Research project aims to safeguard Great Lakes and your drinking water from harmful toxins Saad Jasim an adjunct professor at the University of Windsor preparing for a new research project to prevent certain toxins from entering the drinking water supply in Windsor, Ont. Rising global temperatures are causing harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes which can lead to the emergence of three toxins in the water, according to the past president of the International Ozone Association. Saad Jasim, an adjunct professor at the University of Windsor, is preparing for a new research project to prevent these toxins from entering the drinking water supply. The project involves taking water samples from the Detroit River, ozonating them, and analyzing them to check for levels of microcystins, anatoxins, and cylindrospermopsis. Microcystins and cylindrospermopsins can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, inflammation, pneumonia, kidney damage, and potential tumor growth. Ingesting high amounts of anatoxins can lead to numbness, drowsiness, incoherent speech, respiratory paralysis, and…
Scientists working to secure access to research technology Mario Campana (third from left), a scientist at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, meets with UWindsor students Omotayo Gbadamosi, Maks Dziura, and Stuart Castillo at its facility in Oxfordshire, U.K. Drew Marquardt is travelling around the world trying to get Canadian researchers access to neutron scattering technology. Neutron beams help analyze materials on the smallest scales to provide information that would be impossible to find out any other way. Canada’s last source of neutrons closed in 2018, and since then, Dr. Marquardt — acting head of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry — has been rustling up agreements and plans to get Canadian users access to