Innovative Projects Realized

ALBINOMICS: A comparative approach to studying the evolution and function of mycoheterotrophy in tribe Neottieae (Orchidaceae)

This study investigates the evolution of plant-fungal symbiotic relationships and trophic mode changes, with a focus on mycoheterotrophy, the ability to obtain fixed carbon from fungi. Mycoheterotrophy has evolved multiple times across various plant lineages. While most species perform both photosynthesis and mycoheterotrophy, several hundred species have completely quit photosynthesis and become fully mycoheterotrophic. These independent transitions to higher degrees of mycoheterotrophy provide a compelling model system to investigate the evolution of plant-fungal symbiotic relationships and trophic mode changes. The proposed research will use genome-wide transcript analysis to identify the genes involved in mycoheterotrophy and characterize the changes in the degree of heterotrophy. The study aims to gain insights into the adaptation of mycoheterotrophic taxa to forest understories, where they are predominantly found, and the mechanisms driving the transitions to non-photosynthetic lifestyles. This research will contribute to our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of plant-fungal symbioses and the ecological and genetic factors underlying the trophic mode changes.

InSAR time-series analysis for assessing seismic hazards

Earthquakes occur during movement along plate boundaries and active faults. Evaluation of seismic hazards on active faults relies on the understanding of seismic histories and rates of the current deformation. However, in some fault zones large earthquakes have long recurrence periods (> 100-10,000 years; e.g., Tian Shan, China; Charlevoix, Quebec), and thus past seismic statistics are rare. In these regions, it is critical to estimate the present-day deformation rates and compare them to the long-term rates, in order to assess to what degree the geological deformation are accommodated by slow-slip or small-magnitude seismic events. Recent advances in time-series analysis of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) data provide an efficient way to estimate the surface motion over decadal scales, and has great potential to be a powerful tool for seismic hazards assessment. This project will use the Tian Shan Thrust Belt as an example to improve and refine the algorithm for InSAR time-series analysis and the outcome will be relevant to studies of other fault zones worldwide.

Enhancing Post-Secondary Education Access Through Tuition Assistance in a Rural Municipality

The project will assess the impact and sustainability of Drayton Valley’s Zero-Fee Tuition Program. The intern for this project will complete individual and group interviews with 6-8 students enrolled in the Zero-Fee Program who have received up to $5,000 to cover their post-secondary tuition. Participants will be graduates of the Health-Care Aide training program at the time of data collection. Interviews will explore participants’ experiences with their education. The intern will also collect data on employment outcomes for graduates. This research will benefit the Town of Drayton Valley by providing them with evidence about the impact of the Zero-Fee Program, including successes, outcomes, and areas to improve the program.

Deploying quantum optimization on neutral atom hardware for vehicle routing problem

In this project, our intern will explore advanced quantum computing techniques to tackle the Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP), a complex challenge that involves finding the most efficient routes for vehicles to deliver goods. They will work with cutting-edge neutral-atom quantum computing platforms, which offer significant advantages in solving such problems. By developing and implementing quantum machine learning algorithms, our intern aims to improve the way we optimize routes, potentially saving time, energy, and resources. This research could benefit the partner organization by enhancing their logistics and transportation systems, leading to more effective and sustainable operations.

Microbiological quality and safety of packaged ice from retail establishments in Manitoba

This research project aims to assess the microbial safety of ice cubes in Canada. Ice cubes can be a potential source of foodborne illnesses if contaminated with harmful bacteria or viruses. The study will evaluate the adherence of ice manufacturers to recommended safety standards and assess the presence of microbial indicators and pathogens on ice cubes. By generating data on the quality and safety of ice cubes, the research will contribute to risk assessment, improve safety procedures in ice manufacturing, and support regulatory efforts. This information is crucial for ensuring the production of high-quality and safe ice cubes, thereby reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses associated with their consumption.

