Innovative Projects Realized

AI Integration in Next-Generation Cybersecurity Operations

The University of Guelph and eSentire are partnering to improve how cybersecurity teams use AI. The project focuses on:
– Securing AI-generated code – Identifying and fixing new types of security risks introduced by tools like ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot.
– Enhancing Security Operations Centres (SOCs) – Automating repetitive analyst tasks so teams can focus on critical threats.
This work will help Canadian organisations detect threats faster, reduce breach risks, and create new high-skill cybersecurity jobs. Two Mitacs interns will gain practical experience working with industry and academic experts on cutting-edge AI security solutions.

Councils of AIs: A Multi-Agent Approach to Strategic Decision Support with Large Language Models

This research project develops an innovative approach to decision-making assistance by leveraging teams of AI-based agents, known as “councils of AIs”. These councils utilize large language models to collaboratively provide strategic advice and support for complex managerial decisions. The project aims to significantly improve the quality and effectiveness of strategic decision-making processes within organizations. The research will advance our understanding of effective human-AI collaboration, potentially leading to improved decision-making practices across various industries and public sectors, ultimately benefiting the broader community.

SSE MBA – QV Studio – Team Shirin

The MBA intern will support a quantum startup currently incubated at Quantum Venture Studio (QV Studio), a venture studio dedicated to turning academic research in quantum technologies into viable startups. Over the four-month internship, the intern will work closely with the startup team to help build a clear and realistic three-year roadmap, including business milestones, market development, team needs, and funding strategy. This project will allow the intern to apply strategic planning and analytical skills in a deeptech context, while providing the partner organization with valuable structure and business support during a critical early stage.

Optimization of porewater extraction techniques to evaluate thiosalts formation and mobility in unsaturated tailings

Large volumes of mineral waste are inevitably generated as mineral resources are critical for economic development, technology innovation and energy transition. Tailings storage facilities (TSF) store mineral waste that initially remain exposed to precipitation and atmospheric conditions. This leads to a series of geochemical reactions releasing dissolved constituents in tailings porewaters. Hydrogeological conditions play a key role in controlling tailings moisture content, oxygen diffusion, and the subsequent mobilization of dissolved constituents in tailings. In particular, sulfide minerals undergo oxidation in surface and partially saturated tailings, releasing metastable reduced S intermediates called thiosalts. Thiosalts can further oxidize to sulfate; however, this process increases porewater acidity with the release of protons (H+). The latent acidity of tailings porewaters in relation to elevated concentration of thiosalts represents a challenge for the mining sector which needs to be properly assessed for mine reclamation planning. This project aims at closing knowledge gaps on the formation and mobility of thiosalts in the active layer of TSFs undergoing freeze-thaw periods. Results from this study are beneficial for the partner and the mining sector working with Canada’s critical minerals, providing knowledge of the reactivity and S cycling within TSF under Arctic climate conditions.

Full Stack Internship

PopIn is a mobile platform that helps people discover and connect with others at live events and local venues. Whether someone is at a networking mixer, tech meetup, or community event, PopIn shows who’s around, what they’re up for, and who wants to meet — making real-world connections easier and more inclusive.

This internship will focus on advancing PopIn’s technical development and preparing the platform for broader pilot testing. The intern will work on intelligent attendee matching, event engagement insights, real-time notifications, and deployment of a fully functional app. This project contributes to solving modern challenges around social isolation, community-building, and event engagement through mobile-first technology.

Identification of distinct regulatory mechanisms of circadian transcription programs across the circadian neuronal network.

Behavioural disorders are linked to circadian rhythm disruption. Circadian rhythms are behavioural responses to daily environmental changes, like light/dark cycles. Such behavioural responses are regulated by circadian clocks, which are biochemical time keeping machines that control the daily expression of several hundred genes. There is a circadian clock hypothesis of behavioural disorders that offers a framework to understand behavioural disorders, but how they are linked to each other is unknown.

Mutations in circadian clocks that cause behaviour problems also cause the several hundred circadian-regulated genes to oscillate with different amplitudes, phases and periods in different brain cells. This means that the oscillating genes become uncoupled from each other, because the oscillations all look different. We think that this uncoupling causes behaviour disorders. For a single mutation to cause such differences in gene expression can only be explained by differences in the regulatory proteins made in different brain cells. We will identify the regulatory proteins that act on the circadian clock in the different brain cells using unique methods that we developed. Once we identify the regulatory proteins in different brain regions, we have an opportunity to intervene with these proteins to realign uncoupled gene oscillations, hoping to restore behavioural disorders.

