News
-
Slowed metabolism helps geese fly high
September 3, 2019
A few years before NASA astronaut Jessica Meir began learning to fly a spacecraft for her upcoming trip to the International Space Station, she was in flight-training of a different kind: teaching bar-headed geese how to fly in a wind tunnel at the University of British Columbia. The goal was to… read more
-
Small changes, big gains: Simple worksheets dramatically boost learning in STEM classes
August 28, 2019
Low-cost, active teaching techniques—particularly group work and worksheets—substantially improve learning in university science classes, according to a new study involving 3,700 University of British Columbia (UBC) biology students. "Many university STEM classes continue to rely on… read more
-
UBC, U Paris chemists discover new way to recycle CO2
July 25, 2019
University of British Columbia (UBC) and University of Paris researchers have used an abundant and low-cost catalyst to efficiently transform carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide, a stable, industrial gas. The research—published today in Science—describes a fundamentally different way… read more
-
UBC-led project combats emissions by locking carbon dioxide in mine waste
July 23, 2019
Two Canadian mines will pilot University of British Columbia-led research that combats greenhouse gas emissions by trapping carbon dioxide in mine tailings, the waste left over from ore mining. The technology could drastically reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of mining operations and result in… read more
-
Could genomics turn pulp's ‘black liquor’ into consumer goods?
July 19, 2019
UBC research designed to turn ‘black liquor’—a by-product of pulp and paper manufacture—into consumer goods has received funding from Genome BC and the BC Pulp and Paper Bio-Alliance. The project, led by UBC microbiologist Lindsay Eltis and valued at $500,000, will develop… read more
-
Gut check: Researchers uncover high levels of CO2 in digestive tracts of fish
July 18, 2019
Researchers have made the first direct measurements of CO2 levels in the digestive tract of live fish — uncovering levels much higher than the fish would experience under climate change scenarios or aquaculture. “There’s a lot of debate regarding how elevated water CO2 levels… read more
-
Pokémon-like card game can help teach ecology: UBC research
July 17, 2019
Playing a Pokémon-like card game about ecology and biodiversity can result in broader knowledge of species and a better understanding of ecosystems than traditional teaching methods, like slideshows, according to new research from the University of British Columbia. An open… read more
-
Spawn of the triffid? Tiny organisms give us glimpse into complex evolutionary tale
July 17, 2019
Two newly discovered organisms point to the existence of an ancient organism that resembled a tiny version of the lumbering, human-eating science fiction plants known as ‘triffids,’ according to research in Nature. The microscopic protists Rhodelphis limneticus and Rhodelphis marinus… read more
-
DNA analysis reveals cryptic underwater ecosystem engineers
July 11, 2019
They look like smears of pink bubblegum on the rocks off British Columbia’s coast, indistinguishable from one another. But a new DNA analysis of coralline algae led by UBC and Hakai Institute researchers has revealed a wealth of different species – a diversity that could hold the key… read more
-
Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, and Microbiology and Immunology welcome new heads
June 25, 2019
Philippe Tortell and Michael Murphy have been appointed heads of the departments of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, and Microbiology and Immunology, respectively. Their terms begin July 1, 2019. "Both Michael and Philippe have strong academic and administrative records and are held in high… read more