Functional and topological insights into plant triacylglycerol synthesis enzymes

Laure Aymé is a PhD student focusing her research on a plant protein family involved in lipid biosynthesis and important for oil accumulation and biotechnological purposes. Laure recently published an article describing the function and localization of a protein inserted in two distinct cellular compartment membranes, a rather unique situation with few available data. During […]

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Exploring the Utility of Physical Visualization Construction

Physical visualizations are representations in which data is mapped to physical form, rather than the pixels or ink of traditional visualizations [6]. Creating such representations using tangible tiles (i.e. constructive physical visualization) is an accessible paradigm for visualization novices to construct representations [5]. Is this approach worth the greater time investment it requires over more automated […]

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Calibrating static errors in Adaptive Optics systems for Extremely Large Telescopes

The proposed research project involves calibrating an Adaptive Optics system – a technology that essentially corrects telescopes for the changing atmosphere so that the ‘twinkling’ is taken out of stars. This technology has become increasingly complex, an example being the proposed instrument called NFIRAOS that will be built by Canada for the future Thirty Meter Telescope […]

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Response of leaf vein pattern to environmental change

We will investigate how plants change leaf vein structure to adapt to environmental changes triggered by climate change. Leaf venation is important for plant nutrient transport and efficient water use. Since making veins requires considerable energy, plants regulate vein density to suit the environment, increasing vein number and connectivity with decreasing water. Different leaf forms […]

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Imagining the Human Interior: Religious and Medical Perspectives on the Body in Present-Day China

My research project will focus around the following question: what relationships exist between religious models of the human body—primarily Buddhist and Daoist—and medical practices and beliefs? To explore this topic I will study primary and secondary materials, participate in meetings with my host university supervisor, Chen Ming with the assistance of Dr. Susan Andrews from […]

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Integrated underground mine planning using mathematical programing

The operation of an underground mine site requires the execution of multiple tasks and involve many human and material resources. The execution of these tasks is then limited by many constraints including the order in which certain task must be done, the limits on availability of resources, congestions in the distribution of resources and many […]

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Manganese Salen Systems for C-H Functionalization

Selective incorporation of valuable building blocks into feedstock chemicals is a very important, albeit often times difficult challenge. We plan to develop catalysts; materials to efficiently convert feedstock chemicals into ones with valuable functionality. The catalysts developed by the current project will incorporate two traditional reactive sites as a means to enhance activity and selectivity […]

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Characterization of chemosensory proteins in exosomes

Cells in our body secrete round structures lined by cell membrane under normal as well as stressful conditions. These “structures” or “micro vesicles” are termed as exosomes. They contain information from parent cells that can be transferred to other cells, thereby acting as cell-to-cell communication units. In this study I aim to identify the presence of […]

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