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UBC scientists part of three PhysicsWorld’s top 10 breakthroughs

UBC physicists and astronomers are part of three of the top four breakthroughs of 2012 in Physics World’s annual accounting of the greatest achievements in the field.

Dec 18, 2012

Mussel goo inspires blood vessel glue

A University of British Columbia researcher has helped create a gel – based on the mussel’s knack for clinging to rocks, piers and boat hulls – that can be painted onto the walls of blood vessels and stay put, forming a protective barrier with potentially life-saving implications.

Dec 11, 2012

‘Repurposed’ anti-parasite drug shows promise as new TB treatment: UBC research

A well-established family of drugs used to treat parasitic diseases is showing surprising potential as a therapy for tuberculosis (TB), according to new research from University of British Columbia microbiologists.

Nov 22, 2012

UBC leads alliance to improve science education with Sloan grant

The University of British Columbia is partnering with seven top North American universities to study how to speed up the adoption of improved teaching techniques in science classrooms.

Nov 15, 2012

Single-cell parasites co-opt “ready-made” genes from host: UBC research

Two species of single-cell parasites have co-opted “ready-made” genes from their hosts that in turn help them exploit their hosts, according to a new study by University of British Columbia and University of Ottawa researchers.

Jul 18, 2012

How to make global fisheries worth five times more: UBC research

Rebuilding global fisheries would make them five times more valuable while improving ecology, according to a new University of British Columbia study, published today in the online journal PLoS ONE.

Jul 13, 2012

Seabirds study shows plastic pollution reaching surprising levels off coast of Pacific Northwest

Plastic pollution off the northwest coast of North America is reaching the level of the notoriously polluted North Sea, according to a new study led by a researcher at the University of British Columbia.

Jul 4, 2012

The EU underpays Madagascar for access to fish: UBC research

Unfair and exploitative political agreements allow Europeans to eat fish from the plates of developing countries, according to a study led by University of British Columbia researchers.

Jul 3, 2012

Loss of biodiversity a growing threat to human life: UBC, University of Michigan Research

The loss of biological diversity is increasingly threatening the planet’s ability to provide humans with life’s essentials: food, water, fodder, fertile soils, and protection from pests and disease, according to a sweeping review of 20 years of research by an international team of ecologists, including biologists from the University of British Columbia.

Jun 6, 2012

A whale of a discovery: New sensory organ found in rorqual whales

Scientists at the University of British Columbia and the Smithsonian Institution have discovered a sensory organ in rorqual whales that coordinates its signature lunge-feeding behaviour – and may help explain their enormous size.

May 23, 2012

H1N1 discovery paves way for universal flu vaccine: UBC research

University of British Columbia researchers have found a potential way to develop universal flu vaccines and eliminate the need for seasonal flu vaccinations.

May 8, 2012

Jellyfish on the rise: UBC study

Jellyfish are increasing in the majority of the world’s coastal ecosystems, according to the first global study of jellyfish abundance by University of British Columbia researchers.

Apr 18, 2012

How to make high-end perfumes without whale barf

University of British Columbia researchers have identified a gene in balsam fir trees that could facilitate cheaper and more sustainable production of plant-based fixatives and scents used in the fragrance industry and reduce the need for ambergris, a substance harvested from whale barf.

Apr 5, 2012

Ultra-fast laser pulses shed light on elusive superconducting mechanism: UBC research

An international team that includes UBC physicists has used ultra-fast laser pulses to identify the microscopic interactions that drive high-temperature superconductivity.

Apr 2, 2012

Picky females promote diversity: UBC-IIASA study

Picky females play a critical role in the survival and diversity of species, according to a Nature study by researchers from the University of British Columbia and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria.

Apr 1, 2012

Exposure to antibiotics linked to severity of allergic asthma: UBC research

Widely used antibiotics may increase incidence and severity of allergic asthma in early life, according to a University of British Columbia study.

Mar 16, 2012

UBC researchers discover key to immune cell’s ‘internal guidance' system; could lead to more efficient vaccines

University of British Columbia researchers have discovered the molecular pathway that enables receptors inside immune cells to find, and flag, fragments of pathogens trying to invade a host.

Feb 5, 2012

UBC researchers identify potential new therapy approach for Hepatitis C that could benefit 170 million people affected worldwide

Researchers at the University of British Columbia have found a new way to block infection from the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the liver that could lead to new therapies for those affected by this and other infectious diseases.

Jan 5, 2012

UBC scientists key contributors to ‘super-cool’ camera, built to reveal early life of stars

University of British Columbia scientists have helped build the world’s largest astronomy camera with an internal temperature colder than anything else in the Universe.

Dec 6, 2011

Marine biodiversity loss due to warming and predation: UBC researcher

The biodiversity loss caused by climate change will result from a combination of rising temperatures and predation – and may be more severe than currently predicted, according to a study by University of British Columbia zoologist Christopher Harley.

Nov 28, 2011

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