Fundamental understanding of brewing phenomena and shelf-life extension of single-serve coffee – Year two

Brewing of premium coffee in single-serve capsule is challenging due to many design and machine constraints.
Moreover, parameters that affect the brew quality are not fully understood. By collaborating with Mother Parkers Tea
and Coffee Inc., this project will systematically evaluate the brewing parameters on the physical and sensorial
properties of drip and espresso coffees. Building upon the increased understanding of the single-serve brewing
process, and the research findings derived from a previous collaborative project with the industrial partner, novel
methodologies will be developed to enhance the quality of coffee brew, through applying creative designs on capsule
and brew system, as well as exploiting spent coffee ground – a significant by-product generated by the coffee
industry. Single-serve coffee capsule products have witnessed considerable growth over the past few years. Findings
from this project will allow the industrial partner to differentiate their products from those of their competitors.

Fundamental understanding of brewing phenomena and shelf-life extension of single-serve coffee

Brewing of premium coffee in single-serve capsule is challenging due to many design and machine constraints.
Moreover, parameters that affect the brew quality are not fully understood. By collaborating with Mother Parkers Tea
and Coffee Inc., this project will systematically evaluate the brewing parameters on the physical and sensorial
properties of drip and espresso coffees. Building upon the increased understanding of the single-serve brewing
process, and the research findings derived from a previous collaborative project with the industrial partner, novel
methodologies will be developed to enhance the quality of coffee brew, through applying creative designs on capsule
and brew system, as well as exploiting spent coffee ground – a significant by-product generated by the coffee
industry. Single-serve coffee capsule products have witnessed considerable growth over the past few years. Findings
from this project will allow the industrial partner to differentiate their products from those of their competitors.

Experimental and Computational Analysis of Explosion Risks in Hydrogen-Enriched Fuel Mixtures for Industrial Safety Applications

The global energy system remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels, which continue to supply about 80% of global demand. While renewable energy is growing, combustion-based systems—such as gas turbines and engines—are expected to dominate for decades. This dependency contributes significantly to harmful emissions like CO and NO?. As a clean fuel with no carbon emissions at the point of use, hydrogen offers a promising alternative, but it introduces new technical challenges due to its high reactivity, which can cause combustion instability as flame flashback or blowout and increase NO? emissions.

This project investigates the laminar burning velocity (LBV) of hydrogen-enriched fuel blends under a wide range of equivalence ratios (lean, stoichiometric, and rich), temperatures, and dilution levels. LBV is a key indicator of flame speed, stability, and pollutant formation, and its measurement is essential for improving flame modeling and clean combustion system design.
Using the spherical flame method with high-speed imaging and the schlieren technique, the study will analyze flame structure, stretch, and instability. Results will support the development of predictive models and correlations, especially under elevated temperature, pressure, and turbulence. Ultimately, this work enables the safe, efficient integration of hydrogen into future combustion systems and advances clean energy transitions.

Scalable quantum computer for simulating nature

QV Studio specializes in creating and de-risking startups exclusively in the field of quantum innovation. The studio is deeply involved in transforming groundbreaking quantum technologies into commercially viable solutions, playing a key role in the creation, growth, and commercialization of quantum ventures. This is achieved through tailored programs and strategic collaborations with funding organizations, research facilities, and market experts, ensuring that each project has the tools and support needed to succeed. The technology challenge that will be explored in the plan is the development and investigation of quantum circuits suited for quantum computation, focussed on materials and chemistry simulation, specifically, fabrication of the chips, and experimental characterization of the chips, as detailed below. The anticipated benefits for QV Studio include the successful creation of a portfolio of commercially viable quantum companies, generating significant economic returns and solidifying its role as a central hub in the quantum ecosystem.

Drinking Water Treatment Infrastructure: Responding to Climate Change and Increasingly Variable Source Water Quality – Year two

As a result of climate change and other pressures that result in “extreme events” like wildfire and flooding, many
drinking water utilities are at risk of potentially catastrophic failure and need treatment adaptation strategies to
prepare for increasingly variable and potentially rapid deterioration in source water quality. Currently there are no
recognized tools for evaluating the anticipated impacts of such events on water treatment plant operations. This
research will enable Stantec Consulting Ltd. to become a leader in this area by 1) optimizing the performance of key
processes within a typical drinking water treatment plant facing these risks, 2) identifying water quality parameters of
critical import and their anticipated extremes, 3) optimizing key processes to address deterioration of water quality
while maintaining excellent baseline performance, and 4) developing a process optimization and costing tool to allow
“real time” assessment and process adjustment to maintain treatment plant compliance and performance.

herluma

herluma is a digital platform being developed in close collaboration with shelter staff in the homelessness serving sector and the unhoused community in the capital region of British Columbia. This digital platform enables shelter staff to manage bed availability, waitlists, and anonymous demographic data in real time.