Innovative Projects Realized

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

31132 Completed Projects

2940
AB
5159
BC
837
MB
685
NL
882
SK
9291
ON
9695
QC
97
PE
601
NB
1161
NS

Projects by Category

Determination of ground beef adulterated with beef and pork offal by vibrational spectroscopy

With the increasing numbers of economically motivated food adulteration, sensitive, rapid, portable, and cost-effective detection techniques for food fraud is highly demanded. Ground beef products have the potential to be adulterated by the livestock’s by-products, such as beef and pork offal. Traditional techniques failed to meet the requirements by government, food industry, and consumers (i.e. all parties). Therefore, innovative techniques are necessary to avoid food fraud issues. Vibrational spectroscopies, providing the fingerprinting chemical profiles of samples, have the potential to achieve the demands. Techniques include Raman, Fourier-transformed infrared, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies will be studied in this research project. Feasibilities of using these three types of vibrational spectroscopies for beef adulterated with offal will be examined. Moreover, results obtained from different types of spectroscopies will be compared and the best solution will be proposed based upon the conformability to the requirements by all parties.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Xiaonan Lu

Student:

Partner:

Peking University

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program:

Globalink Research Award

Development of efficient and inexpensive thermal storage “on demand” for Dish/Stirling System

In this project we aim to study means of development of a new concept of the thermal energy storage (TES) technology which allows for the collection of thermal energy for later use. With the Solar Power System it is necessary to balance energy demand between day and night time. On the one hand, TES can help improve the performance of a power generating system by achieving full load operation of the thermodynamic cycle at high efficiency. On the other hand, demand for energy for personal needs is unsteady during the day. Therefore, storage for the solar system is necessary and cannot be avoided.
This storage can find an application in both the domestic and industrial sectors, with the final aim of achieving commercialization in the Canadian market. The implementation of these storage systems may lead to marked energy savings and significant lowering of CO2 emission.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Maria Elektorowicz

Student:

Partner:

Innovative Solar Power Inc

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Manufacturing; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Concordia University

Program:

Accelerate

Genomics profiling of peritoneal mesothelioma and patient-derived xenograft models for in vivo biomarker validation

Peritoneal Mesothelioma (PM) is a rare type of cancer affecting the protective membrane surrounding the abdominal cavity and the second most common type of mesothelioma, consisting about 10-20% of the diagnosed cases. The underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms of peritoneal mesothelioma pathology are greatly understudied. In this proposal, we aim to enhance the current knowledge of PM pathogenesis and explore therapeutic treatments for it. To this end, we aim to establish a working group that combines pertinent and unique expertise in the areas of surgery, pathology, genomics, xenografting and biology. This collaborative team of researchers will collect and perform a pathology review on an initial cohort of PM tissues with good clinical records using state-of-the-art high-throughput DNA, RNA, and protein sequencing. We also aim to generate an in vitro PM patient-derived xenograft mouse model that can recapitulate the tumor in vivo for drug screening and testing for safety, response, and efficacy in collaborations with our biotech partner.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Yuzhuo Wang;Colin Collins

Student:

Partner:

BC Cancer Foundation;iProgen Biotech Inc

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program:

Accelerate

Intraoperative optical characterization of brain tumor tissues

The goal of neurosurgery are two folds, 1) to achieve maximal resection of the target lesions, but simultaneously 2) minimize damage to adjacent healthy brain tissues. Currently surgeons rely on preoperative images such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging to define tumor boundaries. However, the accuracy of such images decreases intraoperatively due to brain shift. For these reasons, surgeons tend to be conservative during tumor resection resulting in residual brain tumors being left behind and thereby increasing the risk of tumor relapse. In this study, we will investigate Raman Spectroscopy (RS) and Polarization Sensitive Optical Coherence Tomography (PSOCT) as novel intraoperative brain imaging tools. Both RS and PSOCT are label-free, rapid, and nondestructive modalities. RS images the chemical make-up of tissues while PSOCT images the structure of tissues. We will investigate whether RS can consistently distinguish tumor from non-tumor tissues and whether PSOCT can visualize structured nerve fibers in situ.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Taufik Valiante

