Research News
Movember has meaning for canines, too
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...
Fake goods darken Black Friday
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....
3-D printed cat skull helps budding vets learn new skills
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...
U of G hosts Philippines agriculture delegation
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...
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...
Foreign worker program fills labour gap in agriculture
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...
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.
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...
Creating mental health resources tailored for Canadian farmers
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...
A major platform for the beef sector
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...
Researchers scale the Rockies to predict climate change's effects
Prof. Gedalof with one of the temporary weather stations he is using to research tree lines. Photo: Ze'ev Gedalof
By Samantha McReavy
On a remote tree line in the Rocky Mountains, University of Guelph researchers are setting up temporary weather stations to better understand how forest and non-forest areas will interact as the climate changes.
Inspired by the remarkable mountain landscapes there, Geography Prof. Ze'ev Gedalof and PhD student Emma Davis say their research is designed to increase understanding of factors in the environment that contribute to tree line dynamics, and the role climate change will play in future species distribution.
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