Innovative Projects Realized

Development of Lipid Nanoparticle Reagents for Functional Genomics in Difficult-to-Transfect Cells In Vitro

The objective of this project is to develop lipid nanoparticle (LNP) reagents for the delivery of nucleic acids to turn off, or turn on target genes in “hard-to-transfect” neurons and stem cells in vitro and in vivo. A recent report (BCC Research, April 2011) observed that “51% of researchers employ cell-based techniques to perform transfection routinely. Although transfection techniques have been available for many years ….this procedure faces challenges such as the efficiency of gene introduction and its toxicity in cells.” With an estimated market of $1.9 billion by 2016 this project will help explore high value market niche that is poised for substantial growth. It will leverage clinical grade, proprietary LNP reagents, a novel proprietary microfluidic-based manufacturing LNP technology, and a unique mechanism of action that maximizes LNP potency by combining broad expertise in technology development and commercialization from the University of British Columbia, and Precision NanoSystems Inc. (PNI).

Enhancing software developer and user productivity

This project will investigate how software developers work with structured information. It will use information about that interaction to improve tools needed by developers. It will assess whether those tools improve the productivity of software developers. The project will also compare the access patterns of users of business intelligence applications to those of developers to determine if tools useful for developers might apply to more general knowledge workers. SAP may benefit from improved productivity of its developers and may benefit from ideas and knowledge to improve the applications it builds and deploys.

Reclamation of Mercury-Contaminated Tailings from Small Gold Mining

This Mitacs Acelerate proposal is the first of three-phase project of Adriana’s Goncalves master’s thesis. For this present MITACS proposal, it will be investigated routes to extract gold, mercury and other possible valuable minerals from a representative sample of AGM tailings from Costa Rica. The tailings belong to a small Canadian company, Newlox Gold that is starting an enterprise to reclaim Hg-contaminated tailings in different countries. For this, they need a simple method to extract Hg and value from the tailings in order to payback the reclamation activities. The case study for this research will take place in Canada at the laboratories of UBC Dept. of Mining. This conceptual study is critical to establish the basic parameters for the processing design, and flowsheet(s) required to develop the unit operations of the processing plants to be recommended for the Newlox Gold as a result of this research. The research is also part of a larger conceptual model of Small Mining Is Beautiful which defends that small gold plants can be cleaner and more sophisticated than the usual ones generating more environmental and social benefits in developing countries.

Investigation of neural monitoring using electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG)

Brain wave technologies allow researchers and clinicians to monitor the brain at work. Our team has developed a new technology that uses electroencephalography (EEG) to provide an online record of different brain functions in a very short period of time. The brain waves recorded by this technology may change normally as time passes and previous MITACS funded work is characterizing the variation in brain waves in healthy individuals. In the current study we want to expand our findings into patient groups and new imaging technologies. First, individuals with brain injury will be monitored to determine how brain responses elicited by our technology change over time compared to healthy individuals. EEG and magnetoencephalography (MEG) data will be collected simultaneously in healthy individuals over time for better characterization of brain wave changes. Subsequently, advanced signal analyses will then be used to observe brain wave frequencies in healthy individuals using both EEG and MEG data. The ability to monitor the changes in brain function after injury will be critical in guiding the best treatment for recovery.

Mild Cognitive Impairment: Can Decline to Dementia be Monitored and Delayed by Computer-Based Games?

The effect of bovine colostrum supplementation on fitness, muscle mass, inflammation and immune function during intense training in rugby players

Bovine colostrum is the milk produced by cows immediately after calving. It contains high levels of proteins that improve immune protection and may act to prevent colds. During intense training, athletes often have compromised immune function. This may be especially true in club-level rugby players who abruptly start high intensity training in the spring in preparation for their competitive season. Our study will assess the effects of supplementing these players with bovine colostrum during this intense training. Thirty-six players will be recruited; half will consume colostrum during the 8 weeks of early-season training and half soy protein. We predict the bovine colostrum supplement will improve health during the training and increase fitness levels. The Saskatoon Colostrum Co. Ltd. is a leading producer of bovine colostrum supplement. This study will provide needed evidence for promotional material for marketing.

