As researchers across the globe are working on preventing the spread of COVID-19, professors in the Faculty of Engineering are responding to the challenge in unique and compelling ways. These are six researchers who are using their diverse expertise towards making an impact.
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The听path听towards听a vaccine
Professor Amine Kamen听(Bioengineering) and his research group are working hard to produce a safe, cost-effective vaccine for the novel coronavirus.
Kamen, a Canada Research Chair in Bioprocessing of Viral Vaccines, has dedicated years of research towards the prevention of ongoing viral diseases. Throughout his academic career, he has developed vaccines for Influenza, Ebola, and Rabies.
鈥淭he driver of my work is being prepared for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases,鈥� says Kamen.
Addressing these diseases saves tens of thousands of lives each year. A key point for him has been learning how to process these vaccines in a way that makes them as accessible as possible on a global scale.
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鈥淚t is critical to increase the capacity for vaccine manufacturing so we can reduce the impact of preventable illnesses.鈥�
With funding from the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR), Kamen鈥檚 team, in collaboration with Prof. Denis Leclerc (Universit茅 Laval), are rapidly designing a nanoparticle-based vaccine that uses antigens coupled with a unique adjuvant to trigger a protective immune response against the novel coronavirus.
Adjuvants improve vaccines by boosting the body鈥檚 immune reaction and the production of neutralizing antibodies.
鈥淭he combination of the two would make a very effective vaccine,鈥� explains Kamen. 鈥淎s a result, you would be immune not just to COVID-19, but also to related coronaviruses such as SARS and MERS.鈥�
So why does it take so long for vaccines to reach the market?
鈥淭he crucial factor is safety, safety, safety.鈥�
Vaccines need to undergo a series of phases and tests to ensure they are safe to be used. They also need to prove effective in protecting a large population. All this can take many months.
Kamen is encouraged by the motivation and influx of researchers contacting him to help collaborate on the vaccine against COVID-19. He believes working as a collective and sharing expertise will only benefit the production of vaccine platforms that can be used around the world for years to come.
鈥淚 hope this will be maintained beyond the current crisis. We need to converge and work together.鈥�
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Rapid testing
Rapid testing is critical for the early detection of COVID-19. The labs of Professor Andrew Kirk (Electrical and Computer Engineering) and Professor Mark Trifiro (Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research) are collaborating to make commonly used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) point-of-care tests faster and more reliable. So fast, in fact, that the virus could be detected in 10 minutes or less.
A large focus for Kirk has been developing biosensors for a variety of point-of-care applications, from determining bacterial contamination in water, to diagnosing medical conditions such as cancer and heart disease. A biosensor, such as a PCR device, works by converting a biological reaction into an electrical signal.
Most COVID-19 tests use PCR technology, a technique that was invented over 40 years ago to amplify, or copy, DNA. Through this process, billions of copies of a single DNA molecule are generated when there鈥檚 a match between DNA/RNA swabbed from a patient and that of the 鈥減rimer,鈥� thus making the virus detectable.
The standard PRC approach for DNA amplification involves repeatedly heating and cooling a sample using electrical heating, which is a relatively slow process that consumes a lot of energy.
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鈥淲e came up with a technique that focuses on heating the PCR solution instead by shining a laser from outside the tube,鈥� explains Kirk. This makes the heating and cooling cycles more efficient, and ultimately, allows for quicker results.
With funding from the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) and the Jewish General Hospital Foundation, Kirk and Trifiro are developing a machine that uses this technique. If successful, the system will be able to run tests for COVID-19 under 10 minutes once the viral RNA has been extracted from a nasal swab.
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Their invention has been patented and will be manufactured by their start-up, Pronto Biomedical Technologies, with the potential of being ready within the month.
鈥淭his would be a game-changer for the control of infections such as COVID-19,鈥� adds Kirk. 鈥淢oreover, since PCR is so flexible and is used so widely, we hope that this technology can be deployed for many other targets.鈥�
Professor Sara Mahshid鈥檚 lab (Bioengineering) is leveraging colour as a path to faster COVID-19 testing.
Designing point-of-care nanomaterial-based biosensors and microfluidic lab-on-chips for applications in healthcare and diagnostics has been the foundation of Mahshid鈥檚 research. For the past year, her lab has been working on devices that apply colourimetry to analyze antibiotic sensitivity and cancer biomarkers. This technique uses colour to both detect the presence of specific genetic material, as well as quantify its concentration.
鈥淎 quantifiable approach is important for clinicians because it can give them information not only about the presence of a virus, but also its stage,鈥� explains Mahshid.