Student:

Partner:

Synaptive Medical Inc

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Manufacturing; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Toronto

Program:

Accelerate

DFT calculation of H abstraction reactions of phenyl-?-naphtylamine with alkyperoxy radicals

Lubricating oil degradation is a ubiquitous problem in industrial machinery. In general, this process includes the thermal breakdown, oxidation, and polymerization of the oil molecules as they turn into undesirable by-products while the lubricant ages. Primary antioxidants, also known as radical scavengers, are regularly added to the lubricant to remove the initial peroxy
and alkyl radicals. As a large number of industrial applications rely on the use of such additives, it is therefore very important to have solid knowledge of the efficiency of each type of antioxidant molecule. This project will use density functional theory (DFT) to look at a sample of three Habstraction reactions between a popular antioxidant molecule, phenyl-?-naphtylamine and a series of alkylperoxy radical molecules. These results will be used by our partner organization, GasTOPS Ltd., to refine a thermochemical model of the oil degradation process. This will allow GasTOPS engineers to design more accurate macroscopic models of the oil breakdown in industrial setups.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Ronald Miller

Student:

Partner:

Gastops

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Aerospace; Technology; Oil and Gas

University:

Carleton University

Program:

Accelerate

Développement et optimisation de procédés de production de 2 cutinases pour applications industrielles

Le but général est de favoriser la commercialisation de deux enzymes de type cutinase en développant des procédés de production/purification prometteurs et d’intérêt industriel. Les cutinases sont des enzymes intéressantes pour l’hydrolyse de divers corps gras et de certains plastiques, ainsi que pour la modification de surfaces. Pour chacune des cutinases, cinq (5) objectifs spécifiques ont été définis, couvrant les aspects production par fermentation, postproduction, et mise en oeuvre des enzymes. Ce projet permettra au partenaire industriel de développer diverses applications pour ces enzymes dans les domaines suivants : nettoyage et hygiène dans les secteurs industriel et médical & biotransformation ou dégradation de mycotoxines pour une alimentation animale sécuritaire et de plus haute qualité.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Denis Groleau

Student:

Partner:

Ozymes

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Biotechnology; Agriculture and Food; Environmental Science and Technology

University:

Université de Sherbrooke

Program:

Accelerate

A new paradigm for the discovery of anti-cancer drugs based on tumour RNA disruption

While chemotherapy drugs are effective in combating tumour growth in cancer patients, many such drugs permit the development of drug-resistant tumours and progression of the disease. We have observed that several chemotherapy agents induce the degradation of tumour cell ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the laboratory and in cancer patients. We have further shown that this RNA degradation is associated with complete tumour destruction after-treatment. Our recently developed assay to quantify RNA degradation in tumour cells may thus prove to be a very sensitive, quantitative, high throughput, and preferred method for the discovery of anti-cancer drugs that will commit tumours to complete destruction. The study to be performed by the intern will assess this hypothesis in comparison to the current “gold standard” for anti-cancer drug discovery (the “clonogenic” assay).

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Faculty Supervisor:

Carita Lanner

Student:

Partner:

RNA Diagnostics Inc

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Laurentian University

Program:

Accelerate

Ecological and Cultural Restoration of an iconic Plant Food (Fritillaria camschatcensis) in the Squamish River Estuary, British Columbia

I am a member of the Squamish Nation and my research focuses on restoring an important traditional plant food into the Squamish estuary. The title of my research is “Ecological and Cultural Restoration of an iconic Plant Food (Fritillaria camschatcensis) in the Squamish River Estuary, British Columbia.” I will be working with Dr. Nancy Turner and Dr. Trevor Lantz as my co-supervisors at the University of Victoria to undertake this research as part of a larger research project led by Dr. Turner called “Bringing the Foods Home” that focuses on renewing traditional foods in Indigenous communities. My research will focus on conducting an ecological survey of the Squamish estuary to characterize successful riceroot habitat and then to construct an experimental garden where this plant can be tended to and used for educational purposes. I will incorporate community involvement throughout this research and emphasize the link between traditional foods and health.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Nancy Turner

Student:

Partner:

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Public administration

University:

