Grants and Contributions

This Project seeks to revolutionize mRNA therapy delivery by creating a platform that precisely targets specific immune cell types, enabling more effective, safer treatments. Unlike conventional lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations, which often depend on passive targeting or liver-specific delivery (e.g., via GalNAc), this innovative approach employs glycan-based targeting ligands to specifically bind glycan-binding proteins (GBPs) uniquely expressed on diverse immune cells. Central to this work is a cell-based assay that evaluates glycan-targeted LNPs for their ability to selectively bind to model cell lines expressing specific GBPs and efficiently deliver their mRNA cargo. This assay is critical for assessing ligand selectivity, ensuring precise targeting among diverse immune cells. The technology’s potential impact is vast, offering new therapeutic avenues for autoimmune disorders, cancer, and infectious diseases by enabling safer, more accurate delivery of mRNA therapies (e.g., in situ CAR-NK therapies to enhance immune cells against tumours).

This proof-of-concept feasibility study aims to establish a DNA-free genome-editing system in chickpea, a vital legume crop known for its nutritional value and significant nitrogen-fixing capacity. The Project will be conducted over 12 months, focusing on the selection of target genes, design and synthesis of guide RNAs, and optimization of transformation protocols. The National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) and the National Research Council (NRC) will collaborate to assess the efficiency of this method across 2-4 chickpea genotypes. Given the recalcitrant nature of chickpeas, which complicates conventional transformation and gene editing, the successful execution of this study may pave the way for enhanced genome editing in legumes, improving crop resilience and agricultural productivity without introducing foreign DNA into the host genome.

The NRC has created human amniotic fluid-derived iPSCs (HAF-iPSCs) to produce functional T cells for adoptive therapies. This Project aims to validate and optimize the differentiation of HAF-iPSCs into CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, evaluating their performance against established iPSC lines. To facilitate evaluation of therapeutic potential, an in vitro microcontact printing platform will be developed for high-throughput characterization of iPSC-T cells' ligand binding responses and cytokine release profiles. Additionally, the Project will explore using self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) and NRC’s lipid nanoparticle technology to deliver CARs, targeting BCMA for blood cancers and EGFR for solid tumors, ensuring stable expression and functionality across various cell lines. These efforts seek to create off?the-shelf iPSC-derived CAR-T cells with predictable therapeutic response and means to screen their functional profiles.

Build a system that interfaces with data streams that will optimize systems merchandising performance.

The firm is developing a real-time analysis platform designed to help innovators navigate complex technical industries, such as biotechnology. This project aims to help build out the solution's data pipeline and AI models.

To develop an AI-enabled goal setting feature with tasks and metrics integration.

The purpose of this CanExport Innovation agreement is to support Canadian organizations to carry out activities related to pursuing opportunities that would lead to establishing new collaborative Research and Development (R&D) partnerships between the Recipient and foreign organizations in order to support R&D on the Recipient’s technology and advance its commercialization.

The Project will support pilot testing of AI strategies, determine target architecture and quantitative technical objectives for implementation of an AI solution.

The project involves the experimental validation of a newly developed variable buoyancy oyster farming system designed by King Aquaculture Inc. Originally tested in larger formats, the system has been optimized into a smaller, more manageable version. The goal is to enhance the productivity and sustainability of oyster aquaculture by comparing the performance of this new system with traditional floating cage systems.
In 2024, the project focused on testing this smaller version of the variable buoyancy system at an experimental farm set up on a 5-hectare lease (MS-1236) in Bedec, NB. Key activities included monitoring oyster growth, mortality, and yield and assessing environmental impacts such as sediment accumulation. These experiments AI

To provide a Youth with employment experience in the field of Electrical Engineering.