News
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Aquatic biodiversity key to sustainable, nutrient-rich diets
April 5, 2021
Seafood is a pillar of global food security—long recognized for its protein content. But research is highlighting a critical new link between the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems and the micronutrient-rich seafood diets that help combat micronutrient deficiencies, or ‘hidden hunger… read more
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Canadian-built laser chills antimatter to near absolute zero for first time
March 31, 2021
Researchers with the CERN-based ALPHA collaboration have announced the world’s first laser-based manipulation of antimatter, leveraging a made-in-Canada laser system to cool a sample of antimatter down to near absolute zero. The achievement, detailed in an article published… read more
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Mystery of photosynthetic algae evolution finally solved
March 30, 2021
New research in Nature Communications details the painstaking unraveling and reconstruction of a key protein in a single-celled, photosynthetic organism called a cryptophyte, a type of algae that evolved over a billion years ago. Up until now, how cryptophytes acquired the proteins used to… read more
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From modest digs at UBC, Canadian Earth science journal celebrates 100 years
March 11, 2021
The Canadian Mineralogist, a peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes papers from worldwide authors on all aspects of mineralogy, crystallography, petrology, geochemistry and mineral deposits, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. In typical Canadian fashion, the journal operates on… read more
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Blue herons identified as a significant juvenile salmon predator
March 8, 2021
Pacific great blue herons could be scooping up as many as three percent of all juvenile salmon and as many as six percent in some years with low water flow, according to a new University of British Columbia study. The study, published in The Canadian Journal of Zoology, is the first to estimate… read more
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CFI funding bolsters UBC Science research in physics, new materials
March 3, 2021
Three UBC Science-led projects have received $13.7 million in infrastructure support through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), with researchers across the Faculty involved in another four new projects receiving an additional $25 million in funding. The funding is part of $518 million in… read more
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UBC chemist helps create new compostable coffee pod
February 22, 2021
Dr. Zac Hudson believes your morning cup of coffee should be strong and guilt-free. That’s why the University of British Columbia scientist has spent the past three years creating a new fully compostable coffee pod with Surrey-based NEXE Innovations. “Every year more than 40 billion… read more
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UBC biologist recognized as one of North America’s top young scientists
February 16, 2021
UBC biologist Dr. Ben Matthews is a recipient of a 2021 Sloan Research Fellowship, an award which celebrates top early career researchers. Matthews heads a UBC lab that studies the genetics, genomics and behavior of mosquitoes, which are considered some of the deadliest animals in the world due… read more
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Portrait of young galaxy throws theory of galaxy formation on its head
February 11, 2021
Scientists, including a researcher at the University of British Columbia, are challenging our current understanding of how galaxies form by unveiling pictures of a young galaxy in the early life of the Universe which appears surprisingly mature. The galaxy, dubbed ALESS 073.1, appears to have all… read more
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New twist on cuprates could offer topological superconductivity at higher temperatures
February 4, 2021
Superconductivity is an essential ingredient in many existing and future technologies. Topological superconductors in particular offer great promise in fault-tolerant quantum computing. But the existing materials are sensitive and expensive to study. Now physicists at the University of British… read more