$15M supports research projects in Atlantic Canada

Wolfville, NS – Over $15 million is being provided to seven new research projects through the Atlantic Innovation Fund (AIF).

The projects are as follows:

Dr Kirk Hillier, Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville. Project: Development of Pheromones for Management of Insect Pests. The project is focused on the development, testing and commercialization of effective and environmentally responsible pheromone-based products targeting forestry and agriculture insect pests such as the Brown Spruce Longhorn Beetle and Spruce Budworm. This project, with total estimated costs of $6.9 million, will receive approximately $2.8 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a 5- year period.

Two projects on Imaging of the Eye: Dr Jeremy Brown, principal investigator, Capital Health, Halifax, and Dr Balwantray Chauhan, professor, research director and chair in Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Dalhousie University Halifax. Projects: New Clinical Tools for High-Resolution Imaging of the Ear and the Eye. The projects will focus on the development of new high- resolution diagnostic imaging devices to improve the understanding of, the diagnosis, and treatment of hearing disorders and conduct research into imaging neurons in the retina. One imaging device will replace conventional tests such as MRI and CT Scans. The other would improve the way ophthalmologists assess and treat major eye diseases. These projects, with total estimated costs of $6.4 million, will receive approximately $4.2 million from the Atlantic Innovation fund over a 5-year period.

Jonathan Barry, president, Seaforth Energy, Dartmouth. Project: New Wind Turbine Development. The project involves the development of new and enhanced turbines which would provide greater output in lower wind speed environments and provide global leading cost per kWh metrics. The existing AOC turbine will be redesigned to improve performance, output and reliability. This project, with total estimated costs of $2.9 million, will receive approximately $1.9 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a 3-year period.

Dr Daniel Boyd, assistant professor, Department of Applied Oral Sciences, Biomaterials and Oral Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax. Project: Minimally Invasive Systems for Bone Augmentation. The project team of biomaterials researchers and clinicians will develop minimally invasive systems for bone augmentation through the development of new biomaterials. Combined with new surgical devices and protocols, these procedures will lead to reduced recovery times and risk of infection. This project, with estimated costs of $2.5 million, will receive approximately $1.7 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a 5-year period.

Dr Randal Chase, president & CEO, Immunovaccine, Halifax. Project: Development of Green Carbons. The project proposes the development, evaluation and commercialization of green energy fuels. The company plans to design, construct, commission and test a pilot torrefaction plus carbon activation process for the manufacture of activated carbon and torrefied wood fuels from waste renewable resources including forestry and lumber industry residues, municipal woody waste and organic waste materials. The main objective is to develop cost-effective, integrated supply chain approaches from biomass collection to production. The prototype development of a production technology will also be a key part of the project. This project, with total estimated costs of $2.3 million, will receive approximately $1.7 million from the Atlantic Innovation Fund over a 3-year period.