The rapid expansion of the aquaculture industry has fueled significant advances in fish health and nutrition. One such innovation has been the development of the growth-enhanced Atlantic salmon, AquAdvantage Salmon (AAS), which was approved for commercial production and consumption in the US in 2015. AquAdvantage Salmon are raised exclusively in land-based operations using highly efficient […]

The safety and quality of vaccine products are an integral requirement for all vaccine manufacturing and production. Most current tests are using laboratory equipment that requires trained personnel, equipment qualification, method validation, manual sampling, and testing at various stages of product manufacturing. However, the off-line testing is slow, often requires significant volume of material for […]

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis on an unprecedented scale, with over 1 million confirmed cases, spread over 200 countries. With the world at a virtual standstill, and no existing treatments, there is an enormous need for novel therapeutics and vaccines to combat COVID-19. Our group is working on a DNA vaccine strategy […]

The current COVID-19 pandemic urgently calls for vaccines able to be rolled out on a global scale. This proposal aims to develop nanoparticle-based vaccine delivery vehicles that can enhance vaccination programs by improving vaccine storage and transport without need for refrigeration, as well as enhance the actual performance of the antigen, a protein found on […]

This project aims to develop SARS-CoV-2 genomics tools to apply to the tracking of COVID-19 in municipal wastewater. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 genetic material in wastewater has been used to estimate prevalence of the virus in the corresponding community. This has the potential to be a relatively inexpensive early warning system that is complementary to testing […]

Grasslands cover approximately one third of the Earth’s surface but are among the most threatened and least protected habitats. Livestock grazing is one management strategy to restore degraded grassland ecosystems, but little is known about the effect of grazing on grassland reptiles and amphibians (herpetofauna). World-wide, herpetofauna are in decline and may be particularly susceptible […]

Food waste is a multibillion-dollar problem in Canada and around the world. Some level of waste may be unavoidable, but large amounts of safe food are lost every year because of the arbitrary nature of measuring food spoilage. This is especially true at the wholesale and retail level for meat products. Food typically spoil in […]

Canola growers recognize that the beneficial arthropods that live in natural habitats and non-crop areas may play an important role in augmenting and stabilizing crop yields. These bees, flies, beetles, spiders and other arthropods may spill over into the crop, and through pollination or pest control, help to improve yields, decrease inputs, and increase profitability. […]

There is a growing body of evidence that certain combinations of bioactives derived from natural source products may have potent effect on neuritogenesis and foster neuronal cell viability. The effect of neuron plasticity suggests there are potential treatments of major neurodegenerative and psychiatric conditions. In this project we are proposing to use a robust in […]

Extracting oil from the Athabasca oil sands generates large volumes of processed water that is stored in vast tailings ponds. Due to the accumulation of numerous organic compounds, this water needs to be monitored and eventually treated. Bioremediation is the use of bacteria to degrade the contaminants in the wastewater and is a low cost, […]

Hydrogen technology in Ontario has incredible potential as an alternative energy source that can eliminate the use of harmful fuels and greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Canada is currently developing a nation-wide strategy to increase the adoption of hydrogen technology; however, Ontario is underrepresented in this discussion. Science Concepts International will work with its interns […]

Atherosclerosis is a disease defined by unresolved inflammation in the major arteries. High cholesterol is a major risk factor, resulting in fatty lesions developing silently for decades before causing heart attacks and strokes. Currently, no therapies exist that target the cells of the artery wall to suppress this disease. Myeloid cells (MCs) are white blood […]