Innovations Realized

Explore thousands of successful projects resulting from collaboration between organizations and post-secondary talent.

13270 Completed Projects

1072
AB
2795
BC
430
MB
106
NF
348
SK
4184
ON
2671
QC
43
PE
209
NB
474
NS

Projects by Category

10%
Computer science
9%
Engineering
1%
Engineering - biomedical
4%
Engineering - chemical / biological

Investigating strategies for optimizing immunity to COVID-19: examining the impact of probiotic lactic acid bacteria-derived secretomes on epithelial cell and macrophage immune activity

Strategies to promote immune defences against COVID-19 infection are urgently needed. The gastrointestinal tract is a potentially important route for COVID-19 infection and for generating protective anti-viral immunity against this pathogen. Certain features of COVID-19 contribute to its ability to evade and subvert our immune defences. Type I interferon is a key immune protein that shuts down viral replication during virus infections. However, SARS-CoV-2 evades this defence by failing to induce these protective interferons, allowing the virus to replicate and cause symptoms of COVID-19 infection. Macrophages are another key host immune defence. Severe COVID 19 infections can result in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), an outcome linked to the disastrous effects of pro-inflammatory macrophage activity and “cytokine storm” production. In our research analyzing probiotic bacteria communication with the immune system, we found that Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011 acts on intestinal epithelial cells and macrophages via secreted molecules (a secretome). This secretome-mediated communication induced Type I interferon production and drove macrophage differentiation into a regulatory phenotype, in contrast to the pro-inflammatory macrophages causing damage in severe COVID-19 cases.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Julia Green-Johnson

Student:

Michael Jeffrey

Partner:

Lallemand Health Solutions

Discipline:

Other

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Ontario Institute of Technology

Program:

Accelerate

Biomarkers of susceptibility for COVID-19 in wastewater for the purpose of epidemic forecastin

This project proposes for Ontario a transformative approach for identification and surveillance of COVID-19 and prediction of COVID-19 outbreaks based on wastewater-based community-testing epidemiology. WE will identify and measure SARS-CoV-2 RNA and molecular biomarkers of health excreted by populations and use modelling to predict the special-temporal occurrence of emerging outbreaks in sewage wastewaters. Our team will provide a tool for public health officials that delivers test results they need to implement appropriate short-term responses to COVID-19 community spread and long-term planning for disease prevention.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Jean-Paul Desaulniers;Denina Simmons

Student:

Golam Islam;Tamanna Sultana

Partner:

Cole Engineering

Discipline:

Other

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Ontario Tech University

Program:

Helping Servus Members Reach Financial Goals via Transfer Learning

In this self-contained project we will investigate how machine learning can be applied to help provide personalized financial advice. Machine learning is a term that designates types of artificial intelligence that rely on learning behaviors from data or experience. Specifically, the goal of this work is to apply machine learning to Servus Credit Union’s Noble Purpose “Shaping Member Financial Fitness” to provide personalized recommendations to individual members who have set specific financial goals.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Matthew Guzdial

Student:

Anmol Mahajan

Partner:

Servus Credit Union Ltd

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Finance, insurance and business

University:

University of Alberta

Program:

Accelerate

Diversity and abundance of and effects of anthropogenic development (forestry harvesting) on crepuscular aerial insect populations (primarily lepidoptera, coleoptera) and how they influence an aerial insectivore (Eastern whip-poor-will)

Birds and insects who are active at dusk and dawn rely on environmental cues, such as light, to forage. Whip-poor-will are one such bird, and they rely on flying insects that are active during the same periods for food. Which insects, however, is not well understood but is important to know for conservation efforts focused on declining whip-poor-will populations. Additionally, birds and insects are sensitive to changes in their environment that result from the expansion of anthropogenic disturbance. Forestry harvesting practices can temporarily affect bird and insect populations by directly altering their habitat or indirectly through other means. Despite that, the way harvesting practices and affect populations of insects and birds that are active at dawn and dusk is poorly understood.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Donald Henne

Student:

Steven Beery

Partner:

Resolute Forest Products

Discipline:

Resources and environmental management

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

Lakehead University

Program:

Accelerate

Extraction of alternative biomarkers from a functional description of homeostasis

