Grants and Contributions

Bioreactors play major role in manufacturing processes of biologics. While their design has been well documented for traditional fermentations for production of simple biomolecules, their use for production of complex biologics using eukaryotic systems such as HEK-293 human cells remains very empirical. Biologics production in bioreactors is performed in a high dimensional design space requiring a high and broad level of expert knowledge not necessary captured systematically in the prevailing scientific and technical literature. Additionally, biological products such as exosomes and viral vectors (AAV) are complex biological structures that have demonstrated recently significant value in the treatment of a number of cancers and hereditary diseases. Their manufacturing in bioreactor at scale in quantity and quality that meets the preclinical and clinical needs significantly limits their use and growth potential as therapeutic tools. This create an opportunity to integrate the expert knowledge accumulated in the databases and exploit the advances in AI to accelerate the design and optimization of the production of these two key biologics (exosomes and AAV) through the implementation and operation of a digital-twin bioreactor connected to a physical bioreactor using a series of sensors in constant communication and feed-back.
This project will focus on AI and machine learning for development of insillico digital twin.

In the context of the shutdown of firms' activities and their production chain, a consequence of the measures taken by governments to stop the spread of COVID-19, Corporation Inno-Centre offers an effective and collaborative intervention method aimed at achieving a short-term impact. Personalized expert intervention per SME.

Quantum communication and science tests over large distances have potential applications for secure communication, for higher efficiency super dense coding, for interfacing of future quantum sensors, and for quantum computers. In addition, foundational science will strongly benefit from tests of long-range entanglement as we probe the boundaries of quantum mechanics over ever-increasing distances, as well as at velocities and gravitational potentials not possible on ground.

The objective of this project is testing the suitability of the quantum payload and its components necessary for deep space missions, i.e. geostationary earth orbit (GEO), lunar and even further. The project team will design, build and test components of a quantum payload and verify their status for operating in relevant harsh radiation and thermal environments.

The main outcome of this research will be an advanced technology roadmap and design of the next generation of quantum payloads suitable for global quantum communication networks.

Methane has been observed in the Martian atmosphere for nearly two decades, yet key questions about the Martian methane cycle remain unanswered. On the Earth, most methane produced is biological and it is therefore a key question of the astrobiology community as to whether the Martian source, likely located deep underground, is similar.

The Martian Atmospheric Gas Evolution (MAGE) experiment will develop the science readiness level (SRL) of a potential contribution to a future landed space mission on Mars to measure the evolution of methane near the surface. It will help us to understand what is producing this gas in the present day and whether that source is biological or geological in origin.

MAGE in based on technology called Integrated Cavity-Enhanced Optical Spectroscopy (ICOS), a sensitive technique that can measure methane at very low concentrations and offers the possibility of making unprecedentedly frequent measurements at sensitivities comparable to the best current techniques.

Hyperspectral remote sensing is important for effectively monitoring the fast changing natural environment caused by natural and human factors.

The project aims at demonstrating the potential of an innovative technology that can increase the spatial resolution of the future Canadian WaterSat hyper-spectral mission, thus increasing detection of smaller features on the Earth surface. Successful results can significantly extend its application scope, from water-based applications to water and land applications. It will help Canadian government and industry improve their efficiency and accuracy in environmental monitoring, helping meet national needs for informed decision making, including climate change research and policy making.

Glutathione is found in most cells and tissues with an extremely important role in protecting healthy as well as cancer cells against toxic injury. The goal is to create a predictable model of glutathione metabolism in healthy cells and cancer cells in order to provide better understanding of its role in disease progression.

The unique, world-leading Ultrafast X-ray Science Facility at the University of Ottawa, will combine the atomic selectivity and high spatial resolution of X-rays with the ultrafast time-resolution of femtosecond lasers. This opens up entirely new avenues of research for the study of light-induced molecular processes, of which solar energy conversion is a key example. Nature is not static: in the 21st century, we will need an understanding of Nature which goes beyond the traditional structural studies which dominated the 20th century. For example, how specific atomic motions lead to highly efficient electronic charge transfer requires an ultrafast, dynamical understanding of Nature. The aim is to uncover the fundamental rules governing these ultrafast charge transfer processes by combining state-of-the-art Experiment with Theory. This understanding will lead to a completely new approach to the rational design of solar energy conversion devices – one that is based on the fundamental ultrafast dynamics of the charge transfer process itself.

