Sophie Power — Year 3 Mentor: Garima Wilson Introduction Lichens are complex, mutualistic symbiotic organisms that function as integrated biological systems rather than single-species entities. Traditionally defined as an association between a fungal partner and a photosynthetic organism, lichens are now understood to be multi-partner ecosystems that include diverse microbial communities (Hawksworth & Grube, 2020). […]

Sana Seraj — Year 3 Mentor: Teresa Seifried, Serena Chin Introduction According to the United Nations Environment Programme, eight million tonnes of plastic end up in the ocean each year, which can be ingested as microplastics by marine life (UNep, 2017).  Microplastics can absorb organic toxicants from the sea surface microlayer, relaying harm to organisms […]

Sofia Nacho — Year 2, Life Science Introduction In recent years, studies have increasingly emphasized the impact that the gut’s microbiome has on animals, including humans. This highlights the importance of understanding natural methods to support gut health, particularly during periods of microbial imbalance (dysbiosis) Surveys from recent decades rank Canada among the highest in […]

Sophia Liu — Year 2, Life Science Abstract Magnesium-containing minerals are found to exist on Mars, and they play an important role in the chemistry of Martian surfaces and are an essential element for bacterial growth. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the tolerance of microbes to high magnesium environments, especially when high concentrations may […]

Sean Lan — Year 2, Life Science Abstract Allergic rhinitis affects over 400 million people worldwide, yet current pharmacological treatments bear significant side effects and costs, motivating the exploration of botanical alternatives. This study evaluated the effect of rosemary, stinging nettle, and quercetin (individually and in combination) on acid diffusion and buffering capacity in a […]

Herdane Delariarte — Year 2, Life Science Abstract The Philippines is a highly flood-prone country with rapid growth in industrialism. This results in copious amounts of liquid waste to be filtered through methods such as coagulation and flocculation, often with chemicals that pose long-term health risks. The purpose of this experiment was to investigate if […]

Aikman Khunkhun — Year 2, Life Science Abstract Around 20 million people in Canada are affected by digestive disorders according to the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation (Koughnet, 2012). Recently, many dietologists and scientists have begun to recommend individuals suffering with such diseases to consume fruits containing proteases allowing for symptom relief. The ultimate purpose of […]

Kyle Tsui — Year 2, Applied Science Abstract Muon attenuation provides a powerful, non-invasive method for probing subsurface structures and material composition, with applications spanning geophysics and structural integrity assessment. This study evaluates the effectiveness of muon tomography as an alternative non-destructive evaluation (NDE) technique for geotechnical monitoring of coastal infrastructure exposed to high salinity […]

Evan Lam — Year 2, Applied Science Abstract: Fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing is often assumed to produce stronger parts with higher internal infill percentages. However, is more material always better? This study aims to investigate how infill usage and different infill types affect the strength to weight ratio of 3D printed parts, with […]

Anna Kennedy — Year 2, Applied Science                                                                                                                                      Abstract Standardized mist netting is an important tool and is the primary sampling method at many bird observatories and research stations around world. However, mist netting as a technique for estimating bird populations is criticized for susceptibility to outside variables biasing capture data (Mallory et al., 2004). […]