The announcement of Hach茅's appointment was made yesterday by 91亚色 President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri. 鈥淚 am thrilled that Dr. Hach茅 is coming to 91亚色,鈥� said聽Shoukri. 鈥淒r. Hach茅's ideas, experience and skills will enable us to continue to enhance our increasingly strong research profile, and expand into one of Canada鈥檚 leading interdisciplinary research and teaching universities.鈥�

Right: Robert Hach茅

Hach茅聽is currently the聽associate vice-president research at the , where he has played a key role in advancing strategic research priorities. He has also held appointments in the university's Department of Cell Biology聽and Anatomy in the Faculty of Medicine, and in the Department of Biological Sciences in the Faculty of Science, where he maintained an active research program. Previously, he spent聽18 years at the University of Ottawa, the last聽12 in a series of research leadership positions that ended with a term as vice-dean, research for the Faculty of Medicine.

鈥淚 am delighted to be coming to 91亚色 at what is sure to be a promising time in its history,鈥� said Hach茅. 鈥淚 look forward to working with faculty and researchers to further the development of its rapidly growing and internationally-recognized research enterprise.鈥�

A聽molecular聽and cellular biologist and biochemist, Hach茅 has made important contributions to the understanding of how steroid hormone signaling takes place in cells and how cells respond to DNA damaging agents. He has chaired and been a member of a number of boards and advisory committees associated with research development and research management. Hach茅 received his BSc in biochemistry from McGill University and his PhD in biochemistry from Queen's University.

Hach茅 has been the recipient of many research grants and awards, including from the (CIHR), the , the (NCIC), The Inc., and the (NSERC). He is the author of more than 130 scientific articles and abstracts and has delivered many distinguished invited presentations on various aspects of his research.

鈥淚 would like to thank Stan Shapson for his outstanding leadership and friendship,鈥� Shoukri said of 91亚色's outgoing vice-president research & innovation. 鈥淒uring his time at 91亚色, Stan was instrumental in advancing 91亚色鈥檚 research and innovation mandate, as well as raising the University鈥檚 profile externally. Among his many contributions, Stan helped to oversee the launch of the Markham Convergence Centre, an important research initiative in the provincial government鈥檚 ONE Network.鈥�

Added Shoukri: 鈥淚 am grateful to Stan for all that he has achieved over the years at 91亚色, and wish him well in all of his future endeavours.鈥�

Republished courtesy of YFile 鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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91亚色 researchers have zeroed in on a genetic process that may allow ovarian cancer to resist chemotherapy.

Researchers in the University鈥檚 studied a tiny strand of our genetic makeup known as a microRNA, involved in the regulation of gene expression. Cancer occurs when gene regulation goes haywire.

鈥淥varian cancer is a very deadly disease because it鈥檚 hard to detect,鈥� says biology Professor who co-authored the study. By the time it's diagnosed, usually it is in its late stages. And by that point there鈥檚 really no way to treat the disease. Even when the disease is discovered in its early stages, chemotherapy doesn鈥檛 always work,鈥� she says.

Right: Chun Peng

Peng was among a team of researchers that discovered a receptor, ALK7, that induces cell death in epithelial ovarian cancer cells. They have now discerned that microRNA 376c targets this crucial receptor, inhibiting its expression and allowing ovarian cancer cells to thrive.

鈥�Our evidence suggests that microRNA 376c is crucial to determining how a patient will respond to a chemotherapeutic agent,鈥� says Peng. 鈥淚t allows cancer cells to survive by targeting the very process that kills them off,鈥� she says.

In examining tumours taken from patients who were non-responsive to chemotherapy, researchers found a higher expression of microRNA 376c and a much lower expression of ALK7.

Peng believes that this research is a step towards being able to make chemotherapy drugs more effective in the treatment of the disease.

鈥淔urther study is needed, but ultimately if we can introduce anti-microRNAs that would lower the level of those microRNAs that make cancer cells resistant to chemotherapeutic drugs, we will be able to make chemotherapy more effective against ovarian cancer,鈥� Peng says.

She urges women to educate themselves about the risk factors and symptoms of the disease. For more information, visit .

Peng is a world expert in the area of ovarian cancer and the molecular basis of complications in pregnancy. Her research on chemo-resistance has also contributed to knowledge and prediction of pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy disorder that is a leading cause of maternal and perinatal complications and death.

The article, 鈥淢icroRNA 376c enhances ovarian cancer cell survival by targeting activin receptor-like kinase 7: implications for chemoresistance鈥�, was published in the Journal of Cell Science.The study鈥檚 lead author, Gang Ye, is a research associate in Peng鈥檚 lab. Several trainees in Peng鈥檚 lab, as well as scientists in Toronto鈥檚 Sunnybrook Research Institute and in China also participated in the project.

