91��ɫ U Faculty of Science Archives - News@91��ɫ

91��ɫ U looking for best, brightest, most passionate future world-changing scientists

roshanp — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 16:27:39 +0000

TORONTO, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2017 – Science helps advance knowledge and understanding – whether it’s probing the farthest galaxies, developing clean-energy technologies or investigating the brain. 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Science hopes to attract the brightest minds from around the globe through a new first-year scholarship program.

The new is seeking students of exceptional promise – high achievers passionate about science. The YSSA program will hand out $10,000 worth of awards to as many as 25 first-year students for the fall of 2018.

“The goal is to recruit and nurture the most promising students so that they can go on to make a remarkable impact through exciting discoveries, creative innovations and meaningful engagement,” says Ray Jayawardhana, dean of the Faculty of Science at 91��ɫ.

Each 91��ɫ Science Scholar will receive the first $5,000 as an entrance scholarship and the second $5,000 to support a summer research placement with a faculty mentor after first year. It’s an opportunity to put that first year of learning into practice, get a sense of front-line research, and consider academic and career options for the future.

Engaging in experiential learning and making connections provides the students with an opportunity that will enhance their studies and their job prospects.

In addition, the YSSA program students will receive one-on-one mentorship from some of the most highly regarded faculty members in 91��ɫ’s leading-edge research facilities.

The Scholars Awards are open to Canadian and International students. Applications must be submitted no later than February 20, 2018. For more information about how to apply, visit the website.

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is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 295,000 alumni. 91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media contact:

Sandra McLean, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097, sandramc@yorku.ca

The post 91��ɫ U looking for best, brightest, most passionate future world-changing scientists appeared first on News@91��ɫ.

91��ɫ U looking for best, brightest, most passionate future world-changing scientists

roshanp — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 16:27:39 +0000

Engaging in experiential learning and making connections provides the students with an opportunity that will enhance their studies and their job prospects.

In addition, the YSSA program students will receive one-on-one mentorship from some of the most highly regarded faculty members in 91��ɫ’s leading-edge research facilities.

The Scholars Awards are open to Canadian and International students. Applications must be submitted no later than February 20, 2018. For more information about how to apply, visit the website.

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Media contact:

Sandra McLean, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097, sandramc@yorku.ca

The post 91��ɫ U looking for best, brightest, most passionate future world-changing scientists appeared first on News@91��ɫ.

Media Advisory: Talk to an expert about the solar eclipse; visit the 91��ɫ U Solar Fair

roshanp — Mon, 14 Aug 2017 15:51:50 +0000

TORONTO, Monday, August 14, 2017 – Ask a 91��ɫ expert about the upcoming solar eclipse now, and watch the event unfold later at 91��ɫ’s Solar Fair on Monday, Aug. 21, where telescopes will be set up for viewing.

Visitors will also be able to watch the path of the solar eclipse live on the big screen or don a pair of solar glasses made available by through the 91��ɫ Observatory to safely view the celestial event. About 70 per cent of the Sun’s surface will be covered by the Moon from Toronto.

Let’s Talk Science will also have interactive science demonstrations and an opportunity for people to build their own pin-hole camera to view the celestial event.

“It’s a sight not to be missed,” said Faculty of Science Dean Ray Jayawardhana. “The last time a total eclipse included parts of Canada was the winter of 1979.”

Ray Jayawardhana, astrophysicist and Dean of the Faculty of Science, taking in the total solar eclipse in Turkey

As astronomy expert in the Faculty of Science, Professor Paul Delaney says, “If you miss this one, the next chance to experience something similar in the United States and Canada won’t be until 2024.”

WHAT: 91��ɫ Solar Fair open to the public

WHEN: Monday, Aug. 21, from 1 to 4pm

WHERE: Lions Stadium, 91��ɫ. See number 6 on the .

WHO: 91��ɫ U experts – , expert in astronomy and astrophysics, and , expert in astronomy and space exploration.

