Research News
New potato variety development underway at Elora Research Station
New potato variety development underway at Elora Research Station
Global climate change affecting indigenous people, at home and abroad
By Amy Westlund
No matter what side of the Equator they’re on, indigenous people are being impacted by climate change – and in similar ways.
That’s what Kate Bishop-Williams, a PhD student in the Department of Population Medicine, discovered while studying the environment of polar-opposite indigenous communities in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut (northern Labrador), and Bwindi, Uganda.
There, she’s collaborating with Inuit people in Rigolet and Batwa people in...
Creating a plan of action to address obesity
Infographic created by Elisabeth Aerts, SPARK
By Elisabeth Aerts, SPARK
Over 20 per cent of Canadian adults are obese, while most of the remaining population carries excess weight, according to Heath Canada. Researchers have found that obesity and its related health issues could be prevented with lifestyle changes.
Prof. Paula Brauer, from the Department of Family Relations and Applied Science, with the help of her colleagues, has created a framework to help physicians’ and their teams organize services to prevent and manage obesity.
“The plan...
High flying technology improves research on the ground
Photo by Nicholas Murphy, SPARK
By Allison Sears
Drones—remote controlled aircraft with cameras mounted on them—are helping farmers and researchers detect early warning signs of crop damage caused by disease, moisture stress and pests.
Prof. Mary Ruth McDonald, from the Department of Plant Agriculture, is using drones to help integrate a more efficient and objective assessment of crops at Muck Research Station, in Holland Marsh.
“Drones are an exciting new technology, and many researchers are interested in their compatibility with research projects,” says McDonald....
Guelph research spotlights Canada’s belly dance story
Omega-3s may help reverse age-related changes in muscle
By Amber Hutchinson, SPARK
Fish oil supplements, which are already associated with better heart and brain health, may also help you burn significantly more calories, say researchers at the University of Guelph.
Prof. Lawrence Spriet, chair of the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Guelph, says skeletal muscles are the body’s calorie-burning machinery, using up approximately 20-25 per cent of the energy that we burn at rest.
Incorporating omega-3 fatty acids into muscle cell membranes improves their ability...
Research aims to make gluten-free options more appealing
By Allison Sears, SPARK
High quality, gluten-free products are on the menu for researchers at Canada’s food university who are working to advance this country’s gluten-free food industry.
Dr. Sanaa Ragaee, adjunct professor and cereal program manager in the Department of Food Science, University of Guelph, says many gluten-free products in North America lack protein, fibre and micronutrients.
“These gluten-free products are not nutritious enough for the people who depend on them,” she says.
Gluten in wheat flour allows dough to be baked...
Balancing health and agriculture in bustling Vietnam
Steven Lam, right, says that many farmers in rural Vietnam are at risk for health problems such as parasitic infections due to inadequate waste management systems.
Photo courtesy of Steven Lam
By Amy Westlund
Growing prosperity in Vietnam has led to increased agricultural intensification - along with its associated health risks. University of Guelph researchers in partnership with Vietnamese colleagues are trying to help Vietnamese officials identify the risks and research gaps involved with this agricultural intensification.
Steven Lam, a Master of Public Health student from the Department of Population Medicine, says rapid economic growth in Vietnam increases the demand for meat products. This both increases the demand...
Molecular “movie” helps microbiologists better understand chronic infections associated with cystic fibrosis
By Nicholas Murphy, SPARK
In microbiology, a “movie” makes all the difference, between seeing everything at the molecular level, and seeing very little.
So says University of Guelph Prof. Cezar Khursigara, who’s seeing more than ever these days thanks to a new spinning disk confocal microscope recently acquired by Khursigara, and colleagues Joseph Lam and Chris Whitfield in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology. It’s opening up new research possibilities Khursigara and his colleagues previously only dreamt of.
...Digital Storytelling for Teens explores the relationship between media and identity
Digital Storytelling for Teens explores the relationship between media and identity
Photo by Nicholas Murphy