The research was supported by an operating grant from the (CIHR) and a mid-career award to Peng from the Ontario Women鈥檚 Health Council/CIHR. Ye was supported in part by a fellowship from the Toronto Ovarian Cancer Research Network.

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Two 91亚色-led industry-academic partnerships have received a total of $1,237,136 through the 's (NSERC) Strategic Projects Grants program.

Sergey Krylov, professor in the Faculty of Science聽& Engineering and Canada Research Chair in Bioanalytical Chemistry, has received $773,200 over three years to explore new therapies to treat metastatic cancers聽鈥� secondary tumors that originate from a malignant primary tumor and subsequently invade different organs.

Right: Sergey Krylov

Laurie Wilcox, associate professor in the Faculty of Health鈥檚 Department of Psychology, is co-principal investigator on Depth in Motion with Ali Kazimi, associate professor in the Faculty of Fine Arts鈥� Department of Film. Theirs will be the first research project to rigorously assess human responses to moving content in stereoscopic 3D film (S3D), while challenging current practices and intuitions filmmakers have garnered through 2D and static 3D experience. The grant is provided through a collaborative initiative between NSERC and the ; NSERC has provided $286,836 while the Canada Council has provided $177,100 for a cumulative three-year total of $463,936.

Left: Laurie Wilcox

Krylov has partnered with , whose Canadian offices are based in Concord, Ontario, to create personalized diagnoses and therapy monitoring for metastatic cancers. Current difficulties in detecting and eradicating these tumors significantly contribute to cancer mortality rates; therapies that are efficient for one patient often do not work for others. Their research uses "aptamers"聽鈥� short DNA strands capable of selectively binding molecules on cell surfaces聽 to serve as tracers for metastatic cancer tumors and, potentially, as vehicles to deliver drugs to metastatic cells.

Wilcox and Kazimi will collaborate with , associate professor in the Faculty of Science & Engineering鈥檚 Department of Computer Science & Engineering and member of the , to create an independent S3D film installation based on a piece of dance choreography and presented in both a large-scale S3D projection format and on multiple S3D displays. Audience members will move through a gallery space and choose to view the large-scale screen or one of the alternative displays containing different motion in depth sequences. The project will evaluate movement鈥檚 effect through depth on observer preferences, determine if these preferences are contingent on the nature of the movement, and determine if pacing differences exist between 2D and S3D film content.

Right: Ali Kazemi

Jim Mirkopolos, vice-president of operations for Toronto-based , is the project鈥檚 industry collaborator; Cinespace's Kleinburg studios are providing space to set up and test the installation later in the project.

鈥淭hese projects build on 91亚色鈥檚 expanding expertise in digital media and life science research, and our value-added industry-academic partnerships,鈥� said Stan Shapson, vice-president Research & Innovation. 鈥淒epth in Motion is a natural next step in the 3D film research 91亚色 began through the in partnership with Toronto-based industry leaders, and demonstrates the innovation unleashed when the creative arts and science converge. Professor Krylov鈥檚 work with in 91亚色 Region has a six-year history that involves two past successful collaborations and will further contribute 91亚色鈥檚 scientific expertise to the region鈥檚 growing and vibrant biotech sector.鈥�

91亚色鈥檚 projects were among 120 chosen to receive a total of $55 million in funding under聽NSERC鈥檚 Strategic Project Grants program, which aims to turn the results of academic research into real benefits for Canadians.

The announcement was made by聽Gary Goodyear, minister of state (Science聽& Technology) in Waterloo, Ontario. 鈥淪upporting science and research is critical to Canada鈥檚 future economic growth,鈥� said Goodyear. 鈥淭his investment will bring together 100 teams of some of the world鈥檚 top researchers to work with industry on promising new projects that will help strengthen our economy, create jobs and bring other benefits to communities.鈥�

鈥淭hese Strategic Project Grants show that the NSERC community has risen to the challenge and is putting the federal S&T strategy to work,鈥� said NSERC President Suzanne Fortier. 鈥淲e received a high number of quality submissions, and the peer review committees were impressed with the research teams鈥� excellence, their proposals鈥� importance and potential impact, and the strong support from partners.鈥�

For a complete list of NSERC recipients, visit the website.

By Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer.

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Gibbs鈥� expansive study will help scientists track bee diversity, understand pollination biology and study the evolution of social behaviour in insects. It is also much anticipated by bee taxonomists who, like Gibbs, painstakingly examine the anatomy (morphology) of bees to distinguish one type of bee from another.