More information on solar eclipse safety can be found on the website.

To see the path of totality, view the .

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91��ɫ is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 295,000 alumni. 91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contacts:

Sandra McLean, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097, sandramc@yorku.ca

The post Media Advisory: Talk to an expert about the solar eclipse; visit the 91��ɫ U Solar Fair appeared first on News@91��ɫ.

Popular class of drugs reverses potentially harmful genetic changes from heart disease

roshanp — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 13:27:12 +0000

TORONTO, Tuesday, July 4, 2017 – Beta blockers are commonly used world-wide to treat a variety of cardiovascular conditions, such as arrhythmias and heart failure. Scientists have known for decades that the medications work by slowing the heart rate and reducing the force of contraction – lessening the burden of work carried out by the heart. However, new research out of 91��ɫ has now shown that these drugs also reverse a number of potentially detrimental genetic changes associated with heart disease.

Using an experimental model of heart failure and next generation sequencing to get a snapshot of all of the RNA in the heart cells, the researchers identified the global gene expression changes that occur in heart failure. Then they explored what happened to this pattern of gene expression when beta blocker treatment was implemented, and what they found not only surprised them, but could have important ramifications for future treatments of heart disease.

“We discovered that beta blockers largely reverse the pathological pattern of gene expression observed in heart failure,” said Faculty of Science Professor John McDermott, who led the research, along with 91��ɫ U collaborators Professor Gary Sweeney and Professor Jorg Grigull. “This could mean that the reversal or suppression of pathological gene expression by beta blockers is somehow protective against heart failure, but it’s something we would need to look into further to understand how individual genes function in the heart.”

Interestingly, the study also found that some genes associated with the immune system were dysregulated in heart failure, supporting recent research that has suggested the immune system and inflammation are involved in heart disease.

About 600,000 Canadians are living with heart failure, and the disease is expected to rise as more people survive heart attacks and other heart conditions and continue to live longer.

McDermott and his team have identified genes that will be further explored for their potential use in diagnosis and treatment in heart failure.

The study, “Heart Failure and MEF2 Transcriptome Dynamics in Response to B-Blockers,” was published today in .

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Media Contact:

Gloria Suhasini, Media Relations, 416 736 2100 ext. 22094, suhasini@yorku.ca

Exposure to neonics results in early death for honeybee workers and queens, 91��ɫ U study

roshanp — Thu, 29 Jun 2017 18:02:31 +0000

TORONTO, Thursday, June 29, 2017 – Worker and queen honeybees exposed to field realistic levels of neonicotinoids die sooner, reducing the health of the entire colony, a new study led by 91��ɫ biologists has found.

The researchers were also surprised to find that the neonicotinoid contaminated pollen collected by the honeybees came not from crops grown from neonicotinoid treated seeds, but plants growing in areas adjacent to those crops.

The role of neonicotinoid insecticides in honeybee colony deaths in Ontario and other parts of North America has been controversial. Some critics dismissed studies that found negative effects on worker behavior and colony health as unrealistic, suggesting bees were exposed to higher doses of pesticides for much longer than realistically found in the field.

Professor Amro Zayed checking out a frame of honeybees from one of his rooftop colonies at 91��ɫ

“This debate about field realistic exposure has been going on for a long time,” said 91��ɫ U biology Professor of the Faculty of Science. “We needed season-long monitoring of neonics in bee colonies to determine the typical exposure scenarios that occur in the field, which we have now done.

The research team studied honey bee colonies in five apiaries close to corn grown from neonicotinoid-treated seeds and six apiaries that were far from agriculture. These colonies were extensively sampled and tested for pesticides from early May to September.

“Honeybee colonies near corn were exposed to neonicotinoids for three to four months. That is most of the active bee season in temperate North America,” said 91��ɫ U PhD student Nadia Tsvetkov.

