Innovative Projects Realized

Motorized vessel behaviour and compliance to Marine Mammal Regulations in Northeast Vancouver Island

Disturbance by boats to marine mammals, including strikes and noise, comprise the most frequent human-caused threats to marine mammals, having significant impacts on individuals, populations, and boater safety. The proposed project aims to observe boater behaviour and assess how local regulations and guidelines are used in a region with high boater and marine mammal activity. The project also aims to analyze characteristics that may predict various boater behaviours, to create a framework to describe how boaters and marine mammals interact. Results from this work will identify geographic and practical areas of focus for education and enforcement to advise Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and help inform the Marine Education and Research Society’s (MERS) “See a Blow, Go Slow!” campaign and online boater education course. More broadly, the findings can inform regulations considered in other areas towards standardizing policy across jurisdictions for these highly mobile marine mammal species.

Deep geothermal energy development and optimization

The intern will conduct research to analyze subsurface conditions at a potential geothermal site by utilizing fracture assessment and optimization techniques, along with analytical solutions. In terms of fracture assessment, the intern will identify the most effective methods and parameters for stimulating the reservoir to boost productivity. This process is crucial for ensuring the economic viability of geothermal projects. The intern’s responsibilities also encompass assessing potential risks associated with factors such as fluid migration, containment failure, and interference between geothermal wells. Through the identification and mitigation of these risks, the intern’s contributions will improve the safety and efficiency of geothermal projects. On the front of analytical solutions, the intern is dedicated to constructing and refining a comprehensive model. This model will function as a valuable tool for evaluating the feasibility of geothermal endeavours, optimizing resource usage, and selecting the most suitable technologies and strategies for specific reservoirs.

Determining the optimal geometry and construction of a high-performance ice hockey goaltender leg pad

Ice hockey goaltending is a highly unique position that requires equipment that can provide adequate protection while maximizing performance. CCM hockey has two different ice hockey goaltender leg pad models: a stiff leg pad, and a flexible leg pad. Common feedback for the stiff leg pad model is that it feels bulky and is thought to potentially interfere with fast reactionary movements. The flexible leg pad models have been the more popular leg pad model but have received feedback suggesting that the softer construction could cause pad twisting (along the long axis of the leg pad) during certain goaltender positions and there is a concern that the thigh region of the pad may bend upon puck impact. CCM wishes to investigate these claims and develop a new leg pad geometry and core structure that can provide the goaltenders with the best performance. Therefore, the purpose of this research project is to test prototype leg pads to determine which geometry (pad profile) best addresses the concerns of bulkiness, movement interference, over-rotation, flexibility upon puck impact and net coverage.

Governance for vulnerability to viability transitions in the Transboundary Sundarbans Social-Ecological Systems

Despite the contribution to food security, employment, poverty eradication, and community well-being, small-scale fisheries are
neglected and remain vulnerable to a range of direct challenges, for example, conflicts with large-scale industrial fisheries and
lack of government attention. Small-scale fisheries? transition from vulnerability to viability is complex and non-linear as the
processes related to transition involve changes in structure, culture, and practices at different levels and scales of a societal
system. The multi-dimensional vulnerabilities of small-scale fisheries make the vulnerability to viability transition difficult, and it
becomes even more complex in the transboundary social-ecological systems. This research emphasizes on providing a
comprehensive understanding of the vulnerabilities of small-scale fisheries in the Sundarbans transboundary social-ecological
system, the initiatives that have been taken to move toward viability, and the key challenges that administrative unit(s) face
facilitating the transition. This will find out the ways to improve the quality and capacity of the governance system in governing
transboundary fisheries and help facilitate small-scale fisheries’ vulnerability to viability transition.

Computer-assisted cardiac disease diagnosissystem

With the advances of medical imaging, cardiac images have posed great challenges in processing and analysis due to the large amount of data generated. Dynamic Computer Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) images, also referred to as 4D (3D+time) imaging, for example, have great capacity for screening, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cardiac diseases. However, the tools to handle the image files are insufficient to best use the time of specialists such as radiologists and cardiologists. Patient scanning using gated cardiac MRI or CT sequences, for example, recorded from a complete cardiac cycle, contain 1500-5000 two dimensional images. Manual processing and analysis of this large number of images is extremely time consuming. Therefore, development of an intelligent system to facilitate diagnosis and clinical monitoring will greatly increase their productivity and could save lives during an emergency.

Heavy metal sensing with terpyridines and coumarin-derivatives

Contamination of water and soil with heavy metals, particularly with mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb), is a huge problem of modern society. Rigorous monitoring of levels of Hg and Pb in water and renewable resources including food, natural and naturopathic products and/or cosmetics, is drastically important. Therefore proper methodologies for the express detection and effective quantification of target ions in the presence of multiple other competing metal ions are highly demanded. This proposal focuses on the utilization of novel well-defined molecular receptors for the creation of the materials for mercury, lead and iron detection and uptake with a short-term goal of creating low-cost express detection and express purification materials and kits for sensing, differentiation and effective removal of the target analyses from the media. The resulting technology will be scaled up for environmental remediation/ water purification applications.

9Bio : Ingénierie de protéines

En biologie, tout comme dans le monde des machines mécaniques, la fonction découle de la structure. Dans le domaine biologique, les “machines” sont constituées de protéines. En altérant leur structure, il est possible de leur conférer de nouvelles fonctionnalités. L’entreprise 9Bio combine une expertise de pointe en modélisation IA avec l’ingénierie structurelle biologique pour créer des protéines avec des capacités sans précédent. Ce stage Mitacs s’appuiera sur les capacités de 9Bio pour développer des outils protéiques de nouvelle génération. L’étudiant optimisera les modèles d’IA existants liés à l’ingénierie des protéines dans le but ultime de permettre la génération de nouvelles séquences d’acides aminés ayant une grande affinité pour les protéines cibles dans les limites d’une structure protéique plus large.

Co-creating a Community Wellbeing Framework for Manitoba Community Foundations

The Rural Development Institute (RDI) and The Winnipeg Foundation (WpgFdn) want to collaborate with Manitoban community foundations (CF) to integrate a wellbeing framework in their operations. The project uses a community-based research approach employing focus groups to investigate the CF’s understanding of the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) and to reflect on their past and current impact practices (grant making and strategic initiative activities). The project’s goal is to identify how CFs can leverage a community wellbeing framework in support of their impact practices within the community and inform how the WpgFdn may build the capacity of CFs. The main deliverables include CF case studies and briefs on adapting the CIW to the CFs capacity and maturity level. The case studies will provide insights, best practices, and strategies for how CFs can positively impact
wellbeing in communities, in Manitoba and across Canada.

Production of Organic Biostimulants from Atlantic Seaweed

Nowadays, natural, sustainable, or environmentally friendly agriculture practices are becoming increasingly popular, where seaweed biostimulants could play a vital role in providing plant nutrition and responding against diseases, pests, and abiotic stresses. North Atlantic seaweeds have a high potential to be a candidate in the biostimulants market since they have a wide range of nutrients to influence plant nutrition. The available inorganic fertilizers/ biostimulants can easily upset the entire ecosystem by creating a toxic buildup of chemicals, contaminating water supplies, and disrupting aquatic life. Hence, the proposed project will develop organic biostimulants from North Atlantic seaweed species since they are traditionally used as fertilizer, though no commercial products are available in the market. A novel pre-treatment method will be used to develop biostimulants to increase the yield of extraction without disrupting any nutrients. Farmers can incorporate this sustainable approach into their farming systems and minimize the use of inorganic biostimulant/ pesticides.

Developing an AI-based modeling tool to support decision-making in iceberg tow management for the protection of subsea infrastructures

Icebergs pose serious risks to subsea infrastructures operating in the Arctic and Atlantic regions. They can damage pipelines, cables, and foundations by scraping the seabed or directly colliding with offshore structures like floating systems and platforms. To prevent such impacts, icebergs are towed away from the facilities using specialized vessels and equipment. However, this process is complex, costly, and uncertain.
This project aims to develop an AI-based tool to support decision-making in iceberg tow management. The tool uses machine learning (ML) technology to predict the iceberg draft (a submerged portion of the iceberg) using the above-water features of the iceberg, which are captured by field measurements and remote sensing technologies. The tool predicts the subgouge soil deformations and reaction forces caused by the iceberg keel as it moves along the seabed. These predictions assist in optimizing the towing strategy and minimizing the risk of damage to subsea infrastructures.

Innovation, Design, and Development of a Novel Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Prevention Device

Individuals suffering from sleep-related breathing disorders, such as sleep apnea, exhibit moderate to excessive snoring which is often ignored or neglected. This neglect can increase the risk of more severe health problems such as stroke, hypertension, chronic heart failure, diabetes, and many others. Moreover, an Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) episode – characterized by periodic and repetitive collapsing of the upper airway during sleep – can be life threatening. Although solutions exist to treat sleep-related breathing disorders like OSA, such as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) and oral appliances including Mandibular Advancement Devices (MADs), there are several issues relating to cost, comfort, and convenience with the products that are on the market today.

This applied design research project will explore the continued development of a novel snoring and obstructive sleep apnea prevention device that will address these issues. It will build upon initial concepts previously explored to advance a design solution that addresses the needs of the target user, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements of the business. This project will also explore ways to increase awareness of such issues along with the new solution being proposed.

Clean Ocean Watch (COW) Platform: Advancing Oil Spill Detection and Real-time Monitoring using Sentinel-1 Satellite Imagery

Clean Ocean Watch (COW) Platform is a solution designed to tackle the critical problem of oil spills in our oceans. Oil spills have destructive consequences for marine ecosystems, coastal communities, and economies worldwide.
We are going to design a platform that utilizes the power of Sentinel-1 free-of-charge satellite data, which provides high-resolution radar imagery, allowing us to monitor vast oceanic regions in near real-time, even in adverse
weather conditions. This platform addresses a critical market gap — the lack of swift and precise oil spill detection. One of the important features of COW is its crowdsourcing capability. It means that we empower users like
fishermen, boaters, and coastal communities to actively contribute to our efforts. They can report oil spills using their smartphones with GPS, which complements our satellite-based observations. This near real-time collaboration means we can respond faster to incidents and minimize the damage caused by spills. Another point is AI-driven predictive analytics. By analyzing historical oil spill data, environmental conditions, and maritime traffic patterns, we can identify high-risk areas. This predictive approach allows us to take preventive measures and reduce the chances of spills occurring in the first place. This system will be capable of providing not only the location of