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

Improved Circuit for Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Many governments have mandated that conventional incandescent light bulbs be phased out and replaced with fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to conserve energy and reduce cost.  However, in dimming applications, incandescent are still preferable to CFLs due to superior performance and compatibility with standard dimmer switches.  The circuit developed by the proposed research will allow consumers to experience the same dimming performance with CFLs as with incandescent, with no change to existing lighting wiring and dimming hardware.  The proposed circuit is highly efficient, cost effective and compact, and also improves the poor power factor performance of CFLs currently available.  By achieving high input power factor throughout the whole dimming range, power drawn from the grid is fully converted into useable power, improving power conversion efficiency from grid to lamp.  Industrial partner Cistel will benefit from development of a highly marketable technology that will help Ontario meet its energy conservation goals.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Praveen Jain

Student:

John Lam

Partner:

Cistel Technology Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering - computer / electrical

Sector:

Energy

University:

Queen's University

Program:

Elevate

Decision Support for Database Administrators using Warehouse-as-a-Service (DSDAware)

In the new technological era, an immense volume of data is generated every moment from a variety of sources that need to be filtered and stored securely. Database administrators (DBA) are facing increasing pressure to ensure higher performance and reliability for database management systems (DBMS). A new generation of management tools and service-based interfaces are needed to assist the DBAs with expert information and knowledge gathered from analysis of the monitoring data stored in large data warehouses and from experience reports of the DBAs of the legacy mainframe DBMSs. The proposed research, Decision Support for Database Administrators using Warehouse-as-a-Service (DSDAware), will investigate the challenges in storing and analyzing management data in the warehouse and providing a Web-based decision support service for the mainframe DBAs. The project is envisaged to contribute to CA’s Mainframe 2.0 initiative and to general provisioning of expert information for any administrative system in Ontario.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Patrick Martin

Student:

Farhana Zulkernine

Partner:

CA Canada Company

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Information and communications technologies

University:

Queen's University

Program:

Elevate

Pediction of the Occurrence of Solar Eruptions

The Earth's environment is affected by space weather conditions. The most profound effects on the Earth are driven by solar eruptions, such as solar flares and solar storms. Such phenomena produce magnetic disturbances in the upper layers of the Earth's atmosphere, which can be powerful enough to adversely affect electronic equipment. For example, the instrumentation on orbiting satellites can be irreversibly damaged. My research seeks to accurately predict the occurrence of solar eruptions, in order to mitigate their negative effects on space-borne and ground-based communications equipment. The proposed research is expected to benefit the Ontario aerospace and telecommunications industries, since these industries rely on such equipment in their basic day-today operations. My role in the research effort will be to provide cutting-edge theoretical and computational tools for the analysis of signals emitted by the sun. The physical interpretation of the results will be aided by partnership with the Geomagnetic Laboratory of Natural Resources Canada.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. David J. Thomson

Student:

Azadeh Moghtaderi

Partner:

Discipline:

Mathematics

Sector:

Aerospace and defense

University:

Queen's University

Program:

Elevate

Colloidal characterization of concentrated milk suspensions

Final cheese characterizations are dependent on the treatment (s) and ingredient (s) put into the cheese milk.  Although in general, cheese making processes are reasonably understood, there is still a lack of basic understanding of what processing history of the ingredients will do the final cheese products.  The effect of processing history of milk, such as addition of milk ingredients, using pre-dried and/or pre-concentrated milk, for cheese making process will be studied using rheological, light scattering and microscopy techniques.  The fundamental studies will then be related to processes currently implemented in cheese plants and we will evaluate how to improve cheese yields, quality and consistency.  A better understanding of the physical and chemical properties of milk ingredients and/or the treatment of the ingredients that will go into products will help Agropur with the utilization of various milk products while keeping the same high quality products and will increase Agropur competitiveness in the market.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Milena Corredig

Student:

Sandra Sandra

Partner:

Agropur Cooperative

Discipline:

Food science

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

University of Guelph

Program:

