Innovative Projects Realized

Active learning based acceleration of water-splitting material optimization

Self-driving laboratories are becoming more feasible thanks to the advances in the robotics and machine learning fields. Development of these laboratories to deal with scientific challenges are promising as they can operate faster while being cost and labor efficient. Despite harvesting of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power is becoming cheaper and more efficient day by day, the storage of the energy is still a crucial challenge in transition to carbon-neutrality. Hydrogen is a viable option for energy storage as storage medium thanks to its energy density and clean conversion. However, cheap hydrogen production from water depends on the quality of a special material used to make the process more efficient. Therefore, this project aims to use machine learning to design new experiments and evaluate the previous data to accelerate optimization and discovery of new materials for green hydrogen storage technologies.

Élaboration d’un guide de littératie familiale pour le milieu communautaire

Ce projet vise à créer un guide d’accompagnement à l’intention des intervenantes communautaires qui oeuvrent auprès des parents afin de les soutenir dans la mise en place d’un environnement et de pratiques familiales propices au développement de la littératie de leurs enfants âgés de 0 à 5 ans, en accordant une place centrale à la littérature d’enfance et de jeunesse. Le guide présentera à la fois des fondements théoriques vulgarisés et des outils concrets permettant aux intervenantes de bonifier leurs pratiques d’intervention (analyse des besoins des parents, planification d’interventions ajustées aux besoins des enfants, critères de choix des oeuvres littéraires, etc.). Il permettra de mieux accompagner les nouvelles intervenantes, de soutenir le développement professionnel d’intervenantes d’expérience et soutenir d’autres organismes en recherche de solutions efficaces dans l’accompagnement des familles plus vulnérables.

Characterization of the function of Gbp2 and Tcg1 proteins as candidate telomeric proteins of the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica

Telomeres are nucleo-protein structures at the ends of chromosomes that are essential for preserving genomic integrity. Although many protein components of telomeres are known, their nature was studied in a relatively narrow range of organisms. The proposed research is aimed at the identification of novel players involved in telomere maintenance in a nonconventional yeast species Yarrowia lipolytica as it was shown that, compared with traditional model organisms, it employs a different set of proteins to protect chromosomal ends. The objective of the project is to analyze the potential telomeric functions of two candidate proteins, Tcg1 and Gbp2, that seem to protect the terminal single-stranded part of Y. lipolytica telomeres. The expertise of the host laboratory in a detailed analysis of yeast telomeres will be highly instrumental in obtaining experimental evidence if Tcg1 and/or Gbp2 indeed play a role in telomere maintenance, thus expanding the repertoire of factors protecting genome stability in eukaryotic organisms.

Arbres en pots sur places publiques; physiologie végétale et bien-être humain

Le défi général du projet est de réinventer les grandes places publiques urbaines, en s’intéressant ici au Quartier des Spectacles de Montréal, pour favoriser la santé et les rendre plus attrayantes en dehors des périodes d’utilisation pour les spectacles, grâce à l’utilisation d’arbres en pot mobiles.
Le premier volet vise à comprendre le fonctionnement des arbres en condition de stress élevé. Les effets bénéfiques des arbres dépendent évidemment de leur capacité à tolérer ces conditions extrêmes.
Le second volet est consacré à la mesure des effets du verdissement sur l’utilisation et le bien-être des personnes utilisatrices de cet espace, à l’aide de différentes méthodes d’investigation.
Les deux volets permettront l’atteinte d’un grand objectif commun : la sensibilisation de la communauté aux bienfaits des arbres en pots en contexte urbain. Cet objectif sera atteint grâce à une communication bidirectionnelle en temps réel avec les utilisateurs du Quartier des Spectacles.

Optimization of Conductive Ink Formulations for Inkjet Printing of Circuits

The newly emerging field of printable electronics is expected to facilitate widespread low-cost electronic devices for applications such as flexible displays, identification labels, wearable electronics and rapid prototyping. This field incorporates a variety of printing technologies with conductive ink to deposit conductive traces on any material.
However, companies like Voltera, who are creating new technologies around inkjet printing of electronics, are faced with a dilemma. Commercially available conductive inks do not provide the electrical and structural performance required for circuit board traces. The proposed project will tackle this challenge by understanding the properties that influence the ink behavior to ultimately optimize a quality conductive ink formulation. In addition, the project will aim to implemented multilayer circuit board printing, by formulating insulating materials that are able to be deposited through inkjet printing.

Strategic Maintenance Cycle Scheduling using Machine Learning

Using computer based models, the optimal time will be determined at which to schedule machine maintainence and tool replacement on a set of production tools in common use at Linamar Corporation.

A Space of their Own: Women Solo Performance in English Canadian Theatre

The period from the 1980s witnessed a steady rise in the production of solo performance by women artists in English Canadian Theatre. Rita Fraticelli’s report on “The Status of Women in Canadian Theatre” catapulted this change. Active organisational work by women and various theatre movements addressed this disparity in representation and worked to revamp the Canadian theatrical space. The limited number of performers, and comparatively fewer financial requirements popularised solo performance among women artists. The research proposes that solo performance produced a creative space for women artists in English Canadian theatre by transcending the existing theatrical space to form new spaces of inclusion and representation.

Development of an universal method for the elimination of the HOP-Latent viroid in cannabis

Healius Naturals Inc. is a cannabis producer in Alberta that has also bred various superior medical-grade genetics cannabis lines. They witnessed the dramatic impact on the Canadian cannabis industry of the HLVd (HOP-Latent viroid) 1 and wish to develop innovative solutions to cope with it. This viroid is especially problematic as its symptoms start being visible only at the end of the life cycle of the plants. It means that growers invest time and money on the crop to realize only at the end that their yield will be drastically reduced by the viroid. In collaboration with the Technology Access Center in Bio-Innovation (TAC-B) from the College La Cité, the goal is to develop an easy and robust method to eliminate the viroid of the plants that could be use for any Canadian grower and worldwide.

Le droit suisse des migrations sous le prisme de la théorie de l’accommodement raisonnable

La recherche effectuée lors de mon séjour au sein de la Faculté de droit de l’Université de Montréal se penchera de manière générale sur les possibilités de proposer des mesures positives liées à des situations de discrimination ainsi que d’ancrer un droit à l’intégration en vue de favoriser le parcours d’intégration des personnes étrangères.

A ce titre, il s’agira essentiellement d’implémenter les réflexions entourant la théorie juridique de l’accommodement raisonnable – largement consacrée dans le droit canadien – au droit suisse des migrations sous l’angle des exigences relatives à l’intégration culturelle. L’étude de ce concept juridique permettrait d’en faire un instrument de lutte contre les discriminations et un nouvel outil d’intégration en droit suisse des migrations.

Keen Payroll Technology-Enabled and Client-Centred Financial Services

As a start-up and technology-focused provider with deep operational insights, Keen’s challenge is to establish automated processes to simplify and streamline secure client communications, authorizations, sales, document exchange to enable fast and reliable services that can scale quickly into markets across Canada.
The Mitacs project will focus on helping design Keen’s customer acquisition and service processes for scale through maximizing the use of existing technology solutions deployed at Keen and/or through the application of new softwares

Stratégie marketing OCI

En partenariat avec le Pôle de Formation en Coopération Internationale de l’Université de Sherbrooke et la compagnie de marketing web, LeadCo, la stagiaire aura comme mandat de trouver une stratégie innovante qui permettra aux organismes de coopération internationale de tirer leur épingle du jeu dans le marketing web afin de contribuer à l’obtention de nouveaux partenaires, de volontaires et de bailleurs de fonds. Cela représente une opportunité d’affaire pour LeadCo ainsi qu’une occasion de consolider certains partenariats pour le Pôle de Formation en Coopération Internationale de l’Université de Sherbrooke.

Development of high surface quality and large static displacement translating micromirror for MEMS FTIRS with application to alcohol interlock

This project is to develop a micromirror with large static translation displacement and high surface quality by combining two microfabrication processes. Based on the developed micromirror, the next generation alcohol interlock technology, i.e., MEMS (MicroElectroMechanial System) FTIRS alcohol interlock will be developed and commercialized in collaboration with ACS to overcome the limitations of the current technology to achieve much higher sensitivity and realize continuous monitoring of driver’s BAC, which is highly desired in the industry but cannot be realized with the current technology. This product will be added to ACS alcohol interlock product portfolio with much better performance than its existing products and its global competitors. Due to the high sensitivity and capability of continuous monitoring, the effectiveness and application of the automotive alcohol interlock can be significantly improved and expanded. With this new technology, the competitiveness and leadership of ACS in the automotive alcohol interlock industry will be greatly enhanced.