Faculty of Science research News Archive

December 18, 2024 — 
Are you helping an elderly parent with some holiday shopping and need to get reimbursed? Have they asked you to pay some bills or e-transfer funds to the grandkids from their accounts? You aren’t alone.

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 — 
Eight UM researchers have been selected for their exceptional research performance and impact as demonstrated by multiple highly cited papers in 2024. 

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 13, 2024 — 
Dr. Olivia Wilkins, Associate Professor, Biological Sciences has been awarded $2.5 million through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Alliance Grant program, to fund the Canadian contribution to the new USD 16.3 million Global Center: Sustainable Plant Innovation and Resilience through International Teamwork (C-SPIRIT).