3 minute read
CANADIAN NEWS
Photo by Shuyao Tan
U of T researchers use machine learning to speed up counting of microplastics
Advertisement
To gain a deeper understanding of the extent of plastic in our world, researchers at the University of Toronto are using machine learning to quantify environmental microplastics in a faster, more affordable way.
Microplastics in the environment are not unexpected , but the standards for how to quantify their levels and how to compare different samples are still emerging. The team established a prediction model that uses trained algorithms to estimate microplastic counts. The approach lets researchers manually process only a fraction of their collected samples and predict the quantity of the rest by applying an algorithm. The researchers say it is less costly and faster than manual counting.
What happens to an industry when it faces a major talent shortage? Progress slows and growth stalls. That’s the reality for Canada’s bioeconomy if trends continue and hiring practices remain the same, according to BioTalent Canada CEO Rob Henderson.
“The talent pipeline should be overflowing, but it’s not,” says Henderson. “Right now, in most sub-sectors of the bio-economy, there will be an average of at least two job openings for every potential candidate. By 2029, that ratio could grow to 4:1.”
To support employers in Canada’s bio-economy, BioTalent Canada has launched its 45 National Occupational Standards (NOS) for Canada’s bio-economy. The tool for bio-economy employers took three years to develop and is expected to aid in fulfilling talent shortages in the industry. More than 40 key roles were analyzed and optimized with the help of partners and industry experts. Companies can use the standards for more effective recruitment, professional development, succession planning, and other HR activities.
According to data from BioTalent Canada’s recently released national labour market information (LMI) study, the bio-economy is forecasted to need an additional 65,000 workers by 2029.
“The NOS will benefit employers, candidates, and the bio-economy as a whole,” says Henderson. “They will help employers recruit effectively for key people within their organization. Having the right people in the right roles will limit turnover and help ease the talent shortage.”
QUANTUM IMAGING LEADS TO UNDERSTANDING DISEASE BETTER
New research out of the University of Waterloo is taking Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technology to new highs — or more accurately, new lows — down to the atomic scale to help improve image clarity. “At a high level, this work could be used to develop quantum technologies to study protein structure and dynamics,” says lead investigator Raffi Budakian, a member of the Institute for Quantum Computing.
MRI works on the millimetre scale. To gain an even clearer image, Budakian’s Nanoscale Magnetic Resonance Imaging Lab takes it down to the angstrom scale, a metric unit of length that is 10 million times smaller than a millimetre. Using quantum sensors, Budakian’s team generated magnetic fields on nanometre light scales for imaging and controlling nuclear spins.
One of these things is not like the others
A special fish found in deep Canadian lakes has caught the attention of University of Toronto biologist Nathan Lovejoy. What makes the sculpin special is that it evolved into similar varieties—deepwater sculpin, freshwater forms of fourhorn sculpin, and marine fourhorn sculpin—which has led to misidentifications and muddled taxonomy. Lovejoy is leading a project looking to sequence the deepwater sculpin’s entire genome, which will help add clarity. His project is supported by CanSeq150, a sequence-based genomics research initiative led by CGen and its partners. Launched in 2014, CGen is a federally funded national platform for genome sequencing and analysis. CanSeq150 commemorates Canada’s sesquicentennial and aims to enable future research in biodiversity and conservation, applications in breeding and biomedicine, as well as technology development, across Canada.
