Animal Research

Billions lost as illicit fisheries trade hurting nations who can afford it least

More than eight million to 14 million tonnes of unreported fish catches are traded illicitly every year, costing the legitimate market between $9 billion and $17 billion in trade each year, according to new UBC research.

Feb 26, 2020

Got a moody teenager? Cows can relate

Dairy cattle undergo personality changes during puberty much like humans do, according to new UBC research published this week in the Royal Society Open Science.

Feb 12, 2020

How do men and women store fat differently? Ask the fruit fly.

When it comes to determining how women and men store fat differently, it turns out fruit flies may hold the key.

Jan 27, 2020

UBC releases 2018 animal research statistics

UBC’s summary of animals involved in research at the university in 2018 is now available.

Dec 18, 2019

Karla Williams is studying tiny structures linked to metastatic breast cancer.

UBC expert immobilizes tiny structures linked to metastatic breast cancer

Karla Williams is researching potential treatments for metastatic breast cancer by studying structures in cancer cells that are thought to play a key role in the spread of the disease.

Nov 6, 2019

Aerial drones offer new perspective on resident killer whale behaviour

Scientists at the University of British Columbia are getting a rare glimpse into the underwater behaviour of northern and southern resident killer whales off the B.C. coast, with the help of aerial drones.

Nov 4, 2019

Chinook salmon found dead at British Columbia spawning grounds. Credit: Kristi Miller-Saunders, Fisheries and Oceans Canada

New viruses discovered in endangered wild Pacific salmon populations

Three new viruses—including one from a group of viruses never before shown to infect fish—have been discovered in endangered Chinook and sockeye salmon populations.

Sep 4, 2019

Jessica Meir training a bar-headed goose to fly alongside her on a motor scooter. Credit: Milsom Lab/UBC

Slowed metabolism helps geese fly high

A few years before NASA astronaut Jessica Meir began learning to fly a spacecraft for her upcoming trip to the International Space Station, she was in flight-training of a different kind: teaching bar-headed geese how to fly in a wind tunnel at the University of British Columbia.

Sep 3, 2019

High insulin production may contribute to pancreatic cancer

UBC scientists have demonstrated for the first time a causal link between high insulin levels and pancreatic cancer.

Aug 1, 2019

The ringed plover and red salamander are two species that have more than 50 per cent of their distribution in Canada fall within Indigenous-managed lands.

Biodiversity highest on Indigenous-managed lands

More than one million plant and animal species worldwide are facing extinction, according to a recent United Nations report. Now, a new UBC-led study suggests that Indigenous-managed lands may play a critical role in helping species survive.

Jul 31, 2019

Coralline algae on rocks. Credit: Jenn Burt

DNA analysis reveals cryptic underwater ecosystem engineers

They look like smears of pink bubblegum on the rocks off British Columbia’s coast, indistinguishable from one another.

Jul 11, 2019

UBC study holds promise for novel and safe treatment for Type 2 diabetes

Reducing a specific protein in the fat cells of mice not only prevents onset of Type 2 diabetes but also appears to reverse the disease in the animals, researchers at the University of British Columbia and Sweden’s Karolinska Institute have found.

Jun 17, 2019

Matchmaking for healthier bees

While poor hygiene may be a deal breaker in human relationships, in bee colonies it can be a matter of life and death.

May 7, 2019

Good mousekeeping: en suite bathroom makes for happier mice

Mice have a strong preference to nest away from their own waste and should be housed in a system of cages that allows them to create a toileting area, according to work led by researchers at the University of British Columbia.

Apr 23, 2019

Cellulose nanocrystals used for bone implants. Credit: Clare Kiernan/UBC

From foam to bone: Plant cellulose can pave the way for healthy bone implants

Researchers from the University of British Columbia and McMaster University have developed what could be the bone implant material of the future: an airy, foamlike substance that can be injected into the body and provide scaffolding for the growth of new bone.

Mar 19, 2019

Left image: In this image, the researchers used a molecule called Gap19 to block the hemichannels, which resulted in smaller stroke damage.

Right image: This image shows the size of a stroke in a mouse’s brain without treatment by Gap19.

New approach to stroke treatment could minimize brain damage

A new treatment for a common type of stroke may soon be possible, thanks to a discovery by an international team of researchers led by the University of British Columbia.

Mar 14, 2019

Farmed salmon pens. Credit: Sam Beebe/Flickr

Cardiorespiratory fitness of farmed Atlantic salmon unaffected by virus

The respiratory systems of Atlantic salmon function normally even when carrying large loads of piscine orthoreovirus (PRV), new UBC research has found.

Mar 13, 2019

Honey bees can help monitor pollution in cities

Honey from urban bees can tell us how clean a city is and help pinpoint the sources of environmental pollutants such as lead, new University of British Columbia research has found.

Mar 11, 2019

New protein “switch” could be key to controlling blood-poisoning and preventing death

Scientists at the University of British Columbia have discovered a new protein “switch” that could stop the progression of blood-poisoning, or sepsis, and increase the chances of surviving the life-threatening disease.

Feb 25, 2019

UBC researchers discover how blood vessels protect the brain during inflammation

Researchers from the University of British Columbia have discovered how blood vessels protect the brain during inflammation—a finding that could lead to the development of new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as stroke, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis.

Feb 21, 2019