Research News

The next frontier

Soil sampling in the field

Soil sampling in the field. Photo Courtesy of Laura Van Eerd.

The next frontier

By Owen Roberts

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN agriculture and food is a natural one — at least for producers, who nurture it daily. But the agri-food connection is increasingly becoming a “eureka moment” for the public, too. People are waking up to the realization that agriculture precedes food, and that what they see on their plate comes from complex agri-food systems. As they dig deeper into food production, they’re realizing these agri-food systems depend to a great degree on soil health and preservation. 

...

Read more: The next frontier

Movember has meaning for canines, too

A woman with brown, shoulder-length hair wearing a white lab coat sits with a black and white small dog who wears a red harness and a tag that says "Alfred."  To the right of her sits a man with blond hair, who is wearing a white lab coat.  They are both smiling.  Behind them is a poster of a golden retreiver, lying down and the text "pettrust.ca"

MSc student Charly McKenna (left) and Dr. Tony Mutsaers (right) are photographed with prostate cancer patient Alfred. Photo:  Karen Mantel

New gold nanoparticle cancer therapy technique could help animals and humans

By Samantha McReavy

Canine prostate cancer research at the University of Guelph could help transform future cancer treatments – for pets and humans – making therapy less invasive and more effective. 

Researchers are working to determine the efficacy of a new gold nanoparticle cancer therapy technique for dogs with prostate tumours. University of Guelph professor Dr. Tony Mutsaers, Department of Clinical Studies and Department of Biomedical Sciences is involved in...

Read more: Movember has meaning for canines, too

Fake goods darken Black Friday

A woman's back is to the camera.  Her hair is brown, and shoulder length.  She wears a black sweater and a black and white scarf that says Chanel, Paris on it.

When it's being worn, who knows it's a fake?  Photo: Owen Roberts

By Owen Roberts and Ariana Longley

One of North America’s biggest shopping days, Black Friday, has arrived -- November 23, the day after Thanksgiving Day in the US.

Since the 1980s, Black Friday has taken conspicuous consumption to the max. It started out innocent enough, with retailers offering super prices to kick start the Christmas shopping season.

But it’s brought out the worst in consumer behaviour, with shoppers lining up hours before stores open, then trampling each other to get to a deal. Most lately its spawned Cyber Monday, its...

Read more: Fake goods darken Black Friday

3-D printed cat skull helps budding vets learn new skills

A woman has her hands on the 3-D printed cat skull which is black in colour and mounted on a wooden frame.

PhD engineering student Claudia Smith is pictured here with her 3-D printed cat intubation model. Photo: Karen Mantel, OVC

By Sydney Pearce

When engineering meets veterinary science at the U of G, dozens of practice models are developed for learning companion animal medical procedures.

One such model is a 3D-printed model of a cat that permits students to practice tracheal intubation, a procedure that allows (or permits) the delivery of anesthetics and oxygen to the lungs through a tracheal tube.

Many commonly used 3D printers only allow the use of hard plastics. But Claudia Smith, a PhD student from the School of Engineering, infused a variety of soft...

Read more: 3-D printed cat skull helps budding vets learn new skills

U of G hosts Philippines agriculture delegation

Seven people stand around a large fish tank.  The tour guide holds a fish net with a rainbow trout in it.

Alma Aquaculture Research Station manager, Marcia Chiasson (second from left), shows the group a rainbow trout
Photo:  Alex Rodgers

 

The University of Guelph was the “go-to place” this week for senior regulators, policy-makers and researchers from the Philippines who spent Oct. 26 and 29 on campus learning about U of G crop and livestock research and touring the University’s world-class research facilities.

The delegation’s Guelph stop was part of a cross-country fact-finding tour to develop and support collaborations in crop and livestock research between Canada and the Philippines.

The group was led by Josyline Javelosa, agriculture attaché to the United States and...

