Abstract
Sustainability has many facets and, in this presentation, I will share my recent research endeavors aimed at advancing sustainability in the realms of energy, water, and medicine. The first part of my talk delves into electrochemical transport phenomena in energy storage systems, with a focus on Li plating and dendritic growth on graphite/Li-metal anode, which are the leading causes of degradation and catastrophic failure for batteries under fast charging conditions. Deep understanding of these phenomena would facilitate the design of strategies to reduce, or completely suppress, the onset of lithium plating on the graphite anode, and the instabilities characterizing electrodeposition on the lithium metal anode.
In the second part of my talk, I will present my recent work on the efficient estimation of evapotranspiration for smart agriculture. This includes advancements that accelerate computational time by two orders of magnitude compared to the current standard approach. Finally, I will discuss two biomedical applications: blood transfusion and hypertonic treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). These efforts contribute to sustainable energy conversion and storage, sustainable agricultural practices, and sustainable blood management, steering us towards a more sustainable future.
Biography
Weiyu Li is a postdoctoral scholar in the Departments of Physics and Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University. Her research focuses on modeling and simulation of electrochemical transport in energy storage systems. She received her PhD in Energy Science and Engineering from Stanford University. Her other research interests include data assimilation and biomedical modeling. Prior to her doctoral studies, Weiyu obtained her M.Sc. degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University. Weiyu is the sole recipient of the Siebel Scholars Award in Energy Science, class of 2023. She has also received Henry J. Ramey Fellowship Award at Stanford University, and the Princeton University Fellowship in Natural Sciences and Engineering.
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Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, and often fatal disorder for which there are two FDA-approved anti-fibrotic drugs, nintedanib, and pirfenidone. While these drugs slow the rate of decline in lung function, responses are variable and side effects are common. Using an in-silico data-driven approach, we identified a strong inverse connection between the transcriptomic perturbations in IPF disease and those induced by saracatinib, a selective Src kinase inhibitor, originally developed for oncological indications. Accordingly, we investigated the anti-fibrotic efficacy of saracatinib relative to nintedanib and pirfenidone in three preclinical models: (i) in vitro in normal human lung fibroblasts (NHLFs); (ii) in vivo in bleomycin and recombinant adenovirus transforming growth factor-beta (Ad-TGF-β) murine models of pulmonary fibrosis; and (iii) ex vivo in mice and human precision cut lung slices from these two murine models as well as from patients with IPF and healthy donors. In each model, the effectiveness of saracatinib in blocking fibrogenic responses was equal or superior to nintedanib and pirfenidone. Transcriptomic analyses of TGF-β-stimulated NHLFs identified specific gene sets associated with fibrosis including epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), TGF-β, and WNT signaling that was uniquely altered by saracatinib. Transcriptomic analysis of whole lung extracts from the two animal models of pulmonary fibrosis revealed that saracatinib reverted many fibrogenic pathways including EMT, immune responses, and extracellular matrix organization. Amelioration of fibrosis and inflammatory cascades in human precision cut lung slices confirmed the potential therapeutic efficacy of saracatinib in human lung fibrosis. These studies identify novel Src-dependent fibrogenic pathways and support the study of the therapeutic effectiveness of saracatinib in IPF treatment.
Biography
Dr. Downey received his MD from the University of Manitoba and completed Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston. He then completed clinical training in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Colorado, Denver. He undertook post-doctoral research training in Immunology in the laboratory of Dr. Peter Henson at National Jewish Health. He was appointed Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto rising through the ranks to become the Director of the Division of Respirology, Professor and Vice-Chair, Department of Medicine, and the recipient of a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Respiration Sciences. Dr. Downey returned to Colorado as Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost and Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics, and Immunology and Genomic Medicine at National Jewish Health, and Professor of Medicine and Immunology and Microbiology and Associate Dean of the School of Medicine, University of Colorado. His current research interests include innate immunity, signaling mechanisms involved in acute lung injury/ARDS, the effects of particulate matter exposure on lung health, and mechanisms and treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the US Department of Defense for over 30 years. Dr. Downey has >250 publications in top ranked journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, Science, Science Translational Medicine, Nature Cell Biology, the Journal of Cell Biology, the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the Journal of Experimental Medicine, Blood, PNAS, the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, and the Journal of Immunology and his work has been cited over 23,000 times by other authors (h-index 83). Dr. Downey is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the Association of American Physicians, the American Thoracic Society, the American College of Chest Physicians, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He currently serves as the Immediate Past President of the American Thoracic Society.
