U of G Researcher Investigating Chronic Effects of COVID-19 Virus

Thursday, November 19th, 2020
Melanie Wills in a lab

Melanie Wills, director of the G. Magnotta Lyme Disease Research Lab at U of G

By Otaiba Ahsan

The COVID-19 pandemic is a rapidly changing situation with new information coming out daily. One area of interest is the chronic effects of survivors who suffered from the virus. SPARK writer Otaiba Ahsan was able to see how Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology member and director of  the G. Magnotta Foundation for Vector Borne Diseases, Melanie Wills, is working to discover the long-term consequences of the virus...

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Full STEAM Ahead

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020
Diana Pfeffer (left), MLA student, stands beside a sculpture on a table. The sculpture is oval and black and white. Also on the table is a computer monitor.  In the right of the photo is Michael Richardson, an MFA history student.

Diana Pfeffer (left), MLA student, stands beside a sculpture she created in the IDL. Also pictured is Michael Richardson, an MFA history student. The tool between them is a haptic carving device that enables the user to feel digital objects they are modifying.

Arts gives rebranded lab a clear focus in practice and theory 

By Mya Kidson

When art meets science, the result is STEAM.

At the University of Guelph’s Interdisciplinary Design Lab (IDL), rebranded from the former Digital Haptic Lab, the acronym STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) has grown to include arts.

 So now, when discussions centre on the disciplines served by the IDL, directors Professor Christian Giroux and Dr. John Phillips talk in terms of STEAM. 

“Arts adds an additional...

Read more: Full STEAM Ahead

New Technology Assessment Targets Improved Efficiency

Sunday, October 25th, 2020
Close up of a dairy cow's face, looking directly at the camera

By Otaiba Ahsan

A complete genetic and economic assessment of the current breeding structure in Canadian dairy cattle is in the process of being completed by a team of U of G researchers from the Department of Animal Biosciences.

The team’s mission is to identify new technologies for improving efficiency in the dairy sector, while keeping costs in check for consumers and farmers.

This five-year research program is led by Prof. Christine Baes, Prof. Flavio Schenkel and Dr. Gerson Oliveira, along with Ph.D. candidates Lucas...

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U of G Research Helping to Ensure Frothy Lattes

Monday, September 28th, 2020
Overhead view of a latte

By Mya Kidson

Remember the saying "Don't bruise the wine" by pouring it improperly? Some experts question the validity of this advice, but it turns out that milk too gains certain unfavourable traits if it's channeled too turbulently out of a farmer's bulk tank — among them, it doesn't froth very well when it's used in a cafe latte. SPARK writer Mya Kidson discovered the situation when she was coordinating a special dairy research communications project with the Ontario Veterinary College, and...

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Preventing Problems Caused by Low Blood Calcium in Dairy Cows

Thursday, September 10th, 2020
Cows in stalls beside a passageway with hay on it, leading toward an open door with grass and trees in the background

Proactive approach improves herd health, say researchers

By Karli Longthorne

Low blood calcium levels after calving are an issue in dairy herds, especially in older cows, from their third lactation on.

Some producers take a reactive approach by giving cows calcium supplements after calving. But a study by University of Guelph researchers points to the benefits of a more proactive, preventative approach.

University of Guelph Prof. Stephen LeBlanc and DVSc student Rita Couto Serrenho, Department of Population...

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Feeding Your Pet a Safe and Nutritious Alternative Diet

Friday, August 21st, 2020
A brown dog wearing a red collar eats out of dog dish on the ground

 

By Karli Longthorne

The uptick in alternative diet trends such as high-protein, low-fat or plant-based in humans has the food industry buzzing. Now, new research is pointing to similar trends in companion animals, such as dogs and cats.

According to a survey by Dr. Sarah Dodd, veterinarian, ECVCN resident and PhD candidate at the University of Guelph, seven per cent of dogs and four per cent of cats in the US, Canada and Australia are exclusively fed home prepared diets. However, over half may be fed home-prepared foods...

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U of G Researchers Awarded Funding for Humanities, Social Science Projects

Wednesday, August 19th, 2020
Photo of U of G sign on wall

Eleven University of Guelph research projects in the humanities and social sciences will receive nearly $600,000 in federal funding.

The funding comes from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Development Insight Grants program aimed at supporting long-term research initiatives that address complex issues involving people and societies.  

...
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U of G Receives $2.35 Million From Province for Agri-Food Research to Enhance Livestock Health, Well-Being and Productivity

Tuesday, August 4th, 2020
A row of cows in stall in a barn

The Government of Ontario has announced a $2.35-million investment in University of Guelph advanced animal research related to livestock health, well-being and productivity.

The investment, designed to do enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of the Ontario livestock sector, will be delivered through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, a collaboration between the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and the University of Guelph.

"The University of Guelph is delighted to build on our powerful...

Read more: U of G Receives $2.35 Million From Province for Agri-Food Research to Enhance Livestock Health, Well-Being and Productivity

University of Guelph Appoints Inaugural Assistant Vice-President to Oversee Research Innovation and Knowledge Mobilization

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2020
Headshot of Jessica Bowes

 

Innovation sector leader Jessica Bowes will be University of Guelph’s inaugural Assistant Vice-President, Research Innovation and Knowledge Mobilization. Currently Vice-President, Commercialization at Bioenterprise Corporation Canada, Ms. Bowes will take charge of University of Guelph’s Research Innovation Office. In that leadership role she will devise and implement strategy to advance research innovation at one of Canada’s most innovative universities. This will involve providing leadership for the university’s efforts around knowledge...

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Short-Term Solutions and Quick Action Helped Supply Chain in Pandemic’s Early Days

Monday, July 20th, 2020
Cows standing side by side eating hay

 

By Mya Kidson

Short-term solutions and quick action helped Canada’s dairy and poultry sector weather the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, say U of G researchers.

U of G Profs. Mike von Massow and Alfons Weersink, and MSc student Brendan McDougall from the Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics, say that poultry and dairy supply chains adapted quickly to the demand shifts from hospitality to retail sectors.

These approaches include diverting the food supply from food services to the...

Read more: Short-Term Solutions and Quick Action Helped Supply Chain in Pandemic’s Early Days