete the next phase of the diagnostic kit development by confirming the components of the kit and the analytical method, designing a web-based interface, and beginning preparations for a clinical trial to validate the kit. Once completed, this blood test will make diagnosis of PAD less costly and easier to access.

Developing and validating population models to estimate wildlife densities and inform land-use management in industrializing boreal landscapes

Monitoring of population density is crucial for conserving wildlife species and determining responses to management efforts. However, estimating density is particularly difficult when individuals are not distinguishable from each other. There is pressing need to validate the robustness of recently developed models that estimate density from such ‘unmarked’ populations before widespread application to real-world data, especially for species under management or at risk. We use simulations and field-collected data to investigate the performance of such population density models under different realistic ecological and data conditions. We then apply the gained insights to estimate densities of caribou, which are declining and of conservation concern, and white-tailed deer, moose, wolf, and black bear in two boreal landscapes in northern Alberta that have experienced natural and anthropogenic disturbance. This work will provide critically needed density estimates to monitor the status of boreal wildlife species, while offering guidance for navigating the numerous approaches for estimating population density.

Optical Trapping of Nanoparticles in X-Ray Photodynamic Therapy

A radioluminescent material converts ionizing radiation, such as X-rays, into lower energy photons. The use of radioluminescent nanoparticles has been proposed to enhance the efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in cancer treatments. During a typical treatment, a molecular specie, called photosensitizer, absorbs visible energy to produce reactive oxygen species, which determine cellular death due to the resulting oxidative stress. The required visible energy has a low penetration depth through the tissues, which limits this approach to superficial treatments. Contrarily, X-rays allow for deep penetration through the tissues. Both gold and lanthanide-doped nanoparticles have been proven to absorb efficiently X-rays, with the latter being also able to convert the high energy radiation into visible light for PDT. The use of lanthanide-doped nanoparticles for X-ray PDT (X-PDT) is limited by the high mobility of the nanoparticles, which results into the necessity to find a way to guide the therapy and force the nanoparticles to stay into the zone under treatment until its completion. This possibility is also interesting in view of the perspective easier removal of the trapped particles, which reduces the risk of their unwanted accumulation into organs. This project aims to investigate the use of hybrid gold/radioluminescent nanosystems for cancer treatment by combining X-PDT and optical trapping. Gold nanoparticles can be efficiently trapped and moved with a focused beam, which makes interesting the combination of gold and radioluminescent nanoparticles into hybrid nanosystems. These novel nano-drugs will be tested for developing new and more selective techniques for cancer treatments.

Single-molecule analytics of RNA/DNA drug constructs interacting with RNA targets and with lipid nanoparticle delivery vehicles

In this project, the interns will develop a new set of tools and techniques to provide new scientific insights into the detailed interactions that occur between drug and target molecules in the human body. Understanding of these interactions is critical to design better, more effective, and more precisely targeted drugs. The problem is that current techniques for investigating molecular interactions make “ensemble measurements” over huge numbers of drug and target molecules and give researchers only an “average” measurement of the interactions. But this average measurement misses many important details of how one individual drug molecule interacts with one individual target molecule, and as drugs become increasingly sophisticated these “single-molecule” insights become critical. The interns will apply a new single-molecule microscopy technique being developed by the Canadian startup ScopeSys to investigate two new kinds of drugs: antisense oligonucleotide drugs, which are constructed from DNA and which target RNA, and nanoparticles, which are nanometer-sized particles that can be used to carry potent drug formulations through the human body.

Effects of off-road vehicle activities on plant and soil properties in Canadian ecosystems

The use of off-road vehicles (ORVs) in natural environments has accelerated dramatically over the past few decades, increasing the potential for ecosystem degradation and the need to establish policies and develop technologies that minimize the impacts of ORVs on the environment. Although the environmental consequences from ORVs are known to be highly degrading and a threat to ecosystem integrity and natural functioning, research on the physical and environmental impacts caused by different ORV activities remains limited, specifically those aimed at exploring low-impact technologies. The KXI Wildertec suspension system has been designed to reduce the ground pressure of standard four wheel drive vehicles in an effort to minimize the negative effects on ecosystems. This research will explore the impacts of standard four-wheel drive vehicles and vehicles equipped with the KXI Wildertec suspension system on plant and soil parameters on ecosystems throughout British Columbia. Specifically, this research will answer the following questions: (1) what is the ground pressure exerted by the two vehicles used in this research?; (2) what are the direct impacts of different vehicles on soil and plant community parameters? how are nearby plant communities affected?