This talk presents some preliminary findings from an in-process study of hydrocarbon-eating microbes and the humans who have discovered, researched, cared for, grown, killed, sold, and otherwise interacted with them. Following some discussion of why this topic seems of interest in and beyond anthropology and science/technology studies, I focus on some historical examples that range from the early years of petroleum microbiology in Russia through the Cold War-era race to develop “petroprotein.” I conclude with some questions prompted by contemporary research in this field, including but not limited to bioremediation.
Douglas Rogers
is Professor of Anthropology at Yale University and author of two award-winning books about Russia. For the past few years, he has been collecting materials for a new research project about the history and contemporary practice of petroleum microbiology and biotechnology. He was recently named a 2024 Fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
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Academic libraries are facing a myriad number of challenges and opportunities ahead. AI is just one example. Paint a picture of the science library of the future – what will it offer to remain core to teaching, learning, research and the overall student experience? How will you, as a leader, prepare the health science and science libraries for that future?
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Abstract
Bioaugmentation has emerged as an effective way to remediate groundwater of anthropogenic contaminants, such as chloroform (CF) and dichloromethane (DCM). The Dehalobacter genus can anaerobically respire many of these chlorinated compounds using reductive dehalogenases, often as part of a heterogenous microbial community. One such community is SC05, which dechlorinates CF completely to carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Despite its effective use at contaminated sites, prior to this work SC05 remained unstudied in terms of taxonomy and broader metabolism, without identification of the active DCM degrader(s?). This thesis seeks to ascertain key microbes in the culture and their metabolic mechanisms using experimental, metagenomic, and metabolic modelling approaches.
A unique characteristic of “self-feeding” is first established in SC05, wherein electron equivalents produced from DCM mineralization are harnessed for CF dechlorination. An SC05 subculture continually dechlorinated CF for over 1400 days with no exogenous electron donor. Dehalobacter was the only bacterial genus that grew in either the CF dechlorination or DCM mineralization phase, implicating it as a key mediator of both CF and DCM degradation. Dehalobacter expressed a single reductive dehalogenase that dechlorinates CF to DCM but has no activity on DCM, as well as the mec cassette—core proteins for DCM degradation. These two modules were within 10 kb in a single genomic neighbourhood.
Two unique Dehalobacter genomes were ultimately assembled, each of which encoded the acd- mec neighbourhood. When assessed pangenomically, this region was designated as a mobile genetic element resulting from horizontal gene transfer between Dehalobacter strains. Each strain could employ this shared genetic cargo to dechlorinate CF and mineralize DCM, with differing dynamics dependant on culture conditions. Genome-scale metabolic models of each strain were curated to predict and compare metabolism during each remediation step.
Overall, this work elucidates some of the former mysteries of SC05, informing considerations for field application such as electron donor demand. It also highlights the importance of hydrogen cycling and microbial syntrophy in anaerobic DCM degradation. Fundamentally, it expands the typical assumptions of the metabolic rigidity of Dehalobacter genus and posits mechanisms of evolution and horizontal gene transfer as it pertains to adaptation of microbial communities to anthropogenic chemicals.
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Abstract: Food fortification programs aim to provide meaningful amounts of micronutrients (e.g., 30%-50% of the daily adult requirements) at the average consumption level of one or more food vehicles. Foods that can be fortified include wheat and wheat products, maize, rice, milk and milk products, cooking oils, salt, sugar, and condiments. New vehicles widely and regularly consumed in certain regions, like bouillon cubes, flavouring sauces, or tea, are also gaining new attention. Micronutrient premixes for home fortification are also being promoted. Depending on the food processing methods, adding the micronutrients can be facilitated using different approaches to maximize nutrient retention. These include dry mixing, dissolution in water/oil, micronization, spraying, adhesion, coating, extrusion, micro-encapsulation, and dry mixing.