Worker honeybees in a hive at 91��ɫ

However, the neonicotinoid contaminated pollen the honeybees collected did not belong to corn or soybean plants – the two primary crops grown from neonicotinoid treated seeds in Ontario and Quebec.

“This indicates that neonicotinoids, which are water soluble, spill over from agricultural fields into the surrounding environment, where they are taken up by other plants that are very attractive to bees,” said Tsvetkov.

The researchers then chronically fed colonies with an artificial pollen supplement containing progressively smaller amounts of the most commonly used neonicotinoid in Ontario, clothianidin, over a 12-week period. The experiment mimicked what would occur naturally in the field.

The worker bees exposed to the treated pollen during the first nine days of life had their lifespans cut short by 23 per cent. Colonies that were exposed to treated pollen were unable to maintain a healthy laying queen, and had poor hygiene. “We found that realistic exposure to neonicotinoids near corn fields reduces the health of honey bee colonies,” said Tsvetkov.

Honeybees going in and out of hive at 91��ɫ

While chronic exposure to neonicotinoids has negative effects on honeybees, the researchers also discovered that a commonly used fungicide can interact with neonicotinoids to make them more dangerous.

“The effect of neonicotinoids on honey bees quickly turns from bad to worse when you add the fungicide boscalid to the mix,” said Professor of Laval University who collaborated with the 91��ɫ U team. “The researchers found that field realistic levels of boscalid can make neonicotinoids twice as toxic to honeybees.”

The research, “,” is published today in the journal Science.

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Media Contact:

Sandra McLean, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097, sandramc@yorku.ca

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Matters of the heart: 91��ɫ U researchers create 3D beating heart

roshanp — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 19:56:26 +0000

TORONTO, February 9, 2017 – Matters of the heart can be complicated, but 91��ɫ scientists have found a way to create 3D heart tissue that beats in synchronized harmony, like a heart in love, that will lead to better understanding of cardiac health, and improved treatments.

Dmitry Rogozhnikov, a chemistry PhD student at 91��ɫ, in the lab creating a 3D heart

91��ɫ U chemistry Professor Muhammad Yousaf and his team of grad students have devised a way to stick three different types of cardiac cells together, like Velcro, to make heart tissue that beats as one.

Until now, most 2D and 3D in vitro tissue did not beat in harmony and required scaffolding for the cells to hold onto and grow, causing limitations. In this research, Yousaf and his team made a scaffold free beating tissue out of three cell types found in the heart – contractile cardiac muscle cells, connective tissue cells and vascular cells.

The researchers believe this is the first 3D in vitro cardiac tissue with three cell types that can beat together as one entity rather than at different intervals.

“This breakthrough will allow better and earlier drug testing, and potentially eliminate harmful or toxic medications sooner,” said Yousaf of 91��ɫ U’s Faculty of Science.

In addition, the substance used to stick cells together (ViaGlue), will provide researchers with tools to create and test 3D in vitro cardiac tissue in their own labs to study heart disease and issues with transplantation. Cardiovascular associated diseases are the leading cause of death globally and are responsible for 40 per cent of deaths in North America.

“M��쾱�Բ� in vitro 3D cardiac tissue has long presented a challenge to scientists because of the high density of cells and muscularity of the heart,” said Dmitry Rogozhnikov, a chemistry PhD student at 91��ɫ. “For 2D or 3D cardiac tissue to be functional it needs the same high cellular density and the cells must be in contact to facilitate synchronized beating.”

91��ɫ U chemistry Professor Muhammad Yousaf looks at the 3D heart tissue cells beating together as one

Although the 3D cardiac tissue was created at a millimeter scale, larger versions could be made, said Yousaf, who has created a start-up company OrganoLinX to commercialize the ViaGlue reagent and to provide custom 3D tissues on demand.

The study, “,” was published in Nature Scientific Reports.

Media Contact:
Sandra McLean, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097, sandramc@yorku.ca

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