Proteus Competition
Amelie Robertos
Nanocomposite materials and its fabrication process present unique features that potentially enable water filtration by nano and/ or sub-nanopore-based membranes. Reverse osmosis (RO) is a purification process that utilizes this type of permeable membrane to remove ions, molecules and larger particles from water. The most important and by far the largest application of RO is the separation of pure water from seawater (desalination) and brackish waters. In these applications, water is pressurized against one surface of the membrane causing the transport of salt depleted water across the membrane and emergence of potable drinking water from the low- pressure side- removing both harmful contaminants present in the water, as well as some desirable minerals.
Changes in biophysical movements are among the earliest vital signals for worsening health and are the most predictive of a concerning clinical outcome for patients. Among the different biophysical parameters to detect, changes in respiration and breathing rate are particularly relevant, as variations at rest almost always indicate some form of worsening pathology. Despite the fact that the breathing rate is a relatively simple phenomenon, its detection can be tedious and often requires a long monitoring period in highly specialized laboratories or is often left to the health practitioner for manual recordings.
To address the various challenges associated with monitoring breathing patterns and related biophysical patterns, the inventors have developed a multisensor wearable sensing system and method that combines one accelerometer for breathing-associated body motion sensing and one pressure sensor for breathing- associated muscle expansion and contraction detection. The sensing platform can easily be used by people through a facile and comfortable installation on the abdomen. The technology allows for rapid, efficient, and accurate real-time monitoring of complex breathing patterns without the utilization of specialized equipment or trained personnel.
This invention relates to a novel smart bacteria-responsive platform that will only release antimicrobial agents (preferably naturally derived) in the presence of specific bacteria. Common bacteria involved in food poisoning include bacillus, clostridium, listeria, and streptococcus. These bacteria produce a class of virulent factors called cholesterol-dependent cytolysins (CDCs).
Waterloo researchers have developed a nanotechnology-based formulation (liposome) that achieved sustained drug release over a 5-day period only in response to specific bacteria that produce CDCs. No drug is released in the absence of these bacteria. This is the first known on-demand bacteria- responsive technology platform.
The platform shows high specificity of drug release to bacteria that produce CDCs which can be used to prolong the shelf-life of food products. This can reduce the use of food preservatives which may have unwanted side effects and will eliminate the bacteria responsible for food spoilage when or if it is present. This will reduce the exposure of unwanted chemicals while prolonging the shelf-life of food products.
Mental illness is a critical and increasing societal concern that is not effectively dealt with through either the healthcare or the criminal justice systems, and can lead to negative interactions and outcomes for both persons living with mental illness (PMI) and first responders who are often the first point of contact.
Although there have been scenario training programs in existence, there are reasons to advance a unique method of problem-based scenario. Firstly, there is widespread consensus that scenarios dedicated to mental crisis education need to be amplified, even critically, with the involvement of PMI themselves as well as clinicians and advocacy associations (Coleman and Cotton 2014a; Iacobucci 2014). Increasing opportunities for social engagements between police and those with lived experience of mental illness is a way to de-stigmatize attitudes against PMI, as stigmatized attitudes against them may result in: (1) coercive methods or physical force by officers who harbor such attitudes in their efforts to resolve a crisis (Godfredson et al. 2010), and (2) a reluctance to validate concerns and impeding the possibility of procedural fairness due to skepticism regarding the credibility of a PMI (Watson, Corrigan, and Ottati 2004).
Secondly, there is a strong argument for scenario training to be led by those experienced in problem-based scenario training as an educational method within adult learning contexts (Coleman and Cotton 2014a). Without facilitators having such experience, scenarios may offer one-sided perspectives and come with the risk of privileging the exigencies of the Mental Health Act and legal concerns at the expense of procedural justice and relational policing.
The MHCRT is based on a particular form of problem-based scenario training informed by Forum Theatre methods, which have been used effectively with the Victoria Police Department and local immigrant populations to address stigmatizing attitudes (de Guevara 2016). Traditionally delivered via live action, the MHCRT has since been carefully developed onto a VR platform to take advantage of portability and integration with duty equipment, and which will eventually allow the development of new scenarios to support continuous and scalable training of police services.
I conduct nationally and provincially funded research focused on police interactions with people in mental health crisis. My program of work investigates the effectiveness of police de-escalation and crisis response training models, the use of co-response models, and police decision-making during encounters with citizens in mental health crises. I also explore how people with lived experience of mental illness and family carers experience and perceive police encounters during crisis. I am currently leading and working in partnership on a number of research initiatives to develop, produce and test de-escalation and crisis intervention training for frontline police officers using high fidelity, immersive virtual reality simulations.
The Proteus Innovation Competition is a four-month competition that will challenge individuals to create a viable commercialization strategy for 1 of 5 promising technologies, in hopes of winning a cash prize of up to $5,000!
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Many bacterial species employ systems for interference competition with other microorganisms. Some systems are effective without contact (e.g., through secretion of toxins), while other systems (e.g., type VI secretion system [T6SS]) require direct contact between cells. Here, we provide the initial characterization of a novel contact-dependent competition system for Proteus mirabilis. In neonatal mice, a commensal P. mirabilis strain apparently eliminated commensal Escherichia coli. We replicated the phenotype in vitro and showed that P. mirabilis efficiently reduced the viability of several Enterobacteriaceae species but not Gram-positive species or yeast cells. Importantly, P. mirabilis strains isolated from humans also killed E. coli. A reduction of viability occurred from early stationary phase to 24 h of culture and was observed in shaking liquid media as well as on solid media. Killing required contact but was independent of T6SS, which is the only contact-dependent killing system described for P. mirabilis. Expression of the killing system was regulated by osmolarity and components secreted into the supernatant. Stationary-phase P. mirabilis culture supernatant itself did not kill but was sufficient to induce killing in an exponentially growing coculture. In contrast, killing was largely prevented in media with low osmolarity. In summary, we provide the initial characterization of a potentially novel interbacterial competition system used by P. mirabilis. IMPORTANCE The study of bacterial competition systems has received significant attention in recent years. These systems are important in a multitude of polymicrobial environments and collectively shape the composition of complex ecosystems like the mammalian gut. They are also being explored as narrow-spectrum alternatives to specifically eliminate problematic pathogenic species. However, only a small fraction of the estimated number of interbacterial competition systems has been identified. We discovered a competition system that is novel for Proteus mirabilis. Inspired by an observation in infant mice, we confirmed in vitro that P. mirabilis was able to efficiently kill several Enterobacteriaceae species. This killing system might represent a new function of a known competition system or even a novel system, as the observed characteristics do not fit with described contact-dependent competition systems. Further characterization of this system might help understand how P. mirabilis competes with other Enterobacteriaceae in various niches.
The University of Windsor is collaborating for the fifth year with Western University, the University of Guelph, McMaster University, and the University of Waterloo on the Proteus Innovation Competition.
The competition is a three-part reverse business pitch contest that challenges participants to create a commercialization plan for one of five patented technologies developed by these top Southwestern Ontario research institutions. This competition allows contestants to hone their business skills, work with a variety of experienced advisors, and accelerate the commercialization process on cutting-edge innovations.
This unique preparation method integrates the electroactive material and the current collector into a single piece of velour fabric. In this way, the brittle copper sulfide is localized on the cut pile and current collector on the stretchable warp-knitted framework. This dual coating allows the horizontal movement of cut piles while protecting brittle electroactive materials from the mechanical force.
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