Department of Chemistry

Material coated in polymer in small scale tests with a green lamp. Credit: Taylor Wright

Futuristic coating for hospital fabrics and activewear kills COVID and E. coli

UBC researchers have developed an inexpensive, non-toxic coating for almost any fabric that decreases the infectivity of the virus that causes COVID-19 by up to 90 per cent.

Feb 10, 2022

UBC chemist helps create new compostable coffee pod

UBC chemist helps create new compostable coffee pod

New compostable pods made of specially engineered plant-based materials break down fully in 35 days in municipal composting.

Feb 22, 2021

Researchers closer to being able to change blood types

Researchers closer to being able to change blood types

What do you do when a patient needs a blood transfusion but you don’t have their blood type in the blood bank? It’s a problem that scientists have been trying to solve for years but haven’t been able to find an economic solution – until now.

Apr 29, 2015

Chemists develop new way to make cost-effective material for electricity storage

Chemists develop new way to make cost-effective material for electricity storage

University of British Columbia researchers have found a new way to make state-of-the-art materials for energy storage using a cheap lamp from the hardware store.

Mar 6, 2015

New flu drug stops virus in its tracks

A new class of influenza drug has been shown effective against drug-resistant strains of the flu virus, according to a study led by University of British Columbia researchers.

Feb 21, 2013