Innovative Projects Realized

L2M-LigandQI: Accelerating drug discovery with quantum-powered insight

This project will launch LigandQI, a next-generation Contract Research Organization (CRO) that empowers researchers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors with advanced molecular-interaction analysis. LigandQI applies state-of-the-art quantum chemistry and computational modeling to reveal, with exceptional precision, how drug candidates bind to their target proteins, enabling faster, more accurate lead optimization. Through the Lab2Market Launch program, the team will identify pilot partners, demonstrate the scientific and commercial value of its services, and secure its first industry contract. By supporting the creation of this deep-tech venture, DMZ Ventures will help establish a Canadian CRO that bridges cutting-edge science and industry needs, accelerating drug discovery and strengthening Canada’s global leadership in health innovation.

L2M Validate / Qc Winter 2026 / Antenna sensor for monitoring applications

This project focuses on advancing a novel battery-free, antenna-based sensor platform designed for continuous wireless monitoring in healthcare and environmental applications. The technology enables the creation of thin, flexible, and low-cost “sticker-like” sensors that operate without batteries or wired power. These sensors can detect key parameters such as temperature, humidity, and pH, transmitting real-time data remotely to improve decision-making and reduce maintenance costs. In healthcare, the technology targets the urgent need for smarter chronic-wound monitoring. Current manual wound assessments are time-consuming and prone to delays that increase infection risk and healthcare costs. The proposed sensor acts as a smart bandage capable of wirelessly reporting wound moisture and pH levels, to continuously track healing progress and alert caregivers, allowing early intervention and improving patient outcomes. In parallel, the same platform can be customized and deployed for environmental monitoring, such as detecting early signs of wildfires through temperature and humidity changes, supporting rapid response and minimizing damage. Through the Mitacs Business Strategy Internship and the Lab2Market Validate program, the intern will perform market validation, stakeholder engagement, and business-model development to transform this academic innovation into a viable commercial opportunity. This includes identifying customer needs, analyzing competitors, and assessing regulatory pathways. For the partner organization, this project provides access to an innovative, sustainable technology that aligns with Canada’s goals in digital health, green technology, and climate resilience. The expected outcome is a validated commercialization plan and market strategy that demonstrate how this antenna-based sensor can create social and economic value through improved health outcomes and early environmental risk detection.

Keypoint-Based Behavior Detection and Individual Identification in Nile Tilapia

Aquaculture needs scalable, noninvasive tools that can see what farmers miss. This project will build an AI system that recognizes individual Nile tilapia and flags behavior shifts signaling stress or disease. Using YOLO for fast detection and a key-point model for anatomical landmarks, we will extract precise coordinates for the snout, operculum, fin bases, and tips. From these points, we compute distances, angles, and motion cues to create stable biometric signatures and behavior indicators robust to growth and lighting changes. Data will be captured in Brazil with high-resolution imaging under controlled conditions and rigorously annotated; modeling and validation will be led at Dalhousie in Canada, in close collaboration with UNESP. The outcome is a noninvasive, scalable pipeline that enables longitudinal identification, early-warning dashboards, and reproducible welfare analytics. Expected benefits include reduced manual handling, faster health interventions, improved feed conversion, and stronger selective-breeding programs through objective phenotypes. The project will deliver a curated dataset, open methods, and a proof-of-concept tool ready for farm pilots, positioning Dalhousie and UNESP as leaders in digital aquaculture and strengthening Canada–Brazil research ties. By pairing computer vision with aquaculture science, we aim to set a new benchmark for precision husbandry and sustainable fish production at scale.

L2M Validate / Qc Winter 2026 / Drug encapsulation in liposomes for cancer therapeutics

This project will explore the market potential of liposome based drug delivery systems for cancer therapeutics. By interviewing cancer patients, clinicians, and experts from the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, we aim to better understand their needs and the challenges they face with current cancer treatments. The insights from this work will help guide with the commercialization of the technology, ensure that it is the right fit to the market and help with the navigation of regulatory pathways. This will benefit our partner organization by giving them valuable insights into the market, helping reduce risks, and improving the chances of success when introducing a new healthcare solution.