Impact of heat accumulation pattern on the enological potential of Vitis sp. berries

Over the years, consumption of wine has been a lifestyle of many Canadian households, with majority of these wines imported from outside Canada. On the local market, Canadian made wine competes with sometimes century-long wine producing countries (e.g. France, Italy, Spain) that are carefully selected by importers (SAQ, NSLC, LCBO, etc.). With this gap in the Canadian wine market, there is the need to expand the Canadian grape industry towards the production of wine with high market value to increase its share on the local market. Currently, grape production is growing fast in Nova Scotia, Quebec and other Eastern Canadian provinces such as PEI and New Brunswick. Despite this trend, one of the main limiting factors encountered by grape growers is climate and its impact on grape berry ripening, which noticeably affect wine quality. Improving the understanding of how grape varieties adapt to specific seasons-types such as those experienced in NS and QC, and how ripening stages determine grape enological potential will allow to optimize grape variety selection for a given climate and improve harvest decisions, to produce the best wine.

Investigation of Zebra Configuration in Light-Weight MagentoRheological Dampers

Commercial MagnetoRheological (MR) dampers are still bulky and consume relatively high power. Thus new designs to improve their energy consumption and total mass are required so that they can be used in applications such as prosthetics and small electric vehicles that are restricted by energy consumption and mass. To address the above issues, in this research we focus on the design of a MagnetoRheological damper to achieve small mass with low energy consumption for commercial use.

Targeting granzyme B with a novel inhibitor for the treatment of radiodermatitis

Radiodermatitis is a group of skin reactions that occur as a result of radiation therapy. It is a significant health challenge as approximately 70% of all cancer patients receive radiation therapy and approximately 95% of them experience radiodermatitis. Patients with radiodermatitis experience redness, itchiness, pain, scaling, and weeping or crusted wounds. Importantly, radiodermatitis can impede cancer treatments. Current treatments for radiodermatitis have shown limited efficacy; thus, improving our understanding of radiodermatitis and developing novel therapies are urgent needs. In our preliminary studies, we have found that the protein Granzyme B is present at very high levels in radiodermatitis skin. We also showed that Granzyme B damages components of the skin and promotes inflammation in radiodermatitis. Our proposed project will test if Granzyme B induces the symptoms of radiodermatitis and if our newly developed medication that stops Granzyme B activity can alleviate these symptoms. Findings from this study will provide further rationale to pursue inhibitors of Granzyme B as a novel treatment option for radiodermatitis.

Optimizing a food wastage stream at the consumer level of the Food Supply Chain through Machine Learning and the Internet-of-Things.

Across the world, one-third of all the food produced yearly—¬¬¬worth $400 billion—is wasted (Bharucha,2017). This project aims to research and develop the accuracy of a machine learning algorithm in order to assess its efficiency in reducing food wastage and making restaurants more profitable.

Structural Integrity Assessments for Strain-Based Design of Pipelines

Structural integrity assessments play a key role in ensuring the safe service of oil/gas pipelines. In recent years, significant developments in pipeline strain-based design have taken place to account for the large plasticity involved in the installation and operation of pipelines. However, current methodologies cannot properly address the effects of anisotropic material properties and weldments on the behaviours of defects in pipelines. It is proposed here to develop fracture mechanics methodologies that quantify these effects. Both global and local approaches will be used in the study. Numerical simulations, employing micromechanical models, and experimental testing of various laboratory specimens will be carried out to quantify the ductile fracture behaviors. The outcome of the research will enable more reliable assessments for pipeline structural components. BMT Canada is one of the industrial leaders in providing pipeline structural integrity assessment services. Through the proposed research project, BMT Canada will be well positioned in providing the best engineering services, and stay ahead of the competitors.

Development of a rapid, point of care, COVID-19 detection system using proximity-based electrochemical principles

Rapidly detecting SARS-CoV-2 in infected individuals remains a critical problem in Canada. The current detection method is hindered by the need for highly trained personnel and expensive laboratory equipment. Such requirements cause long wait times and reduce the ability to manage the spread of COVID-19 in our communities. This Mitacs Accelerate project aims at addressing such problems, i.e., developing a rapid, easy-to-use, point of care (POC) detection system for hospitals, airports, long-term care facilities and working places. This goal is achievable because Metabolic Insights Inc (MII), the partner organization, has designed electrochemical sensors and analysis software that is user-friendly and requires little to no training. MII’s current sensor system can accurately detect DNA in solution; the interns conducting this project will enhance and optimize MII sensors to allow for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 protein in solution, making it a faster, more cost-effective alternative to current testing.