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Funded by the 麻豆AV Interdisciplinary Initiative in Infection and Immunity (MI4) grant, Mahshid and her collaborator, Dr. Chen Liang (Jewish General Hospital),are developing a microfluidic prototype using a colourimetric approach to streamline COVID-19 testing. The prototype employs ultrasensitive colour-changing characteristics (like those of LED TVs) that can be monitored in a bright field microscope, or more simply, with the naked eye. This removes the need for complex instruments or trained personnel, allowing for the possibility of at-home tests.
Using this simplified, one-step amplification approach also means that fewer reagents are used, reducing the expense while maintaining PCR sensitivity.
鈥淭he materials to run this type of test are cheap, so the method is very cost-effective and quick,鈥� says Mahshid.
With the potentiality of a 10-minute result time, this prototype would be a very portable and rapid diagnostic solution.
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Antiviral materials and surfaces
Most of us are now accustomed to frequently washing our hands, quickly laundering outdoor clothing, and painstakingly disinfecting high-touch surfaces. But what if we made the materials and surfaces themselves antiviral? The labs of Professor Marta Cerruti and Professor Subhasis Ghoshal are working on doing just that.
Professor Marta Cerruti (Materials Engineering) has a current project underway with Professor Reza Farivar (Faculty of Medicine), founder of the Respirator Challenge, and Professor Rhongtuan Lin (Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research), virologist expert, to produce a coating for fabric that would kill the novel coronavirus on contact.
This isn鈥檛 the first time Cerruti and Farivar have collaborated on a project 鈥� Cerruti鈥檚 expertise in understanding the interaction between material and biological surfaces brought them to work together once before to create implants that better integrate with bone.
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The antiviral substance Cerruti鈥檚 lab is developing could be applied to a variety of clothing and materials such as masks, scarves, and gloves,and is meant to be accessible to a wide range of users.
鈥淲e wanted to create something that would be easy to manufacture and apply,鈥� says Cerruti.
With the shortage of N95 masks and the elevated contact risk for health care providers, the coating would benefit the medical community, increasing the safety and efficacy of their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The general public could also coat articles of clothing they already have on hand, adding an extra layer of protection to face coverings and, therefore, reducing the likelihood of getting the virus.
Preliminary antiviral tests from Lin鈥檚 lab have been promising, according to Cerruti: 鈥淚n the first type of tests, the coatings killed the virus but not the cells, which was exciting.鈥�
Once the coating passes more tests, including those of biocompatibility to ensure it鈥檚 safe for human use, they will partner with a company for production.
鈥淲e are hoping to have something that could be given to people in three to six months,鈥� adds Cerruti, 鈥渟o we are trying to move fast.鈥�
Cleaner, more sustainable practices in both research and industry are crucial for Professor Subhasis Ghoshal (Civil Engineering), Director of the Trottier Institute for Sustainability in Engineering and Design (TISED). Specializing in environmental engineering, he has been researching the ways in which nanoparticles in consumer and industrial products interact with the natural world.
鈥淎 goal for me has been ensuring 鈥痭anomaterials are used in sustainable ways,鈥� says Ghoshal.
As the use of strong cleansers and soaps to sanitize surfaces has increased dramatically in the wake of COVID-19, Ghoshal is exploring a potentially greener avenue: creating a self-cleaning surface in lieu of using large volumes of disinfectant.
Drawing from his research of adding silver nanoparticles to paint in order to make the paint antimicrobial (silver is an antibacterial element), he is examining how silver-containing paint could be used to make surfaces antiviral as well. Working with a local custom-paint manufacturer, Ghoshal has already carried out tests that have shown that the disinfecting capacity of silver actually increases when it is added to paint.
The next step is to find a collaborator who specializes in viruses and secure funding in order to pursue this line of research further: 鈥淢y quest right now is to show that this silver-containing paint could be antiviral, so it can be used in high throughput areas, like airports, or in medical settings to keep surfaces clean."
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In addition to his research, Ghoshal is currently planning the 7th Annual TISED symposium, 鈥�,鈥� featuring Dr. Michael E. Mann and Dr. Naomi Oreskes. Witnessing how scientific communication about the virus has been able to spark positive change in government policies and individual behaviour, he鈥檚 looking forward to examining the ways these discussions can be leveraged to also benefit our environment.
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"Using the parallel of COVID-19,鈥� he adds, 鈥渢here may be a better consensus on developing effective messaging around measures we need to take to reduce the impacts of climate change."
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Uncovering hidden details
For the past 30 years, Professor Raynald Gauvin (Materials Engineering) has worked on making microscopes more accessible. Part of his research has gone towards developing new, less expensive methods of doing high-resolution microscopy.
Traditionally, in order to get the most powerful degree of magnification and the highest image resolution, a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) would need to be used. TEMs, however, are very large, expensive to buy, and difficult to operate.
