News
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New funding boosts UBC research into enhanced cannabis cultivars
October 27, 2020
More than $4.2 million in federal, provincial and industry support announced this week will bolster UBC research into enhanced cannabis cultivars, with a particular focus on disease resistance. The project--Fast-Track Breeding of Powdery Mildew-Resistant Cannabis--is being led by UBC researchers… read more
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Q&A: How the human right to a healthy environment can help protect us all
October 27, 2020
From the COVID-19 pandemic to the raging wildfires in Australia and the U.S., scientific evidence shows an increase in planetary environmental emergencies that pose a risk to Canadian and global communities. While many countries recognize the right to a healthy environment through constitutions,… read more
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UBC researcher wins 2020 Volvo Environment Prize
October 13, 2020
UBC conservation biologist Claire Kremen is this year's winner of the Volvo Environment Prize, recognizing her world-class research on how humanity can feed itself while also protecting biodiversity. Since its inception in 1990, the Volvo Environment Prize has become one of the scientific world… read more
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Camera traps show impact of recreational activity on wildlife
September 24, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has fired up interest in outdoor activities in our parks and forests. Now a new UBC study highlights the need to be mindful of how these activities may affect wildlife living in protected areas. Researchers placed motion-activated cameras on the trails in and around the… read more
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Science researchers join Royal Society of Canada
September 8, 2020
Three UBC Science researchers have been elected to the Royal Society of Canada. Election to the RSC is the highest honour a scholar can achieve in the arts, humanities and sciences in Canada. The 2020 UBC Science fellows are: Mark Halpern (Physics & Astronomy) Mark Halpern’s research… read more
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Long live the queen: UBC scientists find clues to queen bee failure
September 8, 2020
Scientists at UBC are unravelling the mysteries behind a persistent problem in commercial beekeeping that is one of the leading causes of colony mortality—queen bee failure. This occurs when the queen fails to produce enough fertilized eggs to maintain the hive, and is regularly cited by… read more
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Five UBC Science students receive Canada’s largest STEM scholarship
September 2, 2020
First-year UBC Science students Susan Chung, Aidan Eglin, Rita Jin, Romina Mahinpei and Niki McIntosh have been named 2020 Schulich Leader Scholars. They were among 1,400 nominees across Canada competing for 100 of the $80,000 scholarships. “Schulich Leader Scholarships are the premiere… read more
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UBC researchers help detect the most massive black hole collision ever observed
September 2, 2020
An international team of researchers, including scientists with the University of British Columbia’s gravitational wave astrophysics group, has detected a signal from what may be the most massive black hole merger yet observed. The discovery, outlined in papers published today in Physical… read more
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Fisheye lens: How fish keep their eyes sharp
August 25, 2020
Scientists have identified a mechanism in the eyes of fish that boosts the retina's oxygen supply more than 10-fold and enhances the fish’s ability to process visual input. The mechanism—a gas gland within the eye—may have contributed to the extraordinary adaptive radiation of… read more
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Deglaciation will cause water shortages for Alberta’s Bighorn Dam and other sites
August 6, 2020
Alberta’s largest water reservoir, the Bighorn Dam, is among four locations in the province most at risk of summer water shortages due to future glacier loss, according to new research from the University of British Columbia. In a study outlined in Nature Climate Change, researchers… read more