Bees are responsible for pollinating many wildflowers and a large proportion of agricultural crops. As much as one of every three bites of food that humans eat, including some meat products, depends on the pollination services of bees. Sweat bees are common visitors to a wide range of plants, including fruit and vegetable flowers in Toronto gardens.

Right: A new species of bee, Lasioglossum Ephialtum,聽discovered by Jason Gibbs. Photo by Jason Gibbs.

Sweat bees 鈭� named for their attraction to perspiration 鈭� can be smaller than four millimetres in length, often have metallic markings, and make up one-third to one-half of bees collected in biodiversity surveys in North America. Complete species descriptions of 84 metallic sweat bees in Canada are included in Gibbs鈥� monumental study, 鈥淩evision of the metallic species of Lasioglossum (Dialictus) in Canada.鈥� It was published today by the peer-reviewed journal as a single issue.

Despite their numbers and their importance as pollinators, sweat bees remain among the most challenging bees to identify to species, perhaps because they evolved so rapidly when they first appeared about 20-million years ago. Gibbs鈥� research significantly improves upon all other available tools for the identification of these bees.

Left: Jason Gibbs

鈥淭hese bees are morphologically monotonous. They are a nightmare to identify to species because their physical characteristics 鈥� their morphologies 鈥� are so similar among species. No one has been able to identify these bees until now even though they make up so many of the bees we collect,鈥� says Gibbs. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to identify these species, because if we don鈥檛 know what bees we have, we can鈥檛 know what bees we鈥檙e losing.鈥�

Gibbs examined tens of thousands of individual bees over about four years, from his own and others鈥� collections as well as historical collections housed in museums. To identify bees to species, he first sorted them using morphological study, then tested his assessments using DNA sequences generated at the at the , which assigns 鈥渂arcodes鈥� to species based on their DNA. Finally, he carefully re-examined the bees鈥� physical characteristics to draw even finer distinctions between the bees and identify them to species.

Among the 19 new species of sweat bee identified by Gibbs is one he collected on his commute from Toronto to 91亚色. When he arrived at his 91亚色 lab and examined it, he knew he had found a new species, never before identified by science but, as it turns out, quite common in Toronto and throughout eastern Canada and the United States. He also identified and described 18 other species from Canada that are new to science, including a cuckoo bee. Like a cuckoo bird, it doesn鈥檛 build a nest or collect food, but it has big mandibles for fighting. This cuckoo sweat bee is believed to invade the nest of another sweat bee species to lay its eggs on the pollen and nectar collected by its host.

Gibbs received the 2010 Dissertation Prize from 91亚色 for the manuscript that led to this published study. A postdoctoral researcher in 91亚色 Professor Laurence Packer鈥檚 bee lab, he will continue his research this fall at . He is working on similar bee studies for the Eastern United States and Mexico. For more information, visit Jason Gibbs鈥� Web page.

This research was supported through funding to the from , and other sponsors.

By Janice Walls, media relations coordinator. Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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buskers聽and researchers will share the wonder of science on the street and at booths Saturday at the聽season opening聽of the food, arts and crafts market in聽Markham's downtown from聽10am to 3pm.聽They will be making dry ice, testing for colour blindness,聽extracting DNA from fruit and demonstrating how bees help gardeners, displaying cow eyeballs and operating a mini Mars rover, among a host of fun demonstrations. There will also be聽science chats at聽The Antique Caf茅 and science art聽at the Tangerine Gecko Art Gallery near the .

Left: A wow moment at 91亚色 Science Rendezvous in 2009

In the evening, 91亚色's Science Rendezvous shifts聽to the Keele campus where聽stargazers can view the night sky through telescopes at the 91亚色 Observatory from 8 to 11pm.

The 91亚色-Markham event is part of a growing one-day festival held at schools, in malls and at cultural centres across Ontario to engage citizens in the discovery and wonder of science and research, and promote an understanding of how science affects daily lives.

91亚色's Faculty of Science & Engineering has participated in since the festival was launched in 2008. In the first year, 91亚色 focused on space science (see YFile, April 10, 2008). Last year, it focused on space, energy and stem cell research and incorporated Science Rendezvous into the 91亚色 Community Festival (see YFile, May 4, 2009) celebrating the University鈥檚 50th anniversary.

This year, 91亚色 takes science to Markham. It will feature:

Science busking

Hosts of and 91亚色 students will conduct icy experiments (making dry ice, ice cream and ice bubbles), test for colour blindness and perception, and make polymers and bouncy balls.

Right: Making dry ice in 2009

Science demos

See how crystals form and make a geodesic dome. Learn how bees help your garden. Find out about DNA in your fruit and how cells develop to become Sofie the bunny. Look down a microscope at urchin eggs being fertilized by sperm. Examine cow eyeballs, a brain, a heart and other animal organs.聽See how water is filtered and talk about clean air. Watch a Mars rover manoeuvre through the crowds. Visit the crater pool to see how craters are made. Pet a comet.

