Research News
OVC Researchers Study Impact of Smog on Horse Lung Health
Photo Credit: OVC
By Olivia Willoughby
University of Guelph researchers are examining the effects of outdoor air pollution, or smog, on the respiratory health of horses in the Guelph-Kitchener-Waterloo area. Dr. Janet Beeler-Marfisi, a professor in the Department of Pathobiology at the Ontario Veterinary College, is looking to see if the same factors that play a role in human asthma also play a role in the development of mild equine asthma (MEA) in horses...
The susceptibility of pets to SARS-CoV-2
Photo Credit: Caitlin Ford
By Caitlin Ford
Pets can contract SARS-CoV-2 infections, according to a University of Guelph study that will help public health departments make informed recommendations for pet isolation measures during COVID-19.
Department of Pathobiology professors Dr. Dorothee Bienzle and Dr. Scott Weese worked with departmental lab technicians David Marom and Joyce Rousseau to determine the infection status of companion animals – notably dogs, cats and ferrets – in households of people with COVID-19.
Findings early in the pandemic showed pets in...
Bridging the gap between arts and science
Photo Credit: Emily Reimer
By Mya Kidson
Science and art are often viewed as different disciplines — but they have always been intertwined, and today, more so than ever before.
A University of Guelph project shows that learning skills in conducting formal analysis on works of art can help professionals, even with little arts background, to improve performance in visual observation. This form of analysis examines the elements of a work of art—including line, form, shape, space, texture, and color—that form the structure of what is perceived through human eyes.
Dr....
Promoting resilience in the Canadian humanitarian and development sector during the pandemic
Dr. Andrea Paras
By Mya Kidson
“The new norm” is the reality for many Canadian humanitarian organizations that rapidly pivoted their services online in response to COVID-19, U of G researchers have found.
During summer 2020, Dr. Andrea Paras, a professor in the Department of Political Science, and her research team studied the pandemic’s impact on NGOs in Canada’s humanitarian and development sector. They found that while the pandemic posed some challenges for these organizations, it also created some opportunities for adaptation and innovation.
“These...
U of G researchers develop, test simulation tool for fighting the pandemic
Dr. Daniel Gillis
By Otaiba Ahsan
From physical distancing to phased reopening of businesses, figuring out which mitigation strategies work best for fighting the COVID-19 pandemic is the goal of a novel simulation tool developed by University of Guelph researchers.
The team is now testing the tool, designed to help policy makers gauge which public health measures will control the spread of the disease most effectively.
“We hope to provide public health opportunities at the local and provincial levels to put into action the best mitigation strategies available...
Equine Robo-Gut Helps OVC Researchers Study Gastrointestinal Diseases In Horses
Photo Credit: Mya Kidson
By Mya Kidson
An imbalance in intestinal bacterial communities can lead to gastrointestinal (GI) illness in horses. Department of Clinical Sciences professor, Dr. Luis Arroyo, investigates the underlying issues leading to GI disease through a replica of the horse’s digestive system called the equine robo-gut. In a recent article, SPARK writer Mya Kidson discusses the importance of this research in preventing equine GI diseases through a holistic lens...
CareMongering supports communities during the pandemic
Photo Credit: Dr. Alex Sawatzky
By Otaiba Ahsan
“CareMongering” - a worldwide movement that started as a Toronto-based Facebook group supporting those experiencing fear associated with the COVID-19 virus – can help address socioeconomic vulnerabilities worsened by the pandemic, according to University of Guelph researchers.
Dr. Roberta Hawkins, a professor in the Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, and Amy Kipp, a PhD student in U of G’s new Social Practice and Transformational Change program, wanted to understand how this global movement is playing out locally. They...
Nutraceuticals hold promise for preventing COVID-19 from taking hold
Dr. Paul Spagnuolo
By Mya Kidson
COVID-19 prevention could mean more than social distancing until more people can get vaccinated against this novel virus. For example, what if you could simply take a pill before going into a public space that would prohibit the virus' entry into human cells?
That’s what research underway at the University of Guelph is trying to uncover. Food Science professor, Dr. Paul Spagnuolo, and his team are looking at how COVID-19 enters and affects host cells.
Understanding the virus' mechanisms can then enable researchers to inhibit...
Addressing the social injustice within alternative food outlets
Photo Credit: Jodie Aldred Photography for Arrell Food Institute
By Mya Kidson
As consumers become increasingly aware of the ways in which the agriculture sector contributes to growing carbon emissions as well as a decline in soil health, we have witnessed a heightened demand for local, sustainably cultivated and ethically sourced food. Such businesses – popularly varied alternative food businesses - include organic health-food stores and farmers’ markets. But although they positively enforce moral values, they often lack consumer diversity beyond upper- or middle-class consumers.
Dr. Evan Fraser, Department of...
How trauma stories from elsewhere can help us through the pandemic
(Unsplash)
By Otaiba Ahsan
Reading about how other nations have dealt with past trauma may help us handle pandemic anxiety here in Canada, say instructors in U of G’s College of Arts.
Drs. Gordana Yovanovich, Pablo Ramirez and Joubert Satyre are working with students on a collection of essays that show how Latin American, Caribbean and Latinx literatures shape the role and nature of community during traumatic experiences such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We believe there are many parallels between experiences the general public is facing during this...