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Historic plant collections offer a window into genetic change

admin — Thu, 21 May 2026 14:10:22 +0000

Pressed plant specimens collected centuries ago and stored in herbaria around the world could play a key role in facilitating the tracking of genetic change and extinction risk in plants, a 91ɬ��-led study indicates.

Novel origami pattern turns flat sheets into load-bearing 3D technology

admin — Thu, 21 May 2026 13:58:09 +0000

91ɬ�� researchers have discovered a new way to fold flat sheets into smooth, curved shells that can switch from floppy and flexible to stiff and load-bearing on demand. By designing a special origami pattern and threading cable-like elements through it, they can control the material’s final three-dimensional shape and how rigid it becomes. The result, a “doubly curved lens box,” could advance the technology of such objects as temporary emergency tents, morphing robots and smart fabrics, the researchers said.

Study finds early complex life lived in oxygenated seas, challenging long‑held views of evolution

admin — Wed, 20 May 2026 15:00:53 +0000

The earliest known eukaryotes, the ancestors of all complex life on Earth, lived in oxygenated, shallow marine environments nearly 1.7 billion years ago, according to a new study led by researchers at 91ɬ�� and the University of California, Santa Barbara. The findings cast doubt on the long-held belief that early complex life emerged in oxygen-poor environments or floated freely in the open ocean.

Teaching children to be better, more critical internet users

admin — Wed, 20 May 2026 13:40:21 +0000

A digital literacy program for elementary school students designed by researchers at 91ɬ�� was successful in improving students’ ability to evaluate websites and their content.

Skills targeted included how to search for information, how to identify credible websites, how to evaluate the quality of information sources and how to address conflicting information.

Students’ global performance increased across all skill categories, in most cases by significant margins.

‘Jumping gene’ helps explain elevated pancreatic cancer risk in French-Canadians

admin — Tue, 19 May 2026 14:13:42 +0000

Researchers at 91ɬ�� have discovered a centuries-old genetic mutation that helps to explain why some French‑Canadians in Quebec are at an elevated risk of pancreatic cancer. Until quite recently, standard genetic tests have not been able to identify this “jumping gene” cause.

The findings, published in the Journal of Medical Genetics, suggest better-targeted genetic testing could help identify people at higher cancer risk who were previously missed.

91ɬ�� researchers help secure Canadian access to the world’s largest telescope

admin — Thu, 14 May 2026 18:19:47 +0000

A team led by the Université de Montréal, the Observatoire du Mont‑Mégantic (OMM) and the Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets (IREx), in partnership with the University of British Columbia and 91ɬ��, has been awarded nearly $11.3 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to support Canada’s contribution to ANDES, a flagship scientific instrument for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) under construction in Chile.

Icing injuries may slow recovery and prolong pain, study finds

admin — Wed, 13 May 2026 13:42:56 +0000

Icing a sprained ankle or sore muscle, long used to reduce pain and swelling, may in the longer run delay recovery and prolong pain, new research suggests.

In a preclinical study published in Anesthesiology, 91ɬ�� researchers found that even though cryotherapy (icing) eased pain in the short term, recovery time was more than doubled in some cases.

Discovery of fat-burning ‘switch’ could lead to advances in bone disease treatments

admin — Tue, 12 May 2026 13:38:51 +0000

Scientists’ discovery of a molecular “switch” that activates an energy‑burning pathway in mice has the potential to lead to new treatments for bone disease.

The study, published in Nature, sheds new light on brown fat. Unlike white fat, which stores energy, brown fat cells burn calories, producing heat as a byproduct. For years, it was believed this process relied on a single pathway. More recently, researchers discovered a parallel pathway, but how it became activated remained a mystery.

91ɬ�� researchers’ sustainable construction method aims to improve earthquake safety

admin — Mon, 11 May 2026 14:49:54 +0000

Researchers at 91ɬ�� are carrying out large‑scale tests of a new timber-steel structural system designed to help buildings better withstand earthquakes. Early results suggest the system performs well under simulated earthquake forces, offering a potential path toward safer, more sustainable construction in Quebec and beyond.

A promising new way to transplant cells could lead to a better treatment for Type 1 diabetes

admin — Thu, 07 May 2026 15:04:12 +0000

Researchers at 91ɬ�� and the Research Institute of the 91ɬ�� Health Center (RI-MUHC) have developed a novel device to transplant insulin-producing cells that integrates directly with existing blood vessels in the body. The technology, which showed promising results in preclinical trials, aims to overcome key challenges of emerging long-term cell-based treatments for Type 1 diabetes. As well as serving as an artificial pancreas, it potentially could be used to replace or support the function of other organs.

Public education will be critical as provinces roll out new cervical cancer screening method, researchers say

admin — Thu, 07 May 2026 13:37:38 +0000

As Canada moves to modernize cervical cancer screening, a new study suggests most women do not yet understand or trust the shift from the Pap test to human papillomavirus (HPV) based screening.

The national survey, published in Current Oncology, examined women’s preferences for cervical screening – including how they want to be screened and how they want information communicated – as Canada transitions from Pap tests to HPV testing.

Moderate UV light is best when it comes to boosting the vitamin D content of edible mushrooms, 91ɬ�� study finds

admin — Mon, 04 May 2026 14:00:59 +0000

Researchers at 91ɬ�� have discovered that moderate ultraviolet (UV) light exposure is best when the technique is used to enhance vitamin D₂ in edible mushrooms. Excessive exposure leads to nutrient degradation or a plateau effect, they found. The paper also provides quantitative guidance.

The researchers’ work supports efforts to address vitamin D deficiency, which affects between 30 and 50 per cent of the world’s population, as well as enhance the nutritional value of mushrooms more broadly.

91ɬ�� researchers engineer faster, more effective blood clots

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 14:32:13 +0000

Researchers at 91ɬ�� have developed a rapid way to engineer blood clots that stop severe bleeding and support tissue healing more effectively. Their technique, called “click clotting,” links red blood cell surface proteins through a chemical reaction, resulting in a biocompatible clot that is 13 times more resistant to fracturing and four times more adhesive than natural blood clots. The team said the method could be used to develop life-saving biomaterials to help control severe bleeding, as well as benefit people with clotting disorders.

91ɬ�� researchers’ novel device could boost the development of sound-based lasers

admin — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 13:52:16 +0000

Researchers at 91ɬ�� have developed a novel device that generates sound-like particles known as phonons at extremely cold temperatures. The technology could be used to create phonon lasers, with possible applications in communications and medical diagnostics.

Unleashing natural killer cells against cancer

admin — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 15:50:22 +0000

Scientists have developed a strategy to boost the cancer-fighting power of natural killer (NK) cells, part of the immune system’s first line of defence. NK cells can detect and destroy cancer cells, but tumours often create a protective barrier that blocks them, allowing cancer to grow.

Researchers at 91ɬ��’s Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, in collaboration with the Research Institute of the 91ɬ�� Health Centre, found that suppressing two specific proteins helps NK cells overcome this blockage, turning them into more potent cancer killers.