News
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Canada 150 Research Chair in evolutionary genomics joins UBC Science
March 29, 2018
Judith Mank, an evolutionary biologist internationally recognized for her research into the genetic causes and evolutionary consequences of differences between the sexes, will join the University of British Columbia this year. Mank, Josef Penninger and Azim Shariff are the latest international… read more
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Researchers capture first representative of most abundant giant viruses in the sea
March 28, 2018
Bodo saltans virus, the first isolated representative of the most abundant giant viruses in the sea, has been unveiled by researchers at the University of British Columbia. The virus, whose genome weighs in at 1.39 million bases of DNA, is one of the largest giant viruses ever isolated, and the… read more
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New pheromone insight may help predict mountain pine beetle outbreaks
March 19, 2018
Researchers at the University of British Columbia have shed new light on how mountain pine beetles produce an important pheromone called trans-verbenol, which could aid in efforts to better predict outbreaks. In recent years, mountain pine beetles have destroyed more than 25 million hectares of… read more
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Coral reefs suffering in Philippines despite outlawing damaging fishing practices
March 16, 2018
Some of the fishing methods used in today’s small-scale fisheries are causing more damage to coral reefs than ever, a new UBC study has found. The study, conducted in the Philippines by the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries’ Project Seahorse and the Landscape Ecology Group at the… read more
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Reefs help protect vulnerable Caribbean fish from climate change
March 15, 2018
New research from UBC’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries suggests that larger reef areas may help protect the Caribbean’s coral reef fish communities from the impacts of ocean warming. “We are seeing alterations to local reef fish populations due to warming ocean… read more
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Quantum mechanics runs hot in a cold plasma: UBC research
March 14, 2018
University of British Columbia researchers have found a new system that could help yield ‘warmer’ quantum technologies. Quantum technologies such as quantum computers have the potential to process information much more quickly and powerfully than conventional computers. That prospect… read more
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UBC researchers invent new method to create self-tinting windows
March 8, 2018
UBC chemistry researchers have developed a simple, cost-effective technique for making smart windows that could lead the way for wide-scale adoption of this energy-saving technology. Smart windows conserve building energy by switching from clear to tinted, dynamically controlling heat and light… read more
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UBC, partners launch groundwater monitoring project in Northeast BC
March 7, 2018
Thirty new groundwater monitoring wells will be installed across the Peace Region in northeast B.C. as part of a collaboration between UBC researchers, the BC Oil and Gas Commission, Geoscience BC, Simon Fraser University, and the University of Calgary. “The Commission oversees the… read more
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How a common virus might trigger multiple sclerosis
February 23, 2018
UBC immunologist Marc Steven Horwitz investigates how viruses can induce complex diseases like diabetes and lupus. Now he’s studying a cat and mouse game—how a common virus might be related to the onset of multiple sclerosis (MS). What is Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and how common is it?… read more
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Evolution—and skill—help hefty hummingbirds stay spry
February 8, 2018
Evolved differences in muscle power and wing size—along with a touch of skill—govern hummingbirds’ inflight agility, according to new research in Science. The findings by University of British Columbia biologists show that larger species of hummingbirds, despite their increased… read more