Backgrounder: Grant fuels UVic researchers to probe life's secrets
Dr. Verena Tunnicliffe (biology/
earth & ocean sciences) is a Canada Research Chair in deep ocean research.
She is the project director for the Victoria Experimental Network UnderSea
(VENUS), a revolutionary, fibreoptic-cabled observatory system to provide
real-time ocean data from B.C.'s shallow coastal waters. VENUS will provide
scientists, industry, policy-makers and the public with continuous biological,
oceanographic, and geological data from the diverse marine environments
of Saanich Inlet, and the Georgia and Juan de Fuca Straits.
Dr. Randall Sobie (physics & astronomy) is an Institute of Particle Physics research scientist and an adjunct professor at UVic. His project, the University of Victoria Research Computing Facility, will provide the capability to store and process large scientific and engineering data, health information and multimedia. It will support researchers at UVic, the NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, TRIUMF (the Tri-University Meson Facility—Canada's national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics), the Pacific Forestry Centre, and other Canadian universities and laboratories. An increased capacity to store and process large-scale databases, digital images and simulation models is essential for the continued success of their research. For example, the Pacific Forestry Centre will use the facility for the storage of LANDSAT and RADARSAT satellite images of Canada and the Herzberg Institute for Astrophysics will use it to store the entire catalogue of images from the Hubble Space Telescope.
Dr. Ned Djilali (mechanical engineering) is a leading expert in fluid dynamics and sustainable energy technology. Together with collaborators Dr. Geoff Vickers (mechanical engineering) and Dr. Tom Fyles (chemistry), he is using the infrastructure funds to develop a novel water purification technology, known as Centrifugal Membrane Separation (CMS), a promising new technology for producing clean, potable water from a variety of sources where no economic treatment method exists. This process will also allow for the treatment of waste and industrial process waters from a variety of sources across B.C. and Canada.
Dr. Juan Ausio (biochemistry & microbiology) conducts research on the special proteins that interact with DNA. The funding will go toward new equipment, which will enable the study of the molecules of life (proteins and nucleic acids) and will allow researchers to focus on the way proteins interact with each other or with DNA in cells. Their discoveries will aid in studies of infectious diseases, cancer, animal health (aquaculture and fish diseases), and forestry. This equipment complements UVic’s existing proteomics facility where researchers examine the proteins in an organism.
Dr. Asit Mazumder (biology) holds a National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) industry senior research chair in environmental management of drinking water. His venture will allow academic, government and industry researchers from various regions and disciplines to apply basic and advanced analytical, modeling and field tools for collaborative work on integrated ecosystem and watershed science for sustainable management of drinking water, fish productivity, toxic chemicals, forest practices, and waterborne diseases. Mazumder’s project builds on an extensive research program in the environmental management of drinking water, started at UVic in 1999 Dr. Frank van Veggel (chemistry) is a Canada Research Chair in supramolecular photonic materials who conducts research into new materials that are more durable and increase the light yield for light-emitting diodes, optical amplifiers and lasers. His focus is on telecommunication applications. In addition, he conducts work on “biolabels”— molecules that emit light and sometimes indicate tumor cell locations— and how signaling occurs between cells. Van Veggel will buy equipment to measure the optical properties of the new materials, to conduct ultra-sensitive surface topography with an atomic force microscope (using a very small needle capable of measuring a nanometer—a billionth of a metre), and to be able to do experiments in strictly controlled environments (no oxygen or water).
Dr. Colin Bradley (mechanical engineering) holds a Canada Research Chair in design and computational modeling. The BCKDF funds will complement his corresponding CFI application to develop a new unique, experimental facility, the Shape Adaptive Manufacturing Laboratory, ideal for pursuing innovative work in the development of a new generation of adaptive manufacturing systems and machines—or “smart tools”—with the ability to self-adjust to changing environmental factors.