Read more: U of G hosts Philippines agriculture delegation

Understanding connectivity during an animal disease outbreak

Amanda Perri (seated) and Terri O’Sullivan have improved our understanding of the porcine epidemic diarrhea outbreak of 2014. Photo: Enise Decaluwe-Tulk

Researchers revisit the Canadian 2014 porcine epidemic diarrhea outbreak using network analysis to examine connections

By Samantha McReavy

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus is a contagious virus that affects pigs.  While pigs of any age are affected, nursing pigs are most susceptible to the infection.  Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) emerged in Canada in 2014. And, according to recent publications and research using network analysis by University of Guelph researchers, the outbreak can be linked to a single feed supplier.

Research conducted by...

Read more: Understanding connectivity during an animal disease outbreak

Foreign worker program fills labour gap in agriculture

Eleven SAWP workers harvest in a field of celery.  One man in a beige ball cap, blue shirt and suspenders, wearing blue gloves, sorts celery on a conveyor belt with a woman wearing a red tshirt and black ball cap.  Two workers in yellow rain pants carry celery to the conveyor belt. The remaining workers are also in yellow rain pants harvesting celery.

Workers in the SAWP program harvest celery.
Photo: Glenn Lowson for The Grower

 

By Samantha McReavy

The Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) fills a significant labour shortage in Ontario’s agri-food system and is a critical part of production here, says a University of Guelph researcher.  

Prof. Sara Mann, Dept. of Management, at the University of Guelph, says the program has a significant social and economic impact on Canadian farmers, on the workers’ home countries and on Ontario’s agriculture and agri-food sectors.

“To maintain the viability of SAWP, it is vital to fully understand its impact,” she says...

Read more: Foreign worker program fills labour gap in agriculture

Nudging students towards eating their vegetables

Hospitality Services' server Kendal West (right) delivers a wrap with added spinach to student Amia Khosla at the University Centre deli sandwich station. A sign beside Amia says "Did you know you can add spinach for no extra charge? Try it today!"

Hospitality Services' server Kendal West (right) delivers a wrap with added spinach to student Amia Khosla at the University Centre deli sandwich station.
Photo: Sydney Pearce

By Sydney Pearce

Many students eat out regularly instead of cooking at home, so University of Guelph researchers are testing out a new way to subtly promote healthy choices – vegetables, specifically -- when ordering food.

The technique is called nudging – that is, modifying the environment people make decisions in so that preferable or healthy decisions are easier to make. Prof. Sunghwan Yi from the Department of Marketing and Consumer Studies is leading a team that is working with Guelph students to see if nudging can promote healthier...

Read more: Nudging students towards eating their vegetables

Creating mental health resources tailored for Canadian farmers

Andria Jones-Bitton and Briana Hagan stand beside each other talking

Andria Jones-Bitton (left) and Briana Hagen are promoting mental health literacy. 
Photo:  Samantha McReavy

 

By Samantha McReavy

To promote mental health literacy, a course – tailored specifically for the Canadian agriculture community – called “In The Know” is being piloted this fall by University of Guelph researchers.

The pilot is set to be complete in spring of 2019 and researchers will then start preparing content for the online version of the course.

PhD candidate Briana Hagen and Prof. Andria Jones-Bitton of the Department of Population Medicine are working on this project to better inform farmers on mental health, how to cope with the...

Read more: Creating mental health resources tailored for Canadian farmers

A major platform for the beef sector

Technician Tim Caldwell and Prof. Katie Wood stand with three cattle who have green tags on their ears.  Prof. Wood is holding a notebook, which she is looking at.

Technician Tim Caldwell and Prof. Katie Wood.  Photo: Gillian Beatson, SPARK

By Gillian Beatson

A huge $15.5-million facelift is underway at the Elora Research Station, with the construction of a new cow-calf research centre, a facility owned by the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario and managed by the University of Guelph under the OMAFRA-U of G Agreement. A separate project will repurpose 200 acres of land to create pasture at the station and almost double the capacity for livestock on site.

This initiative will improve research on beef cattle health and welfare, and is the largest update to the facility since it was...

Read more: A major platform for the beef sector