Type II diabetes affects around 9% of the North-American population. While it may be reversed by a change of life style and diet, it can cause irrepairable damage if left untreated. Tests that involve taking multiple blood samples are usually administered to find out if a subject has, or is at risk of developing, type II diabetes. We will develop an alternative test that relies on data from a wearable patch that estimates the blood sugar level continuously as the subjects go about their daily business. Three interns will develop the software to parse blood glucose data and extract the information we need to assess a subject’s blood sugar regulation. This work will strengthen the reputation of Klick Health as a leader in health tech innovation and, potentially, lead to the filing and commercialization of a patent on extracting early warning signs for type II diabetes from easily obtained data.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Lennaert van Veen

Student:

Eric Ng;Mei-yu Chen

Partner:

Klick Health

Discipline:

Other

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Ontario Tech University

Program:

Accelerate

Methods to improve SNR of a small-scale NMR system forin-vivo biomarkers monitoring

The goal of this project is to develop advanced mathematical algorithms integrated with the probe
design technique to improve the SNR of an NMR measurement. The proposed methods are summarized as:
1) Apply Compressed sensing (CS) technique associated with the optimized recovery method to the current obtained NMR signals.
2) Time-averaging technique can also be developed and applied to further improve the SNR of the developed algorithms.
3) Investigate and develop the phased-array receive (Rx) coils for the current MR system.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Yuan Xu

Student:

Ying Li

Partner:

Synex Medical Inc

Discipline:

Physics / Astronomy

Sector:

University:

Ryerson University

Program:

Accelerate

Development of easy-to-prepare pulse-based meals for consumption by office workers to combat the negative health consequences of a sedentary work environment – Year two

The project will involve the development of seven “pulse-based” lunches, which are designed to be easy to prepare (i.e. “out of the package”) for people in a typical busy office work environment. Pulses include non-oil legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, beans, and peas, which are a major component of the Canadian agricultural industry and an environmentally sustainable crop (i.e. they require low greenhouse gas input). The post-doctoral applicant (Maryam Kazemi) helped develop a pulse recipe book from a previous clinical trial where pulses reduced risk factors (i.e. blood cholesterol) for heart disease. Ten of the meals from this recipe book will be developed into pre-packaged, ready-to-eat meals and consumer testing will allow identification of the seven favourite meals. TO BE CONT’D

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Faculty Supervisor:

Philip Chilibeck

Student:

Leandy Bertrand

Partner:

Saskatchewan Pulse Growers

Discipline:

Kinesiology

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

University of Saskatchewan

Program:

Elevate

Enzymatic nano-immobilisation facilitated by 2D materials for antifouling coatings – Year two

Enzyme immobilisation is crucial for preserving the enzyme activity while enabling the enzymes to be recovered and reused for multiple applications in biocatalysis. However, immobilisation can change the structure and functionality of enzymes. Therefore, immobilisation of enzymes needs to be carefully investigated and controlled at fundamental levels. The emerging two-dimensional (2D) materials, such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides exhibit unique physico-chemical properties which make them well suited for enzyme immobilisation. Considering this, our research will focus on the use of 2D nanomaterials as enzyme immobilisation materials to modify and control the stability, selectivity and activity of various enzymes. Through this project, we will design novel green routes for the production of biocompatible 2D materials to be used as immobilisation supports for various types of enzymes. This will assist in understanding the enzyme nano-immobilisation mechanism and will open new applications for the functionalized 2D materials in enzymatic nanobiotechnology. Specific enzyme-immobilised 2D materials developed with the partner company of Biosa Technologies, will possess bactericidal properties which will be applied for producing antifouling coatings for food preservation. This project will provide Biosa significant scientific and technological achievement and commercial success in improving enzymatic technology and enhancing antimicrobial coatings market in Canada.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Hadis Zarrin

Student:

Jasneet Kaur

Partner:

Biosa Technologies

Discipline:

Engineering - chemical / biological

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Ryerson University

Program:

Elevate

Forced Air Ozone Reactor and Advanced Oxidative Process as an Alternative to Post-harvest Washing for Decontaminating Fresh Produce – Year two