Elevate

Tracksafe

Since the advent of Subway operations, the task of inspecting and repairing track, signals, and related wayside infrastructure has been essential to safely move millions of people every day.  It has also been one of the most hazardous jobs in the railway industry.  Accordingly, Bombardier is considering Roadway Worker Protection to be a priority.  The new technology, called TrackSafe, is a turnkey solution developed by Bombardier in partnership with the McMaster RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) Applications Lab to create improved location awareness to track workers and train operators through the use of RFID and other advanced technologies.  This PDF’s role in the project will be to lead the research and development of the different technical components involved in realizing this product.  The main focus is in developing the appropriate RFID and wireless communications solution.  Bombardier is patenting the TrackSafe concept as the first solution of its kind capable of improving safety for mobile track workers.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Rafik Loutfy

Student:

Peter Basl

Partner:

Bombardier Transportation Canada Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering - chemical / biological

Sector:

Automotive and transportation

University:

McMaster University

Program:

Elevate

Course of immune responses generated by live Salmonella vaccine in pigs

Salmonella is the second most frequent cause of foodborne illness in Canada and pork is one of sources for human salmonellosis.  Salmonella has also the potential to cause clinical disease in pigs.  Salmonella is commonly found on Ontario swine farms.  Thus control strategies should be implemented.  Vaccination appears to be one of the most promising approaches.  In Canada, there is currently available a live Salmonella Choleraesuis vaccine for use in pigs and a live Salmonella Typhimurium vaccine for use in poultry.  However, the course of immune responses induced by the above vaccines in 11 pigs is not well studied.  The objective of this proposal is to evaluate and compare the immune responses produced by these two Salmonella vaccines in pigs.  This research can provide a better understanding of pig immune responses against Salmonella attenuated vaccines and will help to develop new vaccines for controlling Salmonella on Ontario swine farms.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Robert Friendship

Student:

Abdolvahab Farzan

Partner:

Boehringer Ingelheim

Discipline:

Medicine

Sector:

Life sciences

University:

University of Guelph

Program:

Elevate

Factors affecting nuclear transport of FIV

In this research we will determine how the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) moves through cells of an infected host. The FIV is very similar to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and like all retroviruses moves from the cell membrane through the cytoplasm and then into the nucleus of infected cells. Once in the nucleus, the viral genome integrates permanently into the host cell chromosomes. We will identify host proteins that promote or delay virus movement and replication in the cell, and test small chemicals designed to inhibit nuclear transport. The FIV cat model is well suited for this purpose, since the disease in cats closely resembles HIV disease in humans, and since many molecular, immunologic and whole animal technologies are established in the academic investigator's laboratory. Assessment of antiviral efficacy in the catFIV model may assist in testing anti-viral drugs, and if results indicate good activity and lack of toxicity, studies may progress to clinical trials involving patients.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Dorothee Bienzle

Student:

Hakimeh Mohammadi

Partner:

CanCog Technologies

Discipline:

Biology

Sector:

Life sciences

University:

University of Guelph

Program:

Elevate

Study of the interaction of gold with organic additives in thiosulfate leaching solution

The mining industry represents a large part of the economy in Canada. Ontario is the largest producer of gold in the nation, producing 53% of Canada's total minerals production in 2007 [1]. Despite its high toxicity, cyanide is commonly employed in the extraction of gold from its ore. Its use represents an environmental hazard due to possible leakage or spills into soil and groundwater causing destructive ecological effects in the surrounding areas. Several environmental accidents around the world have been reported due to the ttse of cyanide in gold mining. The objective of this research is the study and development of alternative technologies to replace the existing ones where the use of cyanide is required. The benefits from this project for the industrial partner and Ontario are two-fold: economic benefits from the production of gold and environmental benefits from the replacement of cyanide by an environmentally friendly technology.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

D. Jacek Lipowski

Student:

Janet Baron-Gavidia

Partner:

Barrick Gold Corporation

Discipline:

Chemistry

Sector:

Mining and quarrying

University:

University of Guelph

Program:

Elevate

Analysis of Transgenic Rice and Corn that Show Increased Chlorophyll and Seed Yield

