Life Sciences Institute

From COVID-19 to the common cold: UBC scientists identify broadly effective, infection-halting compound

Researchers at UBC’s Life Sciences Institute have identified a compound that shows early promise at halting infections from a range of coronaviruses, including all variants of SARS-CoV-2 and the common cold.

Dec 14, 2022

Screenshot of video showing spike protein and lectins. Credit: Daniel Canena and Peter Hinterdorfer, Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University

Potential ‘Achilles’ heel’ of SARS-CoV-2 virus captured on video

Proteins known as lectins can bind to the spike protein on the SARS-CoV-2 virus and prevent it from accessing human cells, an international team of researchers led by the University of British Columbia’s Dr. Josef Penninger has demonstrated.

Apr 30, 2021

An illustration of vascular organoids, lab-made human blood vessels, based on original data. Credit: IMBA

Scientists grow perfect human blood vessels in a petri dish

The breakthrough engineering technology, outlined in a new study published today in Nature, dramatically advances research of vascular diseases like diabetes, identifying a key pathway to potentially prevent changes to blood vessels—a major cause of death and morbidity among those with diabetes.

Jan 16, 2019

‘Sticky synapses’ can impair new memories by holding on to old ones

‘Sticky synapses’ can impair new memories by holding on to old ones

UBC researchers have discovered that so-called ‘sticky synapses’ in the brain can impair new learning by excessively hard-wiring old memories and inhibiting our ability to adapt to our changing environment.

May 26, 2014

Learning new ideas alters brain cells

Learning new ideas alters brain cells

New UBC study identifies an important molecular change that occurs in the brain when we learn and remember.

Feb 24, 2014