News
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New research rewrites the evolutionary story of gills
October 19, 2022
Gills are best known for helping most fish species breathe underwater. But less well known is the fact gills regulate the salt and pH balance of fishes’ blood, a vital role played by the kidneys in other animals. Collectively known as ion regulation, this lesser-known gill function has been… read more
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Chemists uncover cracks in the amour of cellulose nanocrystals
October 14, 2022
Chemists in Japan, Canada and Europe have uncovered flaws in the surface structure of cellulose nanocrystals—an important step toward deconstructing cellulose to produce renewable nano-materials relevant to biochemical products, energy solutions, and biofuels. The findings—published… read more
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UBC students help NASA find landslides by training computers to read Reddit
October 6, 2022
UBC graduate students trained computers to “read” news articles about landslides on Reddit to bolster a NASA database, which could improve predictions of when and where these natural disasters will occur. For their Master of Data Science in Computational Linguistics capstone project,… read more
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Diet high in guar gum fibre limits inflammation, MS symptoms in mice
September 27, 2022
Diets high in guar gum, a common food additive and dietary fibre, limited inflammation and delayed the onset of multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms in mice, according to new research by members of the University of British Columbia (UBC) Microbiology and Immunology department. “The rapid… read more
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Why whales don’t get brain damage when they swim
September 22, 2022
Special blood vessels in whale brains may protect them from pulses, caused by swimming, in their blood that would damage the brain, new UBC research has suggested. There are many theories as to the exact use of these networks of blood vessels cradling a whale’s brain and spine, known as … read more
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Math, Stats researchers join Royal Society of Canada
September 6, 2022
Four UBC Science researchers have been elected to join the Royal Society of Canada, highlighting the Faculty’s strength in the computation sciences, sustainability, and quantum materials. Professors Jiahua Chen, Villy Christensen, Marcel Franz and Christopher Ortner join more than 50 UBC… read more
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We're heading to the moon and maybe Mars. So who owns them?
September 1, 2022
Humanity is set to make a return to the Moon with the Artemis program, in what NASA says is a first step to Mars. So, who gets first dibs? Dr. Aaron Boley, a professor in UBC’s department of physics and astronomy, discusses the mission’s plans and why we need to sort out access and… read more
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New courses at UBC tackle real world problems
August 30, 2022
New classes and labs rolling out this year will give UBC Science students the opportunity to tackle climate change with community partners, transition into first-year as part of a data science cohort program, explore non-animal testing methods, and more. New lab tackles climate emergency In 2019… read more
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How to avoid becoming a mosquito’s dinner
August 15, 2022
Summer is almost over, but that doesn’t mean mosquitoes aren’t still searching for their next meal—and you might be next. A new study co-authored by UBC’s Dr. Ben Matthews suggests humans may just be the most sought-after delicacy for the pesky insects. A common type of… read more
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Time machines and black holes on the agenda at quantum gravity meeting
August 12, 2022
A theory of everything, that works at a cosmic and quantum level, has eluded researchers for years. Next week is the Quantum Gravity Conference, with physicists from around the world gathering in Vancouver for the launch of the Quantum Gravity Institute, as well as trying to solve one of… read more