We have discovered a set of naturally occurring GATA transcription factors that increase chlorophyll levels, chloroplast numbers and starch in plants. Maize (corn) and Oryza (rice) lines have been created by Syngenta and are being analyzed in the Rothstein laboratory. The project primarily involves determining the exact genes that are controlled by these transcription factors, while also testing transgenic plants under various environmental conditions such as different nitrogen levels and densities. These plants show the potential to maintain biomass and/or increase yields with less nitrogen fertilizer application, which will significantly decrease nitrogen lost into the ecosystem, either as direct runoff into ground water, or as nitrogen released into the atmosphere. This will have a significant impact on input costs for corn producers due to the decreased need for nitrogen fertilizers. Increases in chlorophyll may also enhance the ability of these plants sequester C02 from the atmosphere, which will be analyzed.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Steven J. Rothstein

Student:

D. Darryl Hudson

Partner:

Syngenta Canada

Discipline:

Biochemistry / Molecular biology

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

University of Guelph

Program:

Elevate

Mathematical modeling of Listeria overgrowth phenomenon

The standard method to test for Listeria n7onocj'logenes in foods is prone to false negatives if also non-pathogenic members of the Listeria genus are present. These can overgrow L.monocylogenes during the selective enrichment process and mask the presence of the pathogen. This "overgrowth'" phenomenon is not well understood, partially because the mathematical models that are used in food microbiology to determine growth kinetics of bacteria are not able to capture interaction between species correctly. We will develop improved models that can shed light on this phenomenon and, therefore, lead to more reliable food pathogen detection methods. They will be formulated and studied using dynamic systems techniques and methods for inverse and ill-posed problems. A successful completion of this project can reduce the economic losses of the food industry associated with product recalls and sales decrease, and enhance the ability of regulatory agencies to identify this pathogen in foods.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Hermann J. Eberl

Student:

Hedia Fgaier

Partner:

Discipline:

Mathematics

Sector:

Consumer goods

University:

University of Guelph

Program:

Elevate

Using Natural History Collections to Shed Light on Long-term changes in colour, diet, and the effect of global climate change on seabirds

Global climate change threatens to drastically alter the behaviour and fitness of many species, and the ability to predict how Canadian wildlife will respond to these changes is imperative in planning management strategies. In this study, we will examine long-term changes in bill colouration, diet, and abundance of the Atlantic Puffin. We will collect feathers from museum specimens spanning >100 years, and use stable isotope analyses to estimate how puffin diets have changed over time. From the same specimens, we will measure breeding bill colouration as an indicator of individual quality.  Coupling this information with existing climate data, we will construct a model to predict how this species will respond to patterns of global climate change. The nature of this long-term dataset will allow us to differentiate between normal seasonal fluctuations and more abrupt rapid changes, which will be critical for management decisions for numerous species.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Ryan Norris

Student:

Daniel Hanley

Partner:

Discipline:

Biology

Sector:

Fisheries and wildlife

University:

University of Guelph

Program:

Elevate

Developing Fluorescent-based Monitoring Strategies to Identify and Reduce Membrane Foulants in Drinking Water Treatment Applications

Membrane processes are increasingly used for the production of drinking water, representing a clean and efficient technology.  The application of membrane processes is limited by the accumulation of fouling components at/near the membrane surface and constitutes membrane fouling.  Therefore, fouling monitoring and control strategies are necessary to ensure sustainable operation of membrane processes.  In collaboration with GE Water and Process Technologies, the proposed research will develop tools for the characterization and minimization of membrane fouling by combining fluorescence spectroscopy with multivariate statistical approaches.  We will investigate source water composition and coagulation pre-treatment for a wide range of operating conditions of a full-scale pilot plant membrane system with on-line process monitoring and off-line water quality data.  The proposed work is expected to better characterize the fouling potential of feed water and develop operational strategies for controlling membrane fouling.  This will reduce operational costs and benefit the industry and municipalities in Ontario and Canada.

View Full Project Description
Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Christine Moresoli

Student:

Ramila Peiris

Partner:

GE Water and Process Technologies

Discipline:

Engineering - chemical / biological

Sector:

Life sciences

University:

University of Waterloo

Program:

Elevate

Previous
1…485486487488489490491…1,106
Next

Join a thriving innovation ecosystem.

Subscribe to our newsletter now!

Subscribe