Dr. Vijay Bhargava (electrical engineering) is a Canada Research Chair in broadband radio access systems for future generation wireless networks. His proposed research focuses on developing the main components for some of the technologies enabling 4G (fourth-generation) wireless network services. This new generation of wireless communication will dramatically increase the speed of data while accommodating different data applications (video, sound, graphic images). Bhargava will investigate advanced antenna technologies, better protection against noise and interference, more efficient use of the broadband spectrum, methods of access control, and protocols for better integration of different applications.
< Back to ReleaseDr. Randall Sobie (physics & astronomy) is an Institute of Particle Physics research scientist and an adjunct professor at UVic. His project, the University of Victoria Research Computing Facility, will provide the capability to store and process large scientific and engineering data, health information and multimedia. It will support researchers at UVic, the NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, TRIUMF (the Tri-University Meson Facility—Canada's national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics), the Pacific Forestry Centre, and other Canadian universities and laboratories. An increased capacity to store and process large-scale databases, digital images and simulation models is essential for the continued success of their research. For example, the Pacific Forestry Centre will use the facility for the storage of LANDSAT and RADARSAT satellite images of Canada and the Herzberg Institute for Astrophysics will use it to store the entire catalogue of images from the Hubble Space Telescope.
Dr. Ned Djilali (mechanical engineering) is a leading expert in fluid dynamics and sustainable energy technology. Together with collaborators Dr. Geoff Vickers (mechanical engineering) and Dr. Tom Fyles (chemistry), he is using the infrastructure funds to develop a novel water purification technology, known as Centrifugal Membrane Separation (CMS), a promising new technology for producing clean, potable water from a variety of sources where no economic treatment method exists. This process will also allow for the treatment of waste and industrial process waters from a variety of sources across B.C. and Canada.
Dr. Juan Ausio (biochemistry & microbiology) conducts research on the special proteins that interact with DNA. The funding will go toward new equipment, which will enable the study of the molecules of life (proteins and nucleic acids) and will allow researchers to focus on the way proteins interact with each other or with DNA in cells. Their discoveries will aid in studies of infectious diseases, cancer, animal health (aquaculture and fish diseases), and forestry. This equipment complements UVic’s existing proteomics facility where researchers examine the proteins in an organism.
Dr. Asit Mazumder (biology) holds a National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) industry senior research chair in environmental management of drinking water. His venture will allow academic, government and industry researchers from various regions and disciplines to apply basic and advanced analytical, modeling and field tools for collaborative work on integrated ecosystem and watershed science for sustainable management of drinking water, fish productivity, toxic chemicals, forest practices, and waterborne diseases. Mazumder’s project builds on an extensive research program in the environmental management of drinking water, started at UVic in 1999 Dr. Frank van Veggel (chemistry) is a Canada Research Chair in supramolecular photonic materials who conducts research into new materials that are more durable and increase the light yield for light-emitting diodes, optical amplifiers and lasers. His focus is on telecommunication applications. In addition, he conducts work on “biolabels”— molecules that emit light and sometimes indicate tumor cell locations— and how signaling occurs between cells. Van Veggel will buy equipment to measure the optical properties of the new materials, to conduct ultra-sensitive surface topography with an atomic force microscope (using a very small needle capable of measuring a nanometer—a billionth of a metre), and to be able to do experiments in strictly controlled environments (no oxygen or water).
Dr. Colin Bradley (mechanical engineering) holds a Canada Research Chair in design and computational modeling. The BCKDF funds will complement his corresponding CFI application to develop a new unique, experimental facility, the Shape Adaptive Manufacturing Laboratory, ideal for pursuing innovative work in the development of a new generation of adaptive manufacturing systems and machines—or “smart tools”—with the ability to self-adjust to changing environmental factors.
Dr. Vijay Bhargava (electrical engineering) is a Canada Research Chair in broadband radio access systems for future generation wireless networks. His proposed research focuses on developing the main components for some of the technologies enabling 4G (fourth-generation) wireless network services. This new generation of wireless communication will dramatically increase the speed of data while accommodating different data applications (video, sound, graphic images). Bhargava will investigate advanced antenna technologies, better protection against noise and interference, more efficient use of the broadband spectrum, methods of access control, and protocols for better integration of different applications.