An alternative for many researchers is to use Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), which is more cost-effective and readily available. The downside is a lower image resolution.
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鈥淎 TEM is like filet mignon and an SEM is like a Big Mac,鈥� explains Gauvin. 鈥淭here's a big gap.鈥�
His research has focused on closing that gap, introducing a new technology, the field emission gun, which became available in the mid 鈥�90s. This has allowed him to develop new methods of characterizing the microstructure of materials and imaging to increase the capabilities of SEMs. So much so that his SEMs can view atoms 鈥� something that was previously only possible with TEMs. In addition, his technique uses the low voltage of SEMs to capture details such as nanopores that TEMs might be able to capture with much less contrast due to their high-energy output. As such, he runs one of the most advanced SEM labs in the world.
When COVID-19 struck, he thought to apply the technology he has created for SEMs to potentially 鈥渟ee what no one else has seen鈥� regarding the virus cells.
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Gauvin is hoping his microscopes can capture information about the virus that might not be visible with a high-voltage machine. The result would mean many more labs around the world could partake in the research.
鈥淚f we can demonstrate that this technique of microscopy helps, then it can be used across virology labs.鈥�
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Looking ahead
In addition to these six researchers, a growing number of professors across the Faculty of Engineering are adapting their work to make significant strides in COVID-19 research. Below is a glance at some of the new projects that are underway:
Prof.听Annmarie听Adams (Architecture): Exploring architectural responses to illness from the 19th听century to the present day
Prof. Jeff听Bergthorson听(Mechanical Engineering): Investigating how the combustion of metals in microgravity phenomena can be used as a model for understanding the propagation of infectious diseases
Prof.听Sharmistha听Bhadra听(Electrical and Computer Engineering): Creating a low-cost vital sign monitoring device for at-home COVID-19 patients
Prof. Sylvain听Coulombe听(Chemical Engineering): Developing plasma-based technologies for selective cancer treatment, food processing, and sanitation
Prof.听No茅mie-Manuelle听Dorval听Courchesne听(Chemical Engineering): Developing clothing fabric with antiviral technology
Prof. Mark Driscoll (Mechanical Engineering):听Designing听an inexpensive, open-source ventilator
Prof. Allen听Ehrlicher听(Bioengineering): Examining airway smooth muscle contractibility for potential applications in cell mechanic COVID-19 pathology
Prof. Ahmed El-Geneidy听(Urban Planning):听Analyzing听the impact of COVID-19 on our public transit systems and travel patterns
Prof. Amine听Emad听(Electrical and Computer): Developing novel deep learning (DL) methods to increase efficacy of drugs administered to patients听affected听by听COVID-19
Prof. James Forbes (Mechanical Engineering): Developing a testing system to analyze the mechanical and contractile functionality of muscle tissue
Prof. Dominic听Frigon听(Civil Engineering):听Tracking COVID-19 in wastewater as a means of听understanding its spread听and part of听Canadian听coalition delivering a COVID-19 sewer surveillance program
Prof. Corinne听Hoesli听(Chemical Engineering): Examining ways peptides from COVID-19 could be used to create a cell-based cancer vaccine
Prof. Anna听Kietzig听(Chemical Engineering): Generating functional nanoparticles (NP) via femtosecond laser irradiation with potential antiviral properties
Prof. Michael听Kokkolaras听(Mechanical Engineering): Creating agent-based models to help analyze the effectiveness of disease control measures听
Prof. Anna Kramer (Urban Planning): Analyzing public spaces and equity during a pandemic
Prof. Harry听Leib听(Electrical and Computer Engineering): Tensor听modeling听and statistical inference for big data with applications to monitoring COVID-19
Prof.听Odile听Liboiron-Ladouceur听(Electrical and Computer Engineering): Developing silicon photonic sensors for COVID-19 and other diseases
Prof.听Rosaire听Mongrain听(Mechanical Engineering):听Building a听compact and affordable extracorporeal blood oxygenator
Prof. Chris听Moraes听(Chemical Engineering):听Developing rapid prototyping techniques to produce microfluidic devices with diagnostic capabilities
Prof. Sidney听Omelon听(Materials Engineering): Examining decontamination procedures for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
听(Electrical Engineering): Developing a Sensing/Localization/Detecting/Warning system听which can听address cough/sneeze pathology
Prof. Viviane听Yargeau听(Chemical Engineering): Part of Canadian coalition delivering a COVID-19 sewer surveillance program
Prof. Stephen Yue听(Materials Engineering): Examining cold spray copper coating as corrosion protection for fuel storage containers and its potential to be antiviral
Prof.听Songrui听Zhao (Electrical and Computer Engineering): Developing compact, high power听nanolasers听to enable disinfection of medical instrumentation听
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