Backgrounder
September 25, 2008
BUILDING ONTARIO’S INNOVATION ECONOMY
BIOECONOMY, ENVIRONMENT AND CLEAN TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS
University of Guelph
Dr. Laura Van Eerd
Optimizing nitrogen use to maintain crop yields and minimize environmental impact
Provincial funding: $125,219
Good crop yields depend on an adequate supply of nitrogen. But what’s the optimum amount of nitrogen? That’s the question Dr. Laura Van Eerd wants to answer at a new facility at the University of Guelph dedicated to innovation in soil fertility and plant nutrition in horticultural crops. The goal of Dr. Van Eerd’s research is the development of new approaches to maintaining or improving crop yields by optimizing nitrogen use, while minimizing its environmental impact on ground water – a subject of tremendous interest to the agricultural sector. Dr. Van Eerd’s research will also be used to assess new legislation regarding nutrient management and drinking water source protection in Ontario.
Dr. Peter Tremaine
Developing new energy technologies
Provincial Funding: $171,330
At the new Hydrothermal Chemistry Laboratory at the University of Guelph, Dr. Peter Tremaine is carrying out research on water chemistry under extreme conditions. Dr. Tremaine is one of a small group of international scientists who have pioneered the use of “small-scale flow techniques” for high-precision measurements of the properties of water solutions at very high temperatures and pressures. Among the applications for his research are the development of next-generation CANDU nuclear reactors and new technologies for hydrogen production, which will benefit Ontario’s energy sector.
Dr. William David Lubitz
Developing tools to predict the best places to locate wind turbines
Provincial funding: $121,197
Interest in renewable energy, including wind energy, is growing: more and more Ontarians are looking to incorporate some form of renewable energy into their current energy system. Led by Dr. William David Lubitz, researchers at the University of Guelph’s new Wind Engineering Laboratory are using wind tunnels, computer simulation and field data to develop tools to predict wind turbine performance at potential sites. Their research will help people interested in installing wind turbines decide where to locate them for best results. In the process, it will help grow Ontario’s wind energy industry. The researchers will also conduct important related research, including local-scale air quality studies, wind engineering studies and design of buildings for wind comfort.
Dr. Karl Cottenie
Advancing more scientific ecosystem-based management practices
Provincial Funding: $63,099
What effects will climate change have on ecosystems? How about invasive species? Those are questions Dr. Karl Cottenie at the University of Guelph hopes to answer. By studying zooplankton in a hydrologically dynamic pond system, Dr. Cottenie will investigate the interactions among the fundamental processes that structure ecosystems. By helping researchers predict ecosystem responses to stresses, Dr. Cottenie’s research will enable conservation biologists to develop strategies to reduce the negative effects. It will also help policy makers develop more scientific, ecosystem-based management practices.
Dr. Marc Habash
Assessing how micro-organisms affect our drinking water
Provincial Funding: $124,350
Municipal water systems can be a significant source of microbial contamination, where communities of micro-organisms (known as biofilms) form on the surface of pipes. How they adhere to surfaces and the impact they have on our drinking water distribution systems is the focus of research being conducted by Dr. Marc Habash at the University of Guelph. His work will help municipal and provincial governments better assess the risk to human health of micro-organisms in our drinking water distribution systems and develop ways to prevent and control contamination.
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
