Montreal is leading the way in emerging technologies
On October 11–12th, Concordia’s District 3 was proud to host the SingularityU Canada Summit Montreal Satellite Event. By partnering with SingularityU Canada, the Montreal community contributed to a Canada-wide discussion on the challenges and opportunities given the technological shift taking place at an exponential rate.
Emerging technologies are radically changing our society and the way we live, work, and relate to one another at an unprecedented rate. In its scale and complexity, the transformation will be unlike anything humankind has experienced before. As a result, our community needs to develop new ways of adapting to these significant changes.
With over 170,000 university students and an array of internationally recognized researchers and experts, Montreal is a unique city ripe with the opportunity to be recognized as a leading innovation ecosystem. As Xavier-Henri Hervé, founder and director of District 3, mentioned:
“Montreal is unique. We’re one of the few cities that has experts in synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, genomics, all within arms reach.”
Montreal’s Top Minds Are Accelerating the Future
Throughout the event, participants had the opportunity to hear from Montreal’s top minds. Whether it’s synthesizing organic matter to produce more effective drugs, editing the human genome, or using AI to increase human intelligence — all were considered to be a few years away. They are now becoming a reality with their applications being used in several industries such as pharmaceuticals, genetics, and textiles to name a few.
Synthesizing the Next Wave of Pharmaceuticals
Synthetic biology is a growing, versatile field. Nowadays you can synthesize anything, from meat to fabric. But, what’s even more interesting, is ability to synthesize pharmaceutical drugs by using genetically altered plants.
Shoham Mookerjee is the CTO at Hyasynth Bio, a District 3 startup, is synthesizing strains of yeast to produce the active compounds of weed, more specifically THC. He presented at SingularityU Montreal Summit, demonstrating how these synthesized cannabinoids can be used to create a new set of drugs.
Drugs derived from weed have had positive effects on patients suffering from seizures and cancers. They have also been shown to have less harmful side effects on patients.
Hyasynth hopes to mass produce a stable, standardized, pure supply of cannabinoid which will drastically change the drug industry. Bringing in new and more effective drugs, which can help more people.
The miracles brought on by synthetic biology isn’t limited to drug discovery. In the last twenty years have revealed a new technology that can help us understand and possibly editing the human genome.
Unlocking Our Genome using CRISPR
The latest in medical innovation is CRISPR. The technology has garnered much attention in recent years. It is, what most scientists are calling, the next breakthrough in genomics.
Alan Peterson is Montreal’s foremost expert on CRISPR Technology; using it in his own lab to synthesise genetically altered mice to be used in training in gene engineering technology. Dr. Peterson gave us an insightful look into the future of human evolution.
CRISPR is unique. It gives us the ability to alter our genome. A feat which was only available to nature. As Dr. Peterson explained, “once inside the cell, it [CRISPR] will go to the specific part of the DNA sequence you tell it to go to.” The technology can give us the power to insert or replace a gene, turn genes on or off — the possibilities are endless.
Recent animal experiments using CRISPR therapy have proven fruitful. Scientists have been able to repair damaged muscles caused by Huntington’s disease, reverse the aging in mice and even began to edit human embryos.
The technology is still in an early phase, but that hasn’t stopped us from imagining the possibilities. Envision a world where genetic disease is eradicated, where you won’t grow old, this could be the future.
Editing our DNA is a long term solution to ensure we have healthy lives. This has left the door open for more immediate solutions, coming in the form of smart textiles.
Smart Textiles and Biometric Data
How will we take better care of ourselves, and how can we monitor our health? Joanna Berzowska, Concordia’s Associate Dean Research of the Faculty of Fine Arts and founder of XS Labs, tackled this conundrum in a surprising way.
Biometric clothing is taking the fashion industry by storm, providing people with a new way of tracking their health, while also being aesthetically pleasing.
For Joanna this is where the magic happens. By creating a seamless experience, biometrics allows for us to gather crucial data while not impeding our lifestyle. According to Joanna,
“by adapting biometrics with advanced algorithmics, it will allow us to predict future behaviours and help us to lead better, healthier lives.”
Biometrics has given us the power to better track and enhance our bodies.
AI Will Amplify Our Intelligence
AI technologies are all around us from our phone, when we ask Siri for directions, or to provide personalized recommendations to what to watch on Netflix.
Though still in its infancy, AI will soon surpass human intelligence. Especially with Rahul Mehrotra and his team helping it along. As a product manager at Maluuba Inc, a deep-learning and AI startup (recently acquired by Microsoft), Rahul and his team focus on teaching deep-learning machines how to understand human language.
For him, AI presents humanity with the opportunity to amplify our intelligence. As he mentioned, combining the intelligence of humans with the processing power of machines allows us to tackle seemingly insurmountable problems.
We can see this today with doctors using AI systems to detect and treat early signs of Alzheimer’s, and with large stores such as Macy’s, who are using AI bots to better serve their customers.
Others aren’t welcoming the new advancements in AI. Elon Musk’s latest startup Neuralink is harnessing the power of computers to give our brains a leg-up in the race between AI and humanity. According to Musk, creating artificial intelligence is like summoning the demon — the pentagram and the holy water won’t cut it.
There is something to be said about being prepared. As AI advances at an increasing rate, will humanity be able to keep up? Whatever the future holds, it is clear that AI will play a huge role in our daily lives.
First Step into the Future
Participants not only learned about the future, but also experienced it. The labs offered the unique opportunity to experiment with the latest advancements in brain computer interfaces.
NeuroServo, a Montreal based BCI startup, allowed participants to test their level of concentration through the use of a specialized cap. By adapting to the individual’s brain waves, the cap is able to analyze patterns and alert the wearer when they are concentrating.
NeuroServo hopes the cap will aid in the development of personalized attention rehabilitation solutions for those suffering from attention problems.
This is just scratching the surface. By understanding the way a child concentrates can give teachers the insights to create more engaging lessons, better suited to each child’s ability. It could revolutionize the academic community, encouraging more experiential learn rather than traditional methods.
The Future is Fast Approaching
There is no doubt that emerging technologies are changing our society. The best way to prepare for this shift is to educate ourselves. One way to do so is through events like SingularityU Canada Summit Montreal Satellite Event.
The summit united individuals who wanted to learn and take action. Giving them the opportunity to meet Montreal’s talented researchers and experts who are creating huge advancements in health, prosperity, energy, and citizenship.
If this quick reflection resonated with you or if you feel that more people should think about issues like these, comment on the article.
