BACKGROUNDER
September 25, 2008
BUILDING ONTARIO’S INNOVATION ECONOMY
BIOECONOMY, ENVIRONMENT AND CLEAN TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS
GREATER TORONTO AREA
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
Dr. Greg Naterer
Creating cleaner, energy-efficient power sources
Provincial Funding: $125,000
Ontario’s dependence on imported fossil fuels for the energy requirements of society and industry is environmentally and economically unsustainable. Dr. Greg Naterer at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology is developing new energy technologies that include thermochemical hydrogen production, micro energy sources powered by nanotechnology and “entropy-based design” to improve energy efficiency. His research will reduce the environmental impact and greenhouse gas emissions of power systems, as well as develop technology commercialization opportunities for the province’s energy sector.
University of Toronto
Dr. Vy Dong
Developing new tools for constructing organic molecules
Provincial Funding: $380,000
Organic molecules are carbon-containing compounds that make up important goods all around us, including our food, pharmaceuticals, clothing and fuels. Research in organic synthesis is therefore essential to our ability to make useful organic products. At the Modern Laboratory for Innovation in Organic Synthesis and Catalysis at the University of Toronto, researchers are inventing better tools for constructing various organic molecules. Ultimately, this research will lead to more efficient, environmentally-friendly and less wasteful processes for synthesizing drug candidates and other innovative materials.
Dr. Elizabeth Edwards
Developing solutions for pressing environmental and energy problems
Provincial Funding: $218,144
Motivated by health, environmental and economic security, the 21st century is poised to be the century of biotechnology. With roughly 10 per cent of the world’s forests, seven per cent of its fresh water and a highly educated research community, Canada has the potential to become a world leader in biotechnologies in the areas of renewable energy and materials, clean soil and water. At BioZone, a unique research facility at the University of Toronto, Dr. Elizabeth Edwards heads a multidisciplinary team of scientists engaged in developing solutions for pressing problems in energy and the environment.
Dr. Mansoor Barati
Developing solutions for efficient energy, high-quality materials and environmentally responsible processes
Provincial Funding: $92,043
Ontario is a leader in the minerals and metals industry, contributing substantially to the nation’s economy. Research and development in this key resource industry is keeping Ontario competitive internationally. Dr. Mansoor Barati at the University of Toronto is focused on high temperature materials processing research, specifically, novel and advanced processes for extracting and refining metals and alloys with high performance at low cost. His work will lead to innovative solutions for energy efficiency, higher quality materials and environmentally responsible processes.
Dr. Olivera Kesler
Realizing the potential of fuel cell technology
Provincial Funding: $200,000
Despite the perception that fuel cell technology is years away, fuel cells are in use in many places – and once the technology is perfected, it has the potential to power everything from vehicles to homes and businesses. Dr. Olivera Kesler at the University of Toronto is working to realize the potential of fuel cells. Her focus is on the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), which can run on both traditional fuels and on renewable fuels such as hydrogen, biogas and ethanol. Her goal is to reduce the cost and improve the performance and lifetime of fuel cells.
Dr. Jochen Halfar
Determining human impact on marine climate change
Provincial Funding: $118,922
Climate change is one of the biggest issues facing humans today. Using state-of-the-art equipment and methods, Dr. Jochen Halfar at the University of Toronto, Mississauga, will investigate marine climate change by analyzing climate archives with unprecedented precision. His goal is to determine human impact on climate and ecosystems with a view to predicting future climate evolution. His work will help to assess the consequences of rapid climate change in Ontario and globally.
Dr. Helene Wagner
Discovering how landscape modification impacts ecosystems
Provincial funding: $37,187
What happens to an ecosystem when humans modify the landscape? It’s a question that needs answering as we urbanize the province’s southern regions and mine the north’s natural resources. It’s one Dr. Helene Wagner aims to shed light on at a new Spatial Ecology and Landscape Genetics Laboratory at the University of Toronto Mississauga. Working with a local conservation management agency, Dr. Wagner will use a variety of methods including field data collection of plant species and modeling to evaluate a landscape modification experiment that has been running for nearly 20 years. Her goal is the development of conservation best practices based on a scientific understanding of how landscape modification affects the organisms at the actual location of human activity and in the surrounding landscape.
Dr. Arthur Weis
Anticipating the effects of climate change
Provincial Funding: $603,200
The global climate is changing at a rate and scale not seen since the end of the last ice age. How will this dramatic change in climate affect efforts to preserve important plant and tree species? How will it change the threat they face from weed and pest species? These are questions of immense importance to our agriculture and forestry industries and they’re ones Dr. Arthur Weis at the University of Toronto aims to answer through field- and growth-chamber-based experiments that will test the fitness of plant species under conditions that simulate the future climate.
Dr. Georgia Fotopoulos
Monitoring urban centres to protect our infrastructure
Provincial Funding: $149,787
Land subsidence is the lowering of the land-surface elevation due to changes that take place underground. It can cause great damage to buildings, bridges, roads and pipelines. At a new Goedetic Urban Monitoring Facility at the University of Toronto – the first and only one of its kind in Canada – Dr. Georgia Fotopoulos is using multi-sensor geodetic satellite data and state-of-the-art terrestrial tools to monitor land subsidence. The goal is to provide an accurate framework and contemporary solutions to the imminent problem of land deformation in urban areas of Canada.
Dr. Nathan Basiliko
Learning how soil microorganisms work to help us manage our resources in the face of climate change
Provincial Funding: $84,308
At the Advanced Soil Biogeochemistry and Microbial Ecology Research Facility at the University of Toronto Mississauga, Dr. Nathan Basiliko is looking for answers to important issues of environmental change in soil microorganisms. These microorganisms are essential to the life-giving properties of soil yet are poorly understood. Using advanced technology, Dr. Basiliko is researching the link between communities of soil microorganisms and larger wetland and forest ecosystem dynamics. The goal is to improve our ability to adapt resource management in the face of climate change
Dr. Kaley Walker
Determining how ozone is changing our atmosphere
Provincial Funding: $211,428
Thirty years ago when people talked about environmental concerns, they focused on urban smog, industrial pollution and acid rain. Today, ozone depletion and climate change are the topics on everyone’s mind. One big question is: how is human activity changing the earth’s atmosphere? At the University of Toronto’s Laboratory for Atmospheric Spectroscopy and Applications (LASSA), Dr. Kaley Walker is constructing, testing and deploying an instrument to accurately measure the concentrations of ozone and related gases in the atmosphere. The goal is to find out how the amounts of these gases are changing and what the changes mean for our environment. Her research will help policy makers develop programs to protect the environment and human health.
Dr. Myrna Simpson
Discovering the effects of contaminants in soil, air and water
Provincial funding: $200,000
Developing remediation strategies for land contaminated through industrial use is a fast-growing business. But the methods currently available are either prohibitively expensive or ineffective in removing all the contaminants – in part, because the effects of contaminants in soil, air and water are poorly understood. Using an innovative form of research involving molecular level technology, Dr. Myrna Simpson at the University of Toronto is developing metabolic profiling methods to assess organism stress after exposure to contaminated soils. This could become a leading diagnostic tool for government and industry to use to screen potential human health risks from long-term exposure to low levels of organic chemicals in the environment, and determine “healthy” contaminant levels. It could also lead to more effective remediation methods.
See also:
- News Release:
Fuelling Alternative Energy Research - Backgrounder:
Creating the Jobs, Clean Technologies and Energy Sources of the Future - Backgrounder:
Bioeconomy, Environment and Clean Technology Projects - Recipients
