Research News
Investigating The Effects Of Climate Change In Fur Seal Immune Systems
![Two seals sitting on rocks.](https://www.uoguelph.ca/research/sites/default/files/public/styles/large/public/field/image/ezgif-3-29db4fa7cf.jpg?itok=7R7B2i-0)
By Mya Kidson
Research by Ontario Veterinary College professor Dr. Mauricio Seguel investigates wildlife immune systems and their vulnerability to climate change. A recent article by SPARK Writer, Mya Kidson, explores Seguel’s project -- based in Peru and Patagonia -- looking at the impact of environmental changes in the ocean on milk quality in maternal fur seals and how these changes further impact the immune systems of their young...
COVID-19 Forces Restaurants to Adapt and Plan for Future Crises
![A photo of an empty restaurant with a row of tables and chairs and an empty bar.](https://www.uoguelph.ca/research/sites/default/files/public/styles/large/public/field/image/andrew-seaman-sQopSb2K0CU-unsplash.jpg?itok=B7CljR7u)
Photo Credit: Unsplash
By Cate Willis
A new University of Guelph study shows that many pandemic-hit restaurants have adapted their services and created plans to respond to future crises.
Dr. Simon Somogyi, a professor in the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics, said the study of the pandemic’s impact on food service businesses found that many companies have moved from thinking about short-term survival to considering the long-term picture.
At the beginning of the pandemic, many businesses focused on surviving day-to-day and keeping as many people...
University of Guelph Reaffirms Its Longstanding Commitment to Research Commercialization
![A woman in a white lab coat pouring a liquid into a test tube.](https://www.uoguelph.ca/research/sites/default/files/public/styles/large/public/field/image/IOTY%202021%20-%20Extra.%20van%20der%20Merwe%20Lab.jpg?itok=ewaLVshT)
Photo Credit: Junelle Fisher
From OAC 21 barley that transformed the brewing industry a century ago, to Yukon Gold potatoes developed 50 years ago that remain a staple on dinner plates, to novel biopolymers that are fuelling the green economy today, University of Guelph has been a leader in using research to create new products and processes to improve life.
Today, with the introduction of the ...
A Lack Of Effective Canadian COVID-19 Communications Can Impact Public Trust, Study Finds
![A person wearing a black sweatshirt and holding an iPhone.](https://www.uoguelph.ca/research/sites/default/files/public/styles/large/public/field/image/gilles-lambert-pb_lF8VWaPU-unsplash.jpg?itok=kOCea2eY)
Photo Credit: Unsplash
By Caitlin Ford
A recent University of Guelph study led by Dr. Andrew Papadopoulos examined the public's response to various COVID-19 communications. This research was conducted using Facebook posts from key government accounts and found that Canadians have low trust in the messages being shared. Find out more in the recent article written by SPARK writer Caitlin Ford...
U of G Chemists Find Microwaves May Help Treat COVID-19
![A medical animation of COVID-19](https://www.uoguelph.ca/research/sites/default/files/public/styles/large/public/field/image/fusion-medical-animation-rnr8D3FNUNY-unsplash.jpg?itok=OvKKf6TY)
Photo Credit: Unsplash
A University of Guelph study has found that the electromagnetic fields from microwave radiation may offer a way to disable the coronavirus even at body temperature. Dr. Khashayar Ghandi, a professor in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, conducted the study with M.Sc. student Michael Anthony Lapolla and research assistant Pooya Afaghi. The team is looking for novel methods for dealing with persisting contagions and rendering viruses non-functional...
Innovative Decontamination Method Mitigates Mask Shortage
![Three people wearing white lab coats and masks testing a blue mask on a machine](https://www.uoguelph.ca/research/sites/default/files/public/styles/large/public/field/image/IMG_0585.jpg?itok=joSMAPNY)
Photo Credit: Aparajhitha Sudarsan
By Katie Kroeze
A new mask decontamination technology developed by University of Guelph researchers can help to alleviate disposable mask shortages in health care during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study.
Dr. Kevin Keener, an engineering professor in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, conducted the study with research scientist Dr. Vanessa de Souza and M.Sc. students Aparajhitha Sudarsan and Troy Kozlowski, as well as post-doctoral researcher Dr. Alba Illera and PhD candidate Nooshin Nikmaram.
They found that high-...
New Renovation to Improve Performance-Based Research at U of G
![A design of the new ARC building with hallways and people walking around and gathering together.](https://www.uoguelph.ca/research/sites/default/files/public/styles/large/public/field/image/5cad9747-fc0c-4fe4-926f-f98fcb74f3eb.jpg?itok=JimOVeBe)
Photo Credit: Diamond Schmitt Architects
By Cate Willis
A new state-of-the-art research and performance space for improvisation at the University of Guelph will open later this year.
The ImprovLab, a new 160-seat performance space for research in improvisation, will occupy the newly renovated north wing of the MacKinnon Building called The ARC. The 45,000-square foot-ARC will also contain a 140-seat black-box theatre and a 152-seat recital hall. Construction began during fall 2019 and is expected to be completed in April 2022.
In the ImprovLab, artists and researchers will...
Showcasing SURG
![A headshot of Carlin Katerberg](https://www.uoguelph.ca/research/sites/default/files/public/styles/large/public/field/image/Unknown-1%202.jpeg?itok=CeGoLN0w)
New Managing Editor of SURG, Carlin Katerberg
By Vanessa Virgo
In 2007, an undergraduate student at the University of Guelph was looking for a way to promote the research of his peers.
Matt Teeter, now a professor of medical biophysics at the University of Western Ontario, launched Studies by Undergraduate Researchers at Guelph (SURG) with help from the Office of Research and U of G’s senior administration.
SURG has grown to become an open-access journal, available to anyone with access to the internet. Focusing on research findings by U of G undergraduate...
Identifying Opportunities To Improve Newborn Calf Health through Milk Replacer Formulation
![A mostly white cow with some black splotches, standing in the doorway to its cage.](https://www.uoguelph.ca/research/sites/default/files/public/styles/large/public/field/image/calf_Walkers.jpg?itok=8lOMoq-f)
Photo Credit: Michael Steele
By Dianne Priamo and Kathryn Kroeze
The milk replacer diet typically fed to dairy calves in the pre-weaning phase differs in composition from whole bovine milk, discrepancies that could affect calf gut health, University of Guelph researchers have found.
The pre-weaning diet in dairy calves sets the stage for long-term health and productivity. Dr. Michael Steele, a professor in the Department of Animal Biosciences, and his team of graduate students aim to determine the optimal milk replacer formulation for calf well-being.
“The milk replacer...
New Smartwatch for Contact Tracing
![Two blue smartwatches for contact tracing that say, "You are broadcasting yourself anonymously."](https://www.uoguelph.ca/research/sites/default/files/public/styles/large/public/field/image/Social-Distancing%20Smartphone1.jpeg?itok=7oxRWTeq)
Drs. Petros Spachos and Stefano Gregori's Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) smartwatch.
By Katie Kroeze
More accurate contact tracing for COVID-19 might be as easy as a glance at your wristwatch, thanks to University of Guelph researchers.
Drs. Petros Spachos and Stefano Gregori, engineering professors in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, have developed a smartwatch to aid in contact tracing. Their device ensures greater accuracy than current smartphone tracing applications while keeping a user’s identity anonymous.
“This project came about due to the need for more accurate and private contact tracing for the...