The faster a clock ticks and the more protected it is from the environment, the more accurately we can read the clock. Currently the world’s standard clock is an atomic clock. It ticks at approximately 10,000,000,000 times per second. It is the accuracy of the atomic clock that allows the GPS navigation system that we all use.

A frequency comb is a laser device that translates the tick rate of the atomic clock into about 200,000,000 Hz intervals up to approximately 20,000,000,000,000,000 times per second while still maintaining the accuracy of the atomic clock to which it is synced. Therefore, a comb plays a role similar to the gears of an old fashion mechanical clock. With the gear works in place, the world is free to select a new standard that is more accurate than the current atomic clock. However, comb technology for the last factor of 100 is very difficult to use, so, when the next world standard is agreed upon, it will tick at only approximately 400,000,000,000,000 per second.

We propose to study a means to simplifying the last factor of 100. If the project is successful, the best clocks will eventually become nuclear clocks where all of an atom’s electrons are used to shield the clock element – the nucleus – from environmental noise.

The team proposes to apply state-of-the-art Genetic Code Expansion (GCE) technology to develop an industrial biocatalytic component system for application to the sustainable removal of undesirable anti-nutritional/palatability factors during the processing of pulse meal. GCE is an emerging bio-based technology, poised to dramatically expand the potential of synthetic biology by enabling the coding of biologicals with an expanded set of building blocks, and thus a vastly expanded array of novel biochemistries. This translates into precision engineering of biological technologies (therapeutics, biocatalysts, biopolymers), with a breadth of specificities, stabilities and efficiencies far beyond what natural biology can effect.

The team will help to provide the necessary components to enable GCE in two recombinant systems, E.coli and S. cerevisiae that will be compiled. Genes encoding the biocatalytic components will be individually mutated such that each optimized full length component will only be obtained with the successful incorporation of the un-natural building blocks. In the short term of this one-year project, incorporated synthetic biochemistries will test the potential to use ncAAs to enhance the catalytic activity of the relevant biocatalysts. In the longer term, the team hopes to assess the potential to stack additional modifications for stability and re-usability as well, for development of an overall sustainable, cost-effective biocatalyst to apply to the bioprocessing of lower value agricultural commodities. Prototypes will be tested against pulse meal with partners in Western Canada.

The partnership to produce a novel industrially relevant biocatalytic system that will enable cost-effective bioprocessing of lower value commodities,and he team firmly within the emerging GCE cornerstone of synthetic biology, thereby significantly enhancing Canada’s innovation potential across multiple Canadian Industries going forward.

Research on flexible and stretchable electronics can bring about new materials with light weight, mechanical flexibility and durability, allowing simple device integration, along with low-cost and processability. They can be used in a wide range of applications such as flexible displays, energy generation and storage, E-textiles , sensors, especially in the field of sensors, health care and smart human-machine interface. Innovation of material design, synthesis, and fabrication holds the key to the development in this area and the biggest challenge is to allow the entire electronic system to be bent and stretched. Printed electronics is an emerging technology that enables printing of processable materials (organic, inorganic and hybrid) and electronic devices. We propose a new strategy to design and test new molecular ink formulation to achieve elastomer enhancement of such materials and devices. The new printable molecular ink will incorporate monomers and photo-initiators. UV irradiation will allow a photopolymerization process to produce elastomers incorporating conductive traces with enhanced stretchability. This process will enable the incorporation of a selection of desirable amount of elastomer monomers into inks that were previously unattainable because it is only limited by the solubility of elastomer polymers in the ink carrier solutions. The new materials are expected to improve the general performance of wearable electronic devices so that sport garments and personal healthcare devices can remain functional following repeated stretching cycles. The development of the molecular ink will differentiate the new technology from competitors and lead to future commercialization of the products. Young researchers will be trained for the research and development of new materials and new technology in the project.