A Multimodal Approach on Parkinson’s Disease: Structural and Functional Analysis in Freezing of Gait

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, affecting more than 23,500 people in Quebec. Freezing of gait (FoG), a disabling motor symptom characterized by the sudden inability to initiate or continue walking, occurs in up to 80% of patients in advanced stages increasing fall risk and reeducing quality of life. While structural, diffusion, and functional MRI studies have each revealed brain alterations associated with FoG, no work has integrated these modalities.
This project aims to identify multimodal biomarkers of FoG in PD by combining voxel-based morphometry, diffusion MRI tractometry, and resting-state functional connectivity. MRI datasets from MexPD (UNAM) and HBCL (McGill) patients will be preprocessed using standardized softwares. Structural analyses will examine gray matter volume, diffusion metrics will study white matter integrity tractography, and functional connectivity will be analyzed in locomotor networks. Multimodal overlap will be assessed by mapping convergence across modalities and testing associations with clinical measures.
This will be the first multimodal study of FoG, bridging disconnection with functional network and relating these to gait impairments. This research has the potential to improve early detection and guide rehabilitation strategies supporting mobility and independence in people with PD across Canadian and Mexican cohorts.

L2M Validate / Qc Winter 2026 / Blüm: A mobile game app to prevent dementia and stroke

Dementia and stroke are growing threats to both our well-being and the healthcare system in this aging society. Research has shown that 40% of dementia cases and 60% of stroke cases may be preventable through lifestyle changes. The problem is that the general public, especially people at high risk for dementia and stroke, lacks a clear, structured and science-backed roadmap for how they can reduce their risk by changing their daily habits. Our solution, Blüm, is a free gamified mobile application designed to help users track, build, and reinforce daily habits that improve their brain health. The Brain Care Score (BCS) is used to measure their brain health status and identify areas for improvement. Personalized feedback and recommendations will be provided based on their BCS. A virtual garden and an avatar with various rewards and achievements are designed to keep users engaged and motivated. Articles in lay language will be shared regularly in the app to promote users’ health literacy. Unlike most existing brain health/wellness apps, Blüm uniquely combines scientific rigor with an engaging design and gamified framework. We will help our users reduce their risk of dementia and stroke and achieve their brain health goals in a realistic, engaging and accessible manner. Blüm has the potential to become a robust public health tool to promote healthy aging in the Canadian population. Additionally, this project will contribute to Lab2Market’s mission by demonstrating the potential of its program to support evidence-based innovation and early-stage health entrepreneurship.

L2M Validate / Qc Winter 2026 / Bellycure

This project will evaluate whether existing microbiome testing methods can be applied in a more affordable and practical way. The focus is on validating feasibility rather than creating a new approach. To do this, microbiome sequencing, analysis, and sample preparation will be outsourced to commercial facilities, ensuring reliable results at a lower cost. If the necessary permits are obtained, some steps may later be tested within the lab. The partner organization will benefit by gaining clear evidence on whether pursuing this direction is worthwhile, helping guide future decisions about accessible microbiome-based tools for patients and healthcare providers.

L2M Validate / Qc Winter 2026 / Thanos Medical Inc

Le projet de Thanos Médical vise à développer une sangle intelligente de rééducation intégrée à un fauteuil roulant à verticalisation assistée. Cette sangle textile multisensorielle permet de mesurer en temps réel les paramètres biomécaniques du patient (tension, posture, pression, mouvement) grâce à des capteurs connectés. Les données sont transmises à une application mobile sécurisée pour un suivi personnalisé par les cliniciens et les patients. L’objectif est de faciliter la télé-réadaptation et le suivi des progrès thérapeutiques, en améliorant l’autonomie des personnes à mobilité réduite. Le projet s’inscrit dans une approche multidisciplinaire combinant ingénierie biomédicale, intelligence embarquée et sciences de la réadaptation, avec un fort potentiel d’impact clinique et social.

