Research news

Learn more about the latest discoveries and innovations from the U of T Engineering community. Our researchers are developing new ways of capturing and storing clean energy, medical devices that can save and extend lives, smarter ways to design and build cities and much more.

Lucie Lalumiere was one of the passengers on the augmented-reality bus tour of U of T's downtown Toronto campus (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)

Augmented-reality bus tour reveals new side of U of T campus

U of T Engineering grad Nima Yasrebi developed an augmented-reality app – using technology similar to Pokémon Go – to enrich hop-on-hop-off bus tours 

Professor Hani Naguib (MIE, MSE) and mechanical engineering students Ali Anwer and Vina Hui discuss their research into custom composite materials for the aerospace, automotive and electronics industries. A new minor in Advanced Manufacturing will enable undergraduate students gain valuable experience with such technologies. (Photo: Kevin Soobrian)

Engineering tomorrow’s economy with a new undergraduate minor option in Advanced Manufacturing

U of T Engineering undergraduate students can choose to learn the techniques, materials and systems that will drive the global innovation economy

Professor Timothy Chan (MIE, left) and Christopher Sun (MIE PhD candidate) studied data on cardiac arrest locations in Toronto to determine a list of “Top 10” businesses where placing automated external defibrillators would save lives — Tim Hortons coffee shops topped the rankings. (Credit: Marit Mitchell).

Coffee shops, 24-hour ATMs the best locations for life-saving AEDs, research shows

U of T Engineering team creates list of top 10 businesses where placing automatic external defibrillators would save lives

Professor Shoshanna Saxe (CivE) analyses the environmental and social impact of large public transit infrastructure projects, equipping policymakers with data as they decide which investments to make. (Photo: Tyler Irving)

Infrastructure’s impact: How public transit affects our environment

Shoshanna Saxe applies engineering methodologies to measure the social and environmental impact of transit projects

Pavani Cherukupally (MIE PhD candidate) has designed a system that uses ordinary sponges to remove droplets of oil or other contaminants dispersed in water. Her technology could help remediate of oil sands tailings ponds, a major environmental challenge for Canada. (Photo: Kevin Soobrian)

Sponging up oil from tailings ponds

Pavani Cherukupally is designing a sponge-based system to clean up contaminated wastewater, with potential to help clean spills in Alberta’s oil sands and elsewhere

Elizabeth Edwards is the director of BioZone, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry and a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Her research leverages genomics, microbiology and engineering to clean up contaminated industrial sites around the world. (Credit: Matthew Volpe)

The invisible clean-up crew: Engineering microbial cultures to destroy pollutants

Professor Elizabeth Edwards is leveraging genomics, microbiology and engineering to clean up contaminated industrial sites around the world

The new perovskite solar cells have achieved an efficiency of 20.1 per cent and can be manufactured at low temperatures, which reduces the cost and expands the number of possible applications. (Photo: Kevin Soobrian)

Printable solar cells just got a little closer

New research removes a key barrier to large-scale manufacture of low-cost, printable perovskite solar cells

Professor Fae Azhari (MIE, CivE) holds a sample of the self-sensing concrete she designed. Her work helps monitor the structural health of crucial infrastructure such as bridges, roads and hydroelectric dams. (Credit: Roberta Baker).

Concrete check-up: Fae Azhari develops diagnostics for critical infrastructure

U of T Engineering professor develops novel approaches to monitoring the health of large structures, from bridges to hydroelectric dams

Professor Levente Diosady (centre) and his team developed a way to fortify salt with both iron and iodine. The product is now being distributed to more than 24 million people in India’s Uttar Pradesh state. (Photo: Mark Balson)

Double-fortified salt to improve nutrition for 24 million in Uttar Pradesh

U of T Engineering invention provides a simple, effective way to help people whose diets are lacking in iron