September 30, 2012
Changes in ocean and climate systems could lead to smaller fish, according to a new study led by fisheries scientists at the University of British Columbia.
The study, published today in the journal Nature Climate Change, provides the first-ever global projection of the potential reduction in the maximum size of fish in a warmer and less-oxygenated ocean.
September 25, 2012
Carl Hansen, UBC Physics and Astronomy professor and member of the Center for High-Throughput Biology, is one of several UBC researchers who have received $4.5 million in federal support for multidisciplinary initiatives that combine science, engineering and medical expertise.
Carl Hansen has received $965,950 to continue his research on increasing the speed and sensitivity of DNA analysis through microengineering. Other projects include new antibacterial surface coatings for medical devices, a better cure for liver cancer and 3D imaging for surgical procedures.
September 25, 2012
UBC researchers have outfitted two BC subspecies of Swainson's thrushes with penny-sized, state-of-the-art geolocators in order to map their wildly divergent migration routes and pinpoint conservation hotspots.
"Birds of a feather do not necessarily flock together," says Kira Delmore, a PhD student with the Department of Zoology and lead author on the paper. "Our teams of thrushes took dramatically different routes to get to their wintering grounds, either south along the west coast to Central America, or southeast to Alabama and across the Gulf of Mexico to Columbia."
September 19, 2012
UBC has partnered with US-based Coursera to offer genetics, computer science and climate literacy courses online--bringing the university’s expertise within reach of anyone with Internet access.
Starting spring 2013, UBC will pilot three non-credit courses taught by renowned UBC faculty and researchers through Coursera’s online learning platform.
September 5, 2012
UBC Science's Anne Condon and Michael Doebeli are among 71 fellows elected to the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) this year.
Anne Condon, UBC Computer Science Department Head, has advanced the understanding of the computing time and memory needed to solve classical computational problems. She also developed algorithms for predicting and designing nucleic acid secondary structures.
August 31, 2012
Outreach programs that offer a taste of real-world science and pair secondary students with enthusiastic young researchers are key to promoting careers in science and technology, according to UBC researchers.
In a paper published this week in PLoS Computational Biology, UBC researchers document their work on the Genomics Field Trip Program hosted at the Michael Smith Laboratories (MSL). Joanne Fox, Jennifer McQueen and Jody Wright outline the benefits of research-based field trips, offering a blueprint for designing science outreach programs.
August 30, 2012
Two young UBC Science researchers, one studying the impact of climate change on coastal ecosystems, the other investigating the synthesis of a naturally occurring antibiotic, have been awarded Vanier scholarships.
UBC zoologist Joanna Bernhardt's research will involve installing fully protected marine reserves in ocean 'cold spots' to gather information. The work will advance the science needed to support the marine policies that will help sustain the coastal ecosystems over the next century and beyond.
August 24, 2012
Iceland’s geothermal hotsprings and majestic glaciers are attracting a new type of adventure seeker to the small island nation.
ISCI 361 – an intensive, three-week field course launched this May by UBC – takes science students to the nordic country and offers them a broad, in situ view of sustainability issues. Iceland’s dramatic geological features, geothermal and hydroelectric energy infrastructure, unique climate, and cultural and political influences serve as a self-contained living lab for the third-year class.
August 23, 2012
The US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) has recognized UBC statistician Liangliang Wang for her research questioning the accuracy of a popular algorithm used in chlamydia screening tests.
Wang and her co-authors used computer simulated scenarios to test the accuracy of the patient estimation algorithm (PISA). The PISA is used to produce sensitivity and specificity estimates for
Chlamydia trachomatis screening results, and is widely published and included in Food and Drug Administration-approved materials.
August 20, 2012
NASA has approved funding for the Mars InSight lander, a mission that will enable scientists, including UBC geophysicist Catherine Johnson, to gather the first seismic information from any planet other than Earth.
"We’ve all been captivated by the Mars Rover's stunning images of the surface of Mars, and this is our chance to peer into the 'hidden' processes that shaped that landscape," says Johnson, the only Canadian on the mission's scientific team.
