Biofilms, surface-adherent microbial populations with enhanced tolerance to antibiotics and disinfectants, are widely-known contamination sources in environmental, industrial and medical settings. Novel approaches for the prevention and remediation of biofilms using nontoxic materials are urgently required. Interestingly, natural polysaccharides and nanopowders have anti-biofilm properties. We will develop a sustainable anti-biofilm technology using PhytoSpherix™ (Mirexus), a […]

Morphodynamic models are increasingly used in watershed management to predict the evolution of river channels and to test management scenarios prior to their implementation. The impact of plants in riparian zones is particularly critical to better document, but the current models rarely integrate this component. This project will use a bank erosion module and a […]

Sound barriers can be seen beside highways across Ontario and are designed to protect residents from the noise produced by traffic. However, these barriers do little in the way of protecting residents from the pollution produced by nearby vehicles. This project combines a novel sound barrier design with a new pollution control technology that will […]

Every time it rains, there is a portion of water that doesn’t get absorbed by plants and soils. That water is known as run-off, and it requires management since it can create high energy flows and pick up harmful chemicals (e.g. fertilizers, pesticides, gasoline, tire wear) off the streets, driveways, and other hard surfaces as […]

Microplastic pollution is an emerging threat to marine environments. Microplastics (small plastic polymers

In Canada, of the total amount of container glass in the market place (estimated at 850,000 tons per annum), only one-half is collected by recycling programs. The common technical and economic difficulties include the presence of organic and/or inorganic contaminants, which need to be reduced to below 0.05% for glasswork, as well as the issue […]

E-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world in terms of volume and its environmental impact on the planet. Printed circuit boards represent a major portion of the e-waste that contains higher values. The metal fraction from the circuit boards is extracted for its value while the non-metal fraction is often […]

Polar bears are curious, and that curiosity often leads them into conflict with people. Park and wildlife managers across the Arctic need to understand why polar bears approach people and whether they do so because of human activities, a lack of sea ice, or a combination of both of these factors. Currently, this is not […]

This project will be with ANPI Canada Inc., a Canadian company focused on essential oil extract from softwood in Bolton, Ontario. Presently, ANPI uses various extraction techniques for isolation of essential oils particularly cedar oil from cedar leaves, branches, and mulch. These essential oils have applications in the food, nutraceutical, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries. ANPI […]

This project will be with All Natural Products Inc. (ANPI), a Canadian company focused on essential oil extract from natural herbal resources in Bolton, Ontario. These essential oils have applications in the food, flavor, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries. ANPI have found that their current extraction methods do not provide a suitable yield of essential oils. […]

The overall objective of this project is to scale up and demonstrate the utility of novel bioaugmentation cultures for BTEX compounds, and associated diagnostic tools to properly deploy the technology. The intern will lead the project team to develop gene-based biomarker tools applicable to the bioaugmentation cultures and apply these tools to samples submitted from […]

With increasingly more stringent emission standards as well as higher fuel economy requirements for modern vehicles, the need for improved or new catalytic converter technologies continues to grow. A new generation of catalytic converters, designed and patented by Vida Fresh Air Corp., offers improved thermal management of the converter over traditional catalytic converters resulting in […]