Faculty of Science community and partners News Archive

December 16, 2024 — 
Welcome to our 2024 journey of innovation and discovery at the Faculty of Science. This was yet another year where we made transformative progress in expanding the frontiers of knowledge, enhancing student experience and fostering an inclusive community. Join us as we take a look back at the highlights of 2024.

December 11, 2024 — 
Dr. ASM Zisanur Rahman, Julieta Novomisky Nechcoff, and Dr. Silvia T. Cardona have recently published their article, "Rationally designed pooled CRISPRi-seq uncovers an inhibitor of bacterial peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase" in Cell Reports. In this study, the team created a collection of bacterial mutants to help them understand how a new type of antimicrobial molecule, discovered with their artificial intelligence tools, stops bacteria from growing. Their research has now identified a unique combination of a compound and its bacterial target, opening up exciting possibilities for developing a new antibiotic. In this interview, we talk with Cardona, a professor and associate head graduate in the Department of Microbiology and an expert in antibiotic discovery to provide a deeper understanding of her research and recent work.

December 9, 2024 — 
Although sustainability seems to be the new trend, plastic pollution still remains a great threat to the environment and human health. Turns out those compostable coffee cups and food containers are rarely degraded even in standard composting conditions. The UM Prairie iGEM team strives to solve this problem and received the gold medal for the best new basic part award in the 2024 Grand Jamboree - the world expo of synthetic biology!

December 5, 2024 — 
"Shocked" is what Dr. Juliette Mammei felt when she first heard the news of being inducted into the Royal Society of Canada as she thought it was a long shot when she filled out the application. However, looking at her novel work with the Moller experiment and her dedication to improving equity, diversity and inclusion in physics, one can say that induction into the Royal Society of Canada was inevitable and well-deserving.

November 29, 2024 — 
The UM's Chemical Synthetic Biology and Xenobiology Laboratory focuses on changing the living cell's chemical composition through the expansion of the genetic code. Dr. Ned Budisa, professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in synthetic biology leads this research lab at the department of chemistry, Faculty of Science.

November 21, 2024 — 
At the Department of Biological Sciences, students have the opportunity to not only study living organisms but also learn skills such as data literacy and science communication that will serve them well in whatever career path they choose.

November 15, 2024 — 
A day with Dr. Avery Miller - From theoretical computer science to challenges as a 2SLGBTQIA+ researcher

November 7, 2024 — 
NASA recently announced their selection of the “Probe” (1 billion USD) mission concept to be adopted in the next decade. Two missions (one for infrared light and another for X-ray light) were selected to compete next. The winning concept for probing the X-ray Universe is the “Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite” or AXIS, whose Principal Investigator (PI) is Dr. Chris Reynolds from the University of Maryland. Through rigorous competition for the next mission of the 2030’s, these proposals have the potential to answer burning questions in high-energy astrophysics, including understanding the mechanism and progenitors of supernova explosions that impact the chemical and dynamical evolution of galaxies and understanding our cosmic origins.

November 1, 2024 — 
“The story just seemed too perfect. It was just too ideal to go from the smallest mammals with the highest heart rates on the planet, to potential therapeutic applications to humans”, says Dr. Kevin Campbell, professor at the department of biological sciences at the University of Manitoba. Campbell has done research on the comparative physiology and evolution of mammals ranging from the smallest shrews to the largest whales over the past two decades and has published his recent findings in the multidisciplinary journal Science.

October 25, 2024 — 
Dr. Mark Belmonte, professor at the department of biological sciences, in collaboration with other researchers at the Faculty of Science, is using genetics to develop a species-specific molecular fungicide and win the battle against sclerotinia.