Math & Stats game show

Test your math IQ in this skill-testing game.

Sipping science

Ever wondered why鈥�? Now鈥檚 your chance to ask a 91亚色 scientist that burning question and engage in informal discussion on current scientific issues hosted by Let鈥檚 Talk Science at The Antique Caf茅, 138 Robinson St.

At the at 107 Main St. N. in Markham, see Garbage Kayak (above), a 15-foot Greenland kayak frame made from garbage and other found objects, and聽Mental Fabric, kaleidoscopic merging of anatomical and mathematical visual information.

To download a free mobile app and get a Science Rendezvous guide, visit the Web site and key in u6prgak.

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wrote:

It鈥檚 not all love in the avian world, where divorce, child abandonment and marrying up are part of everyday life.

, to be published in Canada this week, dispels the lovebird myth that birds pair up for life, and paints a picture instead that includes adultery and the pursuit of comfort.

鈥淚n terms of top 10 myths about birds, the permanent pair bonds that we think about, that does occur for some birds, but for most of the little songbirds that we studied, no,鈥� said Stutchbury.

The book draws on 20 years of research from radio tracking and DNA testing and shows male Acadian flycatchers fertilizing females far away from their home nests, and female blue-headed vireos premeditating divorce by checking out new mates before they abandon their young.

Stutchbury, who has studied dozens of songbird species in Canada, the United States and Panama, said shorter summers may drive females to leave their nests before their young are fully fledged so they can quickly find new mates and lay more eggs. That leaves the males to feed the hungry chicks on their own.

Males can triple or quadruple their reproductive success by fertilizing neighbouring females, but only 鈥渕ates鈥� care for the young, and some are none the wiser. 鈥淭hey can鈥檛 tell when the egg hatches whether it鈥檚 theirs or not,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey have no way to know.鈥�

Divorce is surprisingly common among birds, and most live with one partner for only a few months or years. Divorce rates range from 99 per cent in the greater flamingo to zero in the wandering albatross.

The wrote:

Who knew birds could be so bad?

A new book from Bridget Stutchbury shows they cheat on each other, and their relationships often end in divorce. As well, some parent birds favour one offspring over another. 鈥淭here are a number of theories about why birds go their separate ways,鈥� Stutchbury said in a release about her book The Bird Detective.

鈥淥ne hypothesis is that birds that are genetically or behaviourally incompatible separate when both can benefit from finding a new partner.鈥� Another theory is birds, like humans, realize they can do better: One initiates divorce for selfish gain, leaving its former partner high and dry.

The 91亚色 biology professor 鈥� who was a 2007 Governor General鈥檚 Literary Award for Non-Fiction finalist for her book Silence of the Songbirds 鈥� and post-doctoral student Bonnie Wolfenden looked at how female Acadian flycatchers were being fertilized by neighbouring males who lived hundreds of metres away.

鈥淲e had the genetic evidence of their infidelity, but we never did catch a female sneaking away from its nest. It turned out to be the males making clandestine visits to the females,鈥� Stutchbury said.

Stutchbury, who is among 91亚色's Distinguished Research Professors, is a faculty member in the in 91亚色鈥檚 . She holds a .

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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DNA evidence is popularized in cop and legal dramas as proof of irrefutable guilt, but it's only as solid as the conditions under which it is collected. , professor of criminal law in 91亚色's Osgoode Hall Law School,聽 was featured in a on the dark side of DNA evidence on March 13:

Last year, University of Virginia law Professor Brandon Garrett and Peter Neufeld, co-founder of the Innocence Project, found that three of 156 US individuals ultimately exonerated in serious crimes had been wrongly convicted because of DNA errors. In one case, a technician grossly overstated evidence. Another featured lab contamination. The third wrongful conviction came after senior analyst Fred Zain gave evidence in court he knew to be false.

Alan Young, a criminal law professor in 91亚色鈥檚 Osgoode Hall Law School, describes the Zain case as 鈥渁 classic example of why you can鈥檛 simply roll over and play dead in the face of science.鈥� After his shortcomings at the West聽 Virginia State Police Crime Laboratory were discovered, Zain left and became head of a medical examiner鈥檚 lab in Texas. His errors became one of several problems the state ultimately faced.

鈥淭hey have had to reopen hundreds of cases in Texas because of the discovery of horrible preservation and contamination issues,鈥� said Young. 鈥淭hey had to literally shut down a lab in Houston because it was generating so many false results.鈥�

The full article is available on The Globe & Mail's .

Republished with files courtesy of YFile 鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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