Understanding User’s Adoption Path on Dreeven Platform using AI

Dreeven platform serves a diverse range of construction companies, providing training and support during their onboarding process. Client adoption varies based on their needs and interests, with some fully engaging while others become disengaged and cancel their subscription. To address this, machine learning will be used to predict key factors influencing user adoption at different stages of interaction. Analyzing user log data will identify adoption patterns, allowing for user segmentation and tailored marketing. Predicting user churn enables proactive retention strategies, while engagement prediction focuses efforts on highly engaged users. This research will inform the redesign of onboarding processes and offer incentives to users reaching adoption milestones.

Defining the molecular impacts of humalite-mediated crop production

Humalite is a naturally occurring organic substance containing high concentrations of humic acid. Humic-based substances are known to improve the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil. Therefore, humalite may be an ecological and environmentally friendly soil amendment with a wide variety of end uses across multiple facets of the Canadian agricultural landscape. Large deposits of humalite have been uncovered in south-central Alberta, which offer exceptional potential for improving soil health and sustainable agricultural practices. Here, we partner with the Westmet Group Canada LTD to define how humalite affects the crops at the molecular level for increased fertilizer use efficiency and crop productivity. Correspondingly, we expect this to aid in the further development humalite-based economical and environmentally friendly products for diverse agricultural industries and end users.

Seismic force modification factors for a new composite panel as seismic force-resisting system

Rising material costs, lack of quality control, labour shortages, challenging climates and significant on-site waste continue to be the challenges encountered by the Canadian construction industry. The collaboration between the research team and NEXII aims to develop the much-needed technical know-how for the new generation building panel products to address these challenges. This research concentrates on novel sandwich wall panels for use as the seismic force-resisting system (SFRS) of buildings with different archetypes, sizes, and connection systems. The seismic force modification factors are determined based on existing experimental test data and advanced dynamic analysis using finite element techniques.

Analyse du débat concernant l’épandage du Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis (BTI) pour le contrôle des insectes piqueurs par la Ville de Trois-Rivières

Le projet vise à définir, clarifier, et analyser le débat concernant l’épandage du BTI pour le contrôle des insectes piqueurs, en proposant une étude des arguments scientifiques, éthiques, ainsi que des arguments invoqués dans le cadre du débat public sur la question. Les étudiants seront introduits à divers aspects de la démarche scientifique, incluant la revue de la littérature, l’analyse systématique et structurée, ainsi que la préparation de questionnaires, la réalisation d’entrevues, et la synthèse des données.

Events and Volunteer Program Innovation Project

The primary goals of the Events and Volunteer Program Innovation Project are to increase our capacity to run excellent and successful fundraising events, and to rebuild our volunteer program to be a well-oiled machine as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic. There are dozens of people every month who apply to volunteer at EAC; we need to revamp our volunteer program to provide more people with meaningful opportunities to get involved and advance our mission. Our organization is growing, and so are the demands on our fundraising team; we need to make our existing fundraising events more successful and develop new events that can become annual mainstays. In both cases, we recognize the need for additional capacity to help us rebuild our systems, strengthen our existing practices and innovate new approaches around in-person engagement to ensure that our community can continue to support our organization and the vital work that we do.

Conception d’un rectifieur de courant

AWL-Électricité travaille actuellement au développement d’un chargeur sans fil dans le domaine de la mobilité en utilisant une technologie de couplage capacitif résonant.
Dans le but de manufacturer est d.’amener un premier produit sur le marché, AWL-E cherche à développer un Rectificateur de courent, et l’intégrer au produit présentement en développement. Le but est d’améliorer l’efficacité de recharge des appareils par le produit développé par AWL-E.

Market research for strategic positioning and evaluation of new business opportunities

Key responsibilities:
Conduct market research on potential partners, competitors, investors and offerings to inform our business strategy and growth trajectory. This involves summarising reports, reviewing company websites, creating market maps and databases on intelligence reports.

Helping quantify impacts of such analysis, through Target Addressable Market calculations (TAMs), building value cases of new offerings and modelling Return on Investment (ROIs)

Help access company business performance through data, dashboards and analysis. Prepare Excel/Google sheets.

Help prepare executive materials, including but not limited to: Financial models (excel), Go-to-market strategies and pipeline (ppt), competitive scans

Why it’s innovative: help ClearEstate’s senior executive team in making informed decisions about its competitive positioning, strategy and evaluate new business opportunities.