News
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Balloon-borne telescope helps solve mystery of starlight's origins
April 8, 2009
An international team of astronomers—including scientists from UBC Physics and Astronomy and the University of Toronto—have unveiled the birthplaces of ancient stars using a two-tonne telescope carried aloft by a 33-storey high balloon. After two years analyzing data from the Balloon… read more
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Male flower parts responsible for grapevine perfume
April 6, 2009
Researchers with Michael Smith Labs have traced the fragrant scent of grapevine flowers to pollen grains stored in the anthers, contrary to common perception that petals alone produce perfume. While studying grapes used to produce Cabernet Sauvignon from the Okanagan region of British Columbia,… read more
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Province invests $37.5 million in UBC Earth Sciences Building
April 6, 2009
The Province of British Columbia is investing $37.5 million toward the UBC Earth Systems Science Building, a state-of-the-art education and research facility that will position UBC as a world leader in Earth-science innovation. "This investment will help ensure British Columbia's continued… read more
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UBC, Indiana University biologist receives $8M to study economically important plants
April 2, 2009
A project led by UBC and Indiana University (IU) plant evolution expert Loren Rieseberg has been awarded $8 million from the US National Science Foundation to study economically important and evolutionarily interesting plant species. The project will investigate the largest family of flowering… read more
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Evolution Impacts Environment: UBC Researchers
April 1, 2009
Researchers with UBC's Biodiversity Research Centre have used mini-ecosystems housing different species of stickleback fish to prove that the evolution of new species impacts environments. Scientists agree that different environments impact the evolution of new species—these experiments… read more
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CS, Stats lauded for improving the student experience
March 30, 2009
Computer Science, Statistics, the Environmental Science Students Association and two UBC Science staffers have all been recognized for their efforts to improve the student experience at UBC. In total, three of four student development awards designated by the Office of the Vice-President Students… read more
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UBC researcher discovers 30 new jumping spider species
March 26, 2009
Beaty Biodiversity Museum Director Wayne Maddison has uncovered 30 to 50 never-before-identified species of jumping spiders as part of a Conservation International expedition to Papua New Guinea. The discovery gives scientists a peek into a section of the evolutionary tree previously thought to… read more
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Chair in Chemical Biology Highlights New CRCs
March 16, 2009
Stephen Withers, whose lab is developing new ways to synthesize carbohydrate-based therapeutics, is one of four new Canada Research Chairs (CRC) named to UBC this spring. The professor of Chemistry, jointly appointed with Biochemistry, joins three CRC renewals announced within the Faculty of… read more
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UBC sun-powered illumination system receives $2M in sustainability funding
March 11, 2009
An invention out of UBC's Structured Surface Physics Laboratory that channels natural sunlight into multi-floor office buildings will receive up to $2.1 million in funding from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC). The patented Solar Canopy Illumination System collects sunlight on the… read more
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UBC Computer Science Research Impact Highest in Canada
March 6, 2009
Sciencewatch.com has ranked the University of British Columbia as having the highest journal publishing impact factor in the field of computer science in Canada. An impact factor measures the number of citations garnered by journal articles, and is frequently used to gauge the importance of… read more