Profs in the News

March 07, 2014 - In the News

Prof. Emma Allen-Vercoe, Molecular and Cellular Biology, was interviewed by New Scientist for a story on using fecal transplants to cure inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis. Allen-Vercoe discussed the lack of regulations and said some people are conducting transplants themselves without medical supervision and increasing their health risks. Her U of G team is working on RePOOPulate, an artificial fecal transplant created in a lab, which might offer the health benefits of stool transplants with fewer risks.

Prof. Sylvain Charlebois, College of Business and Economics, was interviewed for a Toronto Star article about how climate change could lead to certain foods being removed from restaurant menus. Charlebois said climate change could affect produce availability and price, and that more agricultural research might be needed to develop plants and trees resistant to drought and the effects of climate change. He was also interviewed for a National Post story on the push by some schools and daycare centres to regulate lunches and snacks for children. Charlebois said this could lead to cultural clashes and called for fewer regulations.

Prof. John Prescott, Department of Pathobiology, was interviewed by the Globe and Mail for a story on regulating veterinary antibiotic use in animals. A panel on Canada’s regulatory system co-chaired by Prescott published a report in the Canadian Veterinary Journal. The report gave Canada a D, noting that a loophole allows the importation, sale and use of drugs not approved by Health Canada. Prescott, who specializes in clinical bacteriology and effective antimicrobial drug use, said the poor grade reflects a fragmented regulatory framework with overlapping federal and provincial bodies using different rules.

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