Malic acid is a naturally-occurring chemical found in fruits such as blueberries, apples, cherries and grapes. Malic acid gives food a sour or tart taste. Because of this, it is an important food additive used to balance sweetness or salt. Examples of industrial malic acid use in snack foods are sour gummy candies and flavoured […]

Wearable technology is contributing to the movement toward seamless connectivity. In the health industry, applications of wearable technology, and functional ‘smart’ fabrics more generally, are improving lives every day. Merging biotechnology with nanomaterials science is one avenue along which scientists are pursuing advanced materials with enhanced functionalities. From anti-bacterial activity to protection from the sun, […]

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are essential for plant growth, yet their genetics are very poorly understood. The proposed research aims to identify the genetic identify and symbiotic potential of AMF strains currently cultivated by an industrial partner. The ultimate goal is to determine if a certain AMF genotype can be beneficial to boost the yield […]

The handling and storage of perishables like vaccines are critical to retain medical potency and effectiveness for patient administration. The delivery of vaccines can succumb to several pitfalls such as physical damage, losses in transit and expiration. One of the primary causes of vaccine wastage is a result of heat and freezing of the biological […]

The point-of-care i-STAT and VETSCAN units are easily portable blood-based assessment tools that can produce relevant blood parameters within minutes with only 2-3 drops of blood. The objective of this study is to examine both natural and investigator-applied stress gradients in fishes and compare blood chemistry of fishes from a range of environments (e.g., low […]

Chinook Salmon are a species of high ecological, economic and cultural value in BC. Recent declines in Chinook Salmon abundance have highlighted a need to understand factors controlling their productivity. One hypothesis suggests that the first winter in the ocean plays a critical role in controlling Chinook Salmon survival, and in turn, abundance. Little research […]

This project will investigate the use of novel bacterial strains as inoculants for agricultural crops that will promote plant growth. It has been demonstrated, in a previous MITACS funded project, that the application of the novel KGS strains of bacteria to plants in a greenhouse will promote the growth of the plants. This current project […]

The Great River Rapport is an initiative that involves collaboration, consultation, and input from scientists, Indigenous partners, citizens and students. The goal is to provide a report on the health of the Upper St. Lawrence River ecosystem and inspire people to become engaged and aware of how ecosystem health is linked to all of us. […]

With limited funding available, managers must prioritize which invasive species and which areas need to be managed. This project will involve finding out which sites and species need to be prioritized for management within the Greater Toronto Area. Through formal discussions with different stakeholders in the area and by using existing data (e.g. species distribution […]

The discovery and development of antimicrobials as therapeutic agents has transformed modern medicine. However, their further mass production, global distribution, and gross misapplication have resulted in escalating emergence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria worldwide. Given the limited arsenal of antimicrobials available to combat MDR bacteria, there is growing apprehension about the threat posed by “superbugs” […]

As fisheries for the Atlantic Sea Cucumber (Cucumaria frondosa) develop in Atlantic Canada, effective management will require a thorough understanding of the underlying genetic relationships within and between different populations to assess “genetic health.” Detecting genetic structure, such as differences in allelic frequencies and heterozygosity, is challenging in marine invertebrate species like C. frondosa due […]

Our world is witnessing an increase in the spread of multidrug resistant (MDR) microbes and the irony is that the hospitals serve as an important reservoir for these microbes. MDR infections kills 8,000 Canadians each year, which may rise to 400,000 in next 30 years. Primarily, the spread of pathogens between patients are believed to […]