The proposed Mitacs program will provide internships for six graduate (thesis-based MSc and PhD) students, and two Post-Doctoral Fellows (PDFs) in a competitive R&D environment at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute (TBRHRI) – Canada’s newest health research institute. Interns will be involved in research projects which aim to develop and commercialize the next […]

Stents are tubes placed between the kidney and the bladder which prevent blockages which might otherwise damage the kidney. Introducing foreign material into this system allows a platform for bacteria to exist and which will potentially cause infections. These are very common. We propose modifying the surfaces of the materials used in stents to make […]

Cryopreserved (frozen) semen provides optimal genetics to cattle and especially dairy farmers, facilitating improved breeding programs. The sperm cryopreservation process significantly reduces fertility compared to fresh sperm. Each percent of reduced fertility amounts to a significant financial loss to farmers. Thus there is great pressure on semen providers to improve post thaw fertility, as it […]

Forest companies would like to reduce the number of birds, eggs, and nests that are negatively affected by logging. They are particularly interested in reducing impacts on species at risk. The problem is that we don’t have detailed knowledge of where every bird lives, so it’s difficult to make educated choices about where and how […]

This MITACs proposal seeks funding to establish an internship cluster dedicated to development and testing of novel semiochemical solutions with potential for worldwide distribution and sales. The objective of this three-year project is to enable successful development, testing and commercialization of effective and environmentally-responsible pheromone-based detection and mitigation products that will complement Integrated Pest Management […]

In nature, plants have evolved sophisticated defense mechanisms against insects, fungi, and other pests. When isolated, many of these chemicals have tremendous potential as natural pesticides, as they pose little threat to the environment, are non-toxic to the user, and are readily biodegradable. Recent research has determined a correlation between a novel compound found at […]

Supplying cannabis, and cannabis products, to a legalized retail market represents a major economic opportunity and has been identified as a growth opportunity under New Brunswick’s Economic Growth Plan (Province of New Brunswick, 2016). Indeed, the retail market value for recreational cannabis in Canada is expected to reach $8.7 billion annually (Deloitte, 2016); however, current […]

Natural clay minerals have a long history of medicinal applications. Recent studies have described their antibacterial properties and have suggested that specific physical and geochemical characteristics of clay are involved in this effect. Kisameet clay (KC), a natural deposit found in British Columbia has been used for healing purposes for generations, still little more than […]

Vibrant coral reefs are amongst the world’s most diverse and economically important marine ecosystems, but are also imminently threatened by climate change and local threats, including fishing and pollution. Understanding how these threats impact coral reefs, and the capacity for reefs to recover after bleaching events is critically important. This project will focus on Kiritimati […]

Locally-caught freshwater fish is a healthy and important source of protein, especially for First Nation peoples living in remote communities across northern Ontario, where access to affordable fresh produce is limited. However, some of these fish have elevated concentrations of chromium (Cr), a potentially toxic metal that is abundant in the surrounding bedrock. Not all […]

Animal welfare and behaviour is a concern in captivity but is also a factor affecting conservation success. An animal ability to cope with stressors, which varies between and within species, can affect survival of individuals and compromise a population’s viability. Human-induced stressors impact individuals differently depending on their personality, which applies to captive and wild […]

Extracting coal through surface mining can damage natural habitats because it removes and fragments forests, grasslands, and shrub lands. Coal mines near Hinton, Alberta, our study area, have been reclaimed to reduce the negative effects of mining on the environment and on wildlife as per regulations in the Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act. Our […]