Bioresource Engineering Senior Seminar Series

Antinutrients are compounds which interfere with the absorption of nutrients in the human body. They are commonly found in cereal grains, legume grains, nuts, and even in some vegetables and fruits. Several studies suggest that the reduction of lifespan, increased infant mortality, and increased infectious disease afflicted people in the Mesolithic period as a result of a change to a predominantly cereal-based diet. Today these grains are still the main our major calorie and protein sources, so we have to fully understand the nutritional shortcomings of these compounds. On the other hand, antinutrients are a double-edged sword, since recent studies have demonstrated that antinutrients such as lectins, protease inhibitors and tannins may have many beneficial properties in the treatment and/or prevention of disease when properly processed. This presentation is going to give an overview of these antinutrients, their deleterious effects on human health, and their potentially beneficial use in pharmaceutical and therapeutic applications.

Reviewers: Jesse Ketler, Sarah Lebel, Cory Zyla

Light emitting diode (LED) lights have been used for a variety of applications in the past few years, from computer equipment to street lights. They are expected to eventually replace traditional lighting systems in agricultural applications, but the technology has yet to be proved effective. This presentation will detail some of the different lighting systems used in greenhouses today along with an overview of my Master’s project, which focuses on determining the effects of LED light on the yield of lettuce grown in greenhouses.

Reviewers: Simone Bourke, Ryan Garber, Heather Gerstmar

The sunny beaches of Barbados draw in thousands of tourists annually and retain heritage value to its citizens. The importance of healthy coastlines is represented in the Coastal Zone Management Unit’s (CZMU) objectives and mandate, which aim to safeguard social, environmental and economic values of its beaches. This study review will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a field study conducted in 2008 in collaboration with McGill University and CZMU. Furthermore, this presentation highlights the importance of Integrated Coastal Zone Management to water quality, wildlife habitat, human development and public interests.

Reviewers: Chehrazade Aboukinane, Sammy Bajwa, Winny Routray

Ahmed Nafea

Bee keeping is considered to be one of the best home activities and businesses for those who live in the countryside. It can be done in backyards and it provides residents with honeybees’ products, as well as providing other community benefits such as pollination for surrounding plants. One of most important difficulties that beekeepers usually face, however, is bee swarming. This presentation will briefly discuss the reasons behind bees’ swarming and different techniques to prevent it.

Reviewers: Eduardo Ganem Cuenca, Carolyn Lee, Candice Young