The Raglan Community Social Involvement (CSI) Project: Developing a Comprehensive Model with Inuit Partners

Raglan Mine is developing new, strategic and aligned approaches to its Community Social Involvement (CSI) program. The aim of this program is to partner with others to deliver long lasting value through programs of capacity building, and community social and economic development. This proposed research project involves further developing a comprehensive Community Social Involvement (CSI) model that responds to the needs and desires of both Raglan Mine and the villages of Nunavik. To do this, the intern will work closely with representatives from Glencore-Xstrata (head office), Raglan Mine, regional and local Inuit leaders, representatives from Inuit organizations, as well as community members. This Action-Research will benefit Raglan Mine because it responds to the desire of the company to create a lasting positive legacy in the communities closest to it. The comprehensive framework (CSI model) that will emerge from the results of this research project will not only form the basis for immediate action in Nunavik in 2014, but it will also serve as the foundation for other such initiatives in the future.

Security in Ultra Large Software Systems

Ultra large software systems play an increasing important role in our lives. They are systems such as the world wide banking system, mobile communications systems, social networks, online retailers and online gaming systems. Ultra large software systems are critical and failures in the systems can critically impact the economic health of companies, markets and even countries. Recent data breaches by several retailers have resulted in the disclosure of millions of customer credit cards imposing significant costs on financial institutions to replace the cards and audit the accounts for fraudulent activity. The incredible increase in the power and performance of client systems such as laptops, tablets and mobile phones offer significant advantages in the performance of these large applications, reducing the load on the central servers and increasing the overall performance, availability and reliability of the systems. However, the dependence on client side computation raises issues of fidelity, privacy and security. The research in this project explores issues of security in ultra large software systems, in particular the security issues that arise when significant computation is located on the client systems in the users hands.

Minimizing of greenhouse gas emission and leachatein an aerobic landfill treatment process

The project presents an opportunity for a Canadian company (SALT Inc.) to partner with a Canadian university research team to develop cost-effective technology to solve an important environmental and health-related problem, while contributing positively to Canada’s strategy to reduce greenhouse gases. The Wood Buffalo Bioreactor Landfill Project is estimated to reduce 253,134 tonnes of CO2 equivalent by the year 2020. It is probably the largest landfill carbon reduction project in the world and the single largest carbon offset project in Alberta, to date. Through the partnership with Western University, SALT Inc. will have access to the results from the laboratory study to validate the aerobic

Development of a public sector change management model

Change is a necessary part of an organization’s existence and its continued growth. Therefore, the ability to manage change effectively and efficiently contributes to organizational success. The intern, through an extensive review of change models and public sector change literature, will develop a change model suitable for the public sector environment. The model will be validated and refined through interviews with public sector managers. The partner organization will benefit from the results of this research as Intersol will be able to use the resulting change model to better integrate change within the public sector.

Capturing Learning in the Classroom (CLIC)

CLIC (Capturing Learning in the Classroom) is a Canadian-developed web-application designed to allow teachers to document observations of children’s learning experiences in the classroom. It streamlines the documentation process and automatically generates summaries for planning and communication of learning. CLIC enables teachers to link their observations to the expectations set out in the standardized curriculum document. The purpose of this internship is to undertake a research study to determine if and how CLIC is making a difference to the way teachers in Ontario Kindergartens document learning and the ways in which they use that information to plan further learning experiences that improve student learning outcomes. Pearson Canada will use the findings to inform what kind of professional development is needed to help educators learn how to use CLIC effectively to document their observations and plan future learning experiences. It will also inform the development of a new improved version of CLIC (V2) for Kindergarten and provide guidance on how to extend CLIC to higher-grade levels.

A Needs Assessment for the Autism Spectrum Disorder Community in Newfoundland and Labrador

The objective of the project is to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment of the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) population in Newfoundland and Labrador. While prevalence rates of ASD suggest that there are a large number of cases, the needs of this community are not well defined. Furthermore, we anticipate there will be significant differences in need in rural communities compared to urban centers and differences in needs across the age and severity spectrum. The proposed research will involve a series of interviews with families experiencing ASD, individuals and organizations (in particular healthcare and education) that provide services to individuals on the ASD spectrum and key decision makers who oversee the provision of services for individuals and families experiencing ASD.