Cost, bioavailability, sensory acceptability, and stability (during storage and cooking) are the critical criteria for determining the best match between the nutrient and food vehicle. When added to food or beverage carriers, specific vitamins and minerals could interact with each other and the food, reducing their bioavailability and organoleptic quality. The development of appropriate technology to optimize the effectiveness of fortification needs special attention.
Better refining procedures and packaging have significantly improved the stability of iodine compounds in salt and vitamin A in cooking oils. The structure of the compounds can also be modified to improve absorption. In the case of iron, stabilizers, chelating agents, and absorption enhancers could be added along with the fortificant to retain it in an absorbable form or improve absorption. The extrusion and micro-encapsulation of micronutrients can ensure nutrient stability while ensuring breakdown and absorption in the gut. Technological improvements in the analytical methods for testing fortified foods have been developed specifically to monitor nutrient retention from production to consumption.
Speaker Bio
M.G. Venkatesh Mannar has pioneered several effective international nutrition, technology, and development initiatives focused on the world’s most vulnerable citizens. A chemical engineer and food technologist by training, Mannar served as the President of the Micronutrient Initiative Canada (MI) for nearly 20 years until February 2014. He directed the organization’s mission to develop, implement, and monitor cost-effective and sustainable solutions to address micronutrient deficiencies. Mannar’s work has focused on the world’s most vulnerable citizens, including staple food fortification, vitamin A supplementation, and scale-up of biofortified food production and marketing. His work on iodization and multiple fortification of salt has been scaled up to benefit billions of people worldwide. The double-fortified salt (with iron and iodine) and multiply fortified salts he worked on at the University of Toronto are being scaled in India and other countries. He has co-authored over 100 articles in leading nutrition journals and is the co-editor of ‘Food Fortification in a Globalized World. Mannar pursues research and teaching as an Adjunct Professor at the Centre for Global Engineering at the University of Toronto. He was co-chair of the Independent Expert Group for the Global Nutrition Report 2020 – the leading and most authoritative report on Global Nutrition. He has also served on the Technical Advisory Boards of leading multinational food companies. In 2013, Mannar was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, one of the country’s greatest civilian honors, for his leadership in the global fight against malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency. In 2015, the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce felicitated him with an Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award. In Jun 2016, he was conferred with an Honorary Doctor of Science Degree by the University of Toronto.
Dr. Jean-Christophe Leroux
Full Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences
Deputy Head of Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, ETH Zürich
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a versatile technology enabling the cost-effective production of personalized medical devices. Among various 3D printing methods, digital light processing (DLP) stands out for its ability to rapidly create objects with high precision. However, the fabrication of bioresorbable medical devices using DLP is in part limited by the limited choice of suitable biomedical inks. In this study, we developed innovative polyester-based inks enabling DLP printing of therapeutic devices with adjustable mechanical characteristics and degradation profiles. The most promising materials were utilized to design biodegradable customized airway stents. These stents degraded into soft hydrogels in vitro and completely disappeared seven weeks after insertion in rabbits. Additionally, the 3D printed stents could be loaded with drugs like levofloxacin or nintedanib, and their release kinetics could be tailored by modifying the copolymer composition. Furthermore, we engineered near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive stents containing gold nanorods using tunable ink compositions. This allowed for the creation of shape-memory stents that expand upon NIR light activation, facilitating easy deployment. Lastly, DLP served as a prototyping method for the fabrication and optimization of mucosal suction patches investigated for transbuccal drug delivery. These studies open new perspectives for the rapid manufacturing of complex devices with superior properties.
Speaker Bio
Jean-Christophe Leroux is a full professor of Drug Formulation and Delivery at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the ETH Zurich, Switzerland. He has made important fundamental and applied contributions to the fields of biomaterials and drug delivery and has been involved in the development of innovative bio-detoxification systems for the treatment of metabolite disorders. He is a fellow of the AAPS, EURASC, French Academy of Pharmacy, and the CRS, and the co-founder of the start-up pharmaceutical companies Versantis AG, Inositec AG and OBaris AG.