University of Victoria

Program:

Accelerate

Identification of early events involved in RNA disruption in order to improve its utility as a chemotherapy response and prognostic biomarker

It is not well known that the majority of breast cancer patients do not receive a survival benefit from chemotherapy. Yet, they experience many negative short- and long-term side effects from chemotherapy. This is also the case for other cancers. There is thus a clear, unmet need for a diagnostic tool that can reliably identify chemotherapy nonresponders, so that they can be moved quickly to potentially more beneficial treatments, while sparing the toxicities of the ineffective drugs. We have developed an effective tool (RDA) to assess chemotherapy response in cancer patients, based on the ability of chemotherapy drugs to induce the degradation of ribonucleic acid (RNA) in tumours. This project seeks to better understand the mechanisms by which chemotherapy drugs promote RNA degradation. By identifying earlier events that trigger RNA degradation, we expect to improve our ability to predict chemotherapy response in cancer patients, possibly much earlier after chemotherapy
administration.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Carita Lanner

Student:

Partner:

RNA Diagnostics Inc

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Laurentian University

Program:

Accelerate

Cross-sector partnerships for implementing sustainable community plans: comparison between a Canadian city and international communities to determine drivers for partners to remain in the partnerships

The project involves the identification of a Canadian community to be compared with Barcelona (Spain), Bristol (UK) and other two international communities, all experienced cities on sustainability with more than 100 partners including businesses, NGOs, academia and the public sector. The Canadian community must comply with certain criteria to make findings comparable with the international communities. The information to be collected is about the drivers for the partners to join
and remain in a partnership for sustainability, a key for policy makers and practitioners in the design of sustainability plans and partnerships for reaching sustainability goals. ICLEI Canada will benefit from this research by having access to information from four highly recognized communities and by comparing them to one of its members as a benchmark for the improvement of their sustainability initiatives. Furthermore, the findings will be generalizable information that will help improve their products and services.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Amelia Clarke

Student:

Partner:

ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services; Public administration

University:

University of Waterloo

Program:

Accelerate

A Survey of Ergonomics Education Opportunities Available to Dental Hygienists in Ontario.

Dental hygienists (DH) are exposed to many potentially injurious physical demands, such as prolonged exposure to awkward neck, trunk, and shoulder postures. The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in this group is alarmingly high (62-93%). DH would benefit from ergonomics-specific workplace safety education, but it is unknown what sort of instruction, if any, is currently offered within the DH curriculum or for continuing education credit. Evaluation of existing educational opportunities will be conducted using a web-based survey of DH across Ontario. The surveys will also include questions regarding the mode of continuing education the DH would find most accessible (e.g. online or night courses, workshops, etc.). The results of the
survey will guide ergonomists at the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers Inc. in updating existing and/or creating new educational resources for registered DH and DH programs, in order to promote proactive injury prevention in this occupational group across the Province.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Nadia Azar

Student:

Partner:

Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers Inc

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

University of Windsor

Program:

Accelerate

Stock assessment in a changing world: quantifying the length of time series data for reliable stock assessments of Lake Whitefish in the Great Lakes

Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) are currently the subject of research to obtain Marine Stewardship Council certification for the fishery in Lake Erie. The declines of Lake Whitefish stocks in Lakes Huron, Erie and Ontario have drawn much concern from the fishing industry, regulators, and other stakeholders. Better estimates of the stock status are needed to understand the causes of this decline and to facilitate more sustainable management of these stocks. My project aims
to assess Lake Whitefish stock status by 1) selecting appropriate stock assessment models for Lake Whitefish from a literature review, 2) estimating the stock abundance by fitting selected models to time series data to determine the optimal length that minimizes effects of errors generated from surveys versus ecological processes, and 3) providing advice on future research priorities among improvement of survey techniques, determination of ecological mechanisms responsible for stock dynamics, or both.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Thomas Nudds

Student:

Partner:

Ontario Commercial Fisheries Association

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

University of Guelph

Program:

Accelerate

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Mitacs — Return on Innovation

Mitacs is funded by the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, the Government of British Columbia, Research Manitoba, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, Innovation PEI, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Government of Yukon.