CAPSTONE DESIGN PARTICIPANTS
Charis Abigail Go
Derek Li
Zihan Li
Jackie Tam
InfluSense: Microfluidic Influenza Diagnostic Device
11
Influenza viruses have significant disease incidence and prevalence, negatively affecting industry, the healthcare system and, more critically, patients. A key factor in preventing these outbreaks is to detect the virus at its source, for disease management in humans and livestock and for management of zoonotic transmission. Our proposed solution utilizes a microfluidic device, which is both cost-effective and simple to use, to detect influenza virus. Employing gold nanoparticles that change colour in the presence of influenza virus provides a simple colorimetric readout for detection on a small chip. This will allow farmers and healthcare workers to easily test for influenza, managing outbreaks.
Consultant: Marc Aucoin
Kaitlyn Ham
Alexandra Heater
Alexandra Rousseau
Yavora Videnova
Industrial CO₂ Recycling System Using Ag and Cu Nanoparticles
12
Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) has been identified as a large contributor to climate change through the greenhouse effect. Our project aims to tackle the problem of carbon pollution by increasing the useful lifetime of CO2 before it’s released into the atmosphere. We plan to recycle CO2 by electrocatalytically reducing it into other products, including fuels, using metallic nanoparticles. By designing an industrial system that flows CO2 through substrates coated in silver and copper nanoparticles respectively, we’ll produce carbon monoxide and other hydrocarbons. This innovative system allows companies to reduce their carbon footprint while reusing fuels that would otherwise be lost.
Consultant: Ahmad Ghavami
Mitch Ball
Zachary Gariepy
Eric Lee
Alyssha Schneider
Greenhouse CO₂ Supplementation to Promote Plant Growth
13
Two of the major challenges faced by humanity are climate change and nourishment of our population. To aid both of these issues, we have designed a carbon dioxide (CO2) supplementation system that will collect CO2 from the atmosphere and recirculate it within greenhouses. This environmentally friendly membrane filtration apparatus will elevate CO2 levels to optimal growth conditions for plants. By utilizing an easily retrofitted membrane for gaseous filtration, our system has the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of greenhouses and improve safety compared to current gas supplementation methods whilst requiring minimal upkeep and system downtime.
Consultant: Eric Prouzet
Abby Bull
Tessah Costello
Elias Trouyet
Anneke Van Heuven
AlgoBio: Bio-based Flame Retardant Coating for Automotive Textiles
14
Flame resistance of textiles used within vehicles is of great significance to the automotive industry. Most textiles cannot meet the necessary flame resistance requirements if untreated, yet many flame retardant solutions are prohibited due to toxicity concerns. Our solution is a non-toxic and bio-based flame-retardant coating for automotive textiles. It uses a biopolymer from algae, known as alginate, which possesses intrinsic flame retardant abilities. Our coating combines an alginate polymer matrix with embedded nanoparticles that provide added flame resistance. This solution starkly contrasts with other commercially available flame retardants, as it prioritizes flame resistance while minimizing toxicity and environmental concerns.
Consultant: Leonardo Simon