Tag: Canada
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Poplar Trees Engineered to Produce More Biofuels, Wood Pulp
3 April 2014. Researchers at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, a consortium of University of Wisconsin in Madison and Michigan State University in East Lansing, created a genetically modified poplar tree variety with weakened lignin bonds, making it easier to process into commercial biofuels and wood pulp. The team from the labs of Wisconsin’s…
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Light-Activated Coating Kills Bacteria, Even in Dark
25 March 2014. Chemistry researchers at University College London in the U.K. developed a material that when coated on surfaces in the lab can kill bacteria when exposed to light, as well as in total darkness. The team led by UCL chemistry professor Ivan Parkin published its findings online earlier this month in the journal…
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Janssen, Univ. of Alberta Partner on Diabetes Research
19 March 2014. Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies, a division of Johnson & Johnson, is joining with University of Alberta in Edmonton to fund research on diabetes with commercial potential. The $600,000 fund, with contributions from Janssen and matched by the government of Alberta and Alberta Diabetes Foundation, will support studies on type 1 and type 2…
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Store Checkout Data Generate Neighborhood Food Profiles
11 March 2014. An epidemiologist at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada devised a method for tracking food choices, with data from food stores, that helps gauge family nutrition in city neighborhoods. The team led by McGill’s David Buckeridge published its findings online in a recent issue of the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences…
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Smartphone Obstetrics App Gains $2M Angel, Public Funding
10 March 2014. LionsGate Technologies, a medical device developer in Vancouver, British Columbia, received $2 million in private and public financing for its smartphone app measuring blood oxygen levels in pregnant women. The funds will support clinical trials and scaling up for production of LionsGate’s Phone Oximeter, a device that checks for risks of developing high blood pressure…
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Artificial Muscle Created from Fishing Line, Thread Material
20 February 2014. An international team of materials scientists and engineers developed high-strength artificial muscles from materials found into ordinary fishing line and sewing thread. The consortium from University of Texas in Dallas, University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, and colleagues from China, Turkey, Australia, and Korea published their findings today in the journal…
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Drug Fixes Vision Birth Defect in Lab Tests, Trial Planned
Medical researchers at University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada adapted a new drug as a treatment for aniridia, a rare eye disease caused by a birth defect, with tests on mice showing the drug’s potential effectiveness in treating the disorder. The team from UBC and the affiliated Vancouver Coastal Health, led by UBC ophthalmology…
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Graphic Labels Reduce Smoking More Than First Thought
Public health researchers at University of Illinois in Chicago and University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada found graphic warnings on cigarette packs can reduce smoking to a greater extent than the U.S. Food and Drug Administration estimated two years ago. The team led by Chicago’s Jidong Huang published its findings online earlier this month in…
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GlaxoSmithKline Names Academic Drug Discovery Partners
The pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline named 10 academic scientists to its Discovery Fast Track competition that aims to turn university research findings into new therapies. The researchers will get access to GlaxoSmithKline’s facilities and materials to accelerate the drug discovery process, potentially leading to a collaboration to further develop the compound. Discovery Fast Track began in…
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Peptide Developed to Combat Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
Researchers at University of Copenhagen in Denmark and University of British Columbia in Canada developed and tested in the lab a substance they say quickly and effectively kills multiple types of bacteria, including those resistant to current antibiotics. The team led by Copenhagen’s Henrik Franzyk and UBC’s Robert Hancock published their findings last week in the…