L2M Validate / Qc Winter 2026 / Pharma Matters – Innovative solutions

Pharmaceutical supply chains in North America remain highly dependent on overseas manufacturing. Most critical active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and fine chemicals essential for drug production are imported, making the region vulnerable to disruptions in global supply chains. Our initiative aims to strengthen pharmaceutical independence by developing local, sustainable, and innovative solutions. Our dedicated team of experts focuses on: a) Developing new, safe, eco-friendly, and scalable processes to produce critical APIs locally; b) Supporting the optimization of existing API synthesis routes through advanced technologies such as flow chemistry and process intensification; c) Advancing drug design and development using cutting-edge scientific approaches. By producing APIs domestically, we can reduce reliance on international suppliers, safeguard pharmaceutical production, and enhance national healthcare security. We currently count on scientific expertise and most of the physical infrastructure necessary to begin operations. Through the L2M Validate Program, we aim to strengthen our market knowledge, refine our business model, and secure the financial resources required to acquire equipment and launch the startup.

L2M Validate / Qc Winter 2026 / Smart Parking

Finding available parking in busy urban areas remains a persistent challenge for Canadian drivers, particularly in metropolitan centres such as Montréal, Toronto, and Vancouver. Drivers regularly lose valuable time circling streets in search of parking before medical appointments, business meetings, events, and exams, to name a few. This inefficiency contributes to increased stress levels, financial penalties from contravention tickets, higher fuel consumption, and unnecessary traffic congestion. More critically, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that 1 in 5 car accidents occur in parking lots, emphasizing that this issue is not only inconvenient but also a public safety concern. Despite numerous deployed parking applications on the market, most solutions provide only static information and merely assist users in interpreting complex municipal parking signs, leaving the burden of finding an available spot to the driver. There is a clear gap for a smarter, real-time, and more proactive solution.

The partner organization seeks to innovate in this space by building Smart Parking, an intelligent decision platform that automates the parking discovery process by guiding drivers to find, in real time, an available parking spot, rather than merely displaying regulations. The system will display live availability on an interactive city map, guide users to open parking spaces, and provide directions for any post-parking actions to help drivers avoid tickets. It also helps reduce driving time and urban congestion and improves road safety through optimized parking flow. This approach shifts the responsibility from the driver to the platform, offering a tangible and daily benefit to both citizens and municipalities.

The innovation lies in developing an intelligent assistant under the umbrella of the Smart City project while ensuring privacy preservation and full compliance with Canadian security standards.

Preliminary Evaluation of Bonding Polydopamine and Carbon Nanomaterials on The Surface of Fabrics and The Effect on Thermal Conductivity

Intern(s) will help Thermweave develop washable fabrics that move heat away from the body with enhanced thermal conductivity. They’ll develop dip-coating recipes that use tiny carbon-based particles, dip common fabrics (cotton, polyester) in them, and fine-tune steps like time, temperature, and drying. The interns will test how well the fabric moves heat, and how it feels, and how it holds up after laundry cycles. They will also make small trial rolls to gather feedback from early users. This work will give Thermweave data and prototypes to finish a first product, attract partners and customers, and build a made-in-Canada cooling textile line that improves comfort and safety for workers, athletes, and everyday users.

Criminal vs Civil: The Unequal Right to Counsel

This project compares how lawmakers in France, the United States, and Canada have debated and shaped the right to legal counsel in criminal and civil cases from 1953 to the present. By analyzing legislative transcripts, it seeks to understand why France, a country that faces similar constraints, including a shrinking justice budget, nonetheless provides stronger protections for civil legal aid than its North American counterparts. It examines how political language and institutional choices have contributed to these differences. The study will build a new dataset of legislative debates and produce comparative insights into how legal protections evolve over time. Participating institutions will benefit from original cross-national research that deepens understanding of access to justice, strengthens collaboration between Canadian and French researchers, and provides evidence-based recommendations for improving civil legal aid policy in Canada and beyond.