News
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UBC zoologists develop bird vaccine for West Nile Virus
July 9, 2013
UBC zoologists have developed a vaccine that may halt the spread of West Nile Virus (WNV) among common and endangered bird species. WNV, a mosquito borne pathogen, arrived in North America in 1999 and is now endemic across the continent. In 2012 alone, WNV killed 286 people in the United States,… read more
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New director of UBC Life Sciences Institute brings a focus on personalized medicine
July 5, 2013
Pieter Cullis, professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, has been appointed as the new Director of the UBC Life Sciences Institute. As director, Cullis will work to nurture, expand and coordinate the work of the LSI's nine research groups and their scientists, and to… read more
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Higgs boson is just the beginning: UBC prof
July 3, 2013
The discovery of the Higgs boson was without doubt the most important of its kind in recent years. Finding the subatomic particle at the Large Haldron Collider (LHC) on the Swiss-French border made international news earlier this year—and for good reason. It affirmed 40 years of physics in… read more
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Canada’s pint-sized space telescope celebrates 10th anniversary in orbit
July 1, 2013
Canada’s suitcase-sized MOST space telescope celebrates its 10th birthday in space this Canada Day weekend with new details on a distant super-Earth, and a renewed call for amateur astronomers to submit targets for the satellite. "Over the years we’ve always half-joked that MOST could… read more
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Genetic survey sheds light on Oceans’ lean, mean microbial machines
June 24, 2013
Planktonic bacteria inhabiting the world’s oceans have streamlined their genetic makeup to become lean, mean survival machines, according to new research by an international team of researchers, including microbiologists at the University of British Columbia. The findings, published this… read more
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RBC's support expands reach of UBC Aboriginal math camps in rural BC
June 19, 2013
About 100 Aboriginal children in rural BC will be able to attend math summer camps hosted by the University of British Columbia thanks to a $30,000 gift from the RBC Foundation. The camps, organized by the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS) and UBC Mathematics, are a key part… read more
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UBC researchers team up with Chinese biotech firm to accelerate infectious disease, cancer research
June 17, 2013
UBC researchers with Microbiology and Immunology, Chemistry and the Centre for Blood Research (CBR) have partnered with an international investment company and a Chinese biotechnology firm to accelerate the development of new treatments for a variety of diseases. The partnership--with… read more
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Sharks worth more in the ocean than on the menu
May 31, 2013
Sharks are worth more in the ocean than in a bowl of soup, according to researchers from the University of British Columbia. A new study, published today in Oryx – The International Journal of Conservation, shows that shark ecotourism currently generates more than US$314 million annually… read more
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Mega genomes of spruce species decoded
May 22, 2013
Canadian and Swedish scientists today released genome sequences of two of the most economically important forest trees in the world. Conifers supply raw materials for the Canadian forestry industry, which accounted for $23.7 billion in Canada’s economy in 2011. Gross output of the forest… read more
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The Universe comes to Vancouver
May 22, 2013
Astronomers from across Canada and around the world converge on UBC to share the latest cosmic discoveries. What are the best candidate worlds to find a real-life ET? How are cosmologists revising the latest biography of the entire Universe – past, present and future? How do some… read more