The project will develop aqueous-free systems for decontaminating (i.e. inactivation of human pathogens and spoilage microbes) fresh produce that can be applied individually or sequentially. The first intervention is based on a forced-air ozone reactor that introduces the antimicrobial gas through the bed of produced at a controlled flow rate. The advantage of the method is large batches of produce can be treated and supports a higher log reductions of bacteria compared to when ozone is applied to storage rooms. The second intervention is based on Advanced Oxidative Process (AOP) that generates a cloud of antimicrobial radicles from the degradation of ozone and hydrogen peroxide that can decontaminate the surface, in addition to sub-surface. Each of the treatments will be modelled using Surface Response Methodology that will be used to optimize (log reduction of relevant pathogens and retention of sensor quality) each of the treatment parameters. The research will deliver aqueous-free decontamination methods as an alternative or supplement to post-harvest washing. In addition to being a more effective decontamination methods, the interventions will provide water savings and the potential to degrade pesticides. The participating partner will benefit from the expertise of the applicants knowledge of engineering, microbiology and food safety.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Keith Warriner

Student:

Mahdiyeh Hasani

Partner:

Clean Works

Discipline:

Food science

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Guelph

Program:

Elevate

Radon: Building a BC Based Response – Year two

Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas produced by the natural decay of uranium in rocks and soils. Radon can enter buildings and reach high levels in indoor air (Khan and Gomes, 2017). It is the second-leading cause of lung cancer (after smoking). killing approximating 3200 Canadians a year (Chen et al. 2012). High radon concentrations can be easily remedied, and doing so is a cost effective way to prolong life and reduce death from disease (Gaskin, et. al. 2018). However, Canada’s legal rights and remedies to respond to radon in Canada are largely inadequate (Dunn and Cooper, 2015). Action has been slow due to a lack of strong policy networks, and clear legal frameworks for change (Quastel, et. al.2018). In response, the British Columbia Lung Association (BCLA) has a new program on Indoor Healthy Environments, which includes scaling up radon education and awareness, building advocacy networks, and promoting legal change. BCLA requires someone with knowledge of law, policy and social science of the built environment for this new program. TO BE CONT’D

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Faculty Supervisor:

Anne-Marie Nicol;Angela Fang

Student:

Noah Alexander Quastel

Partner:

British Columbia Lung Association

Discipline:

Kinesiology

Sector:

University:

Simon Fraser University

Program:

Elevate

Charging/Discharging Mechanisms of Manganese Oxide Positive Electrodes in Zinc-Ion Batteries

Public awareness of global climate change resulting from greenhouse gas emission has led to increasing utilization of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. These sources are inherently intermittent in nature, necessitating effective methods of storing power for later use. Zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are a promising candidate, since zinc is widely available and inexpensive. ZIBs use a high-capacity zinc metal anode, metal oxide positive electrodes and aqueous electrolytes, with energy/power densities similar to lithium-ion (LIBs) batteries. ZIBs have several advantages compared with LIBs, including improved safety, eco-friendliness and simpler manufacturing conditions. There are, however, drawbacks such as poor efficiency, the formation of byproducts and rapid capacity fading of metal oxide electrodes during battery cycling. The key to increasing efficiency and stability is to design new, high-capacity Zn-ion electrode materials, which will then be coupled with novel zinc electrodes developed by the industrial partner, Salient Energy, Inc. The ultimate aim is to assist Salient in fabricating ZIBs.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Douglas Ivey

Student:

Michael Clark;Thuy Nguyen Thanh Tran

Partner:

Salient Energy

Discipline:

Engineering - chemical / biological

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

University of Alberta

Program:

Brainstem and cerebellar seizures: novel measures, modulations, and relationship to SUDEP

Epilepsy-related sudden death occurs following uncontrolled recurrent seizure which are usually non-responsive to antiepileptic drugs. These patients found dead in bed usually following heart and respiratory arrest. It is not known whether seizure-affected brain regions regulating cardiorespiratory function play a role in this complication and if so, what is the mechanism underneath in order to treat early to prevent death. In this project, we aim to understand (1) which cardiorespiratory brain regions(s) are involved or whether the brain sensors for elevated CO2 are impaired and, if the regional alteration can be fixed by injecting selected drugs, (2) if the brain waves activity alteration can predict seizure- ending to death events, (3) If stimulation of selected brain regions can inhibit seizure occurrence and prevent death.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Peter Carlen

Student:

Amir Reza Peimani;Azadeh Sabetghadam

Partner:

Novela Neurotech

Discipline:

Engineering - biomedical

Sector:

Health care and social assistance

University:

University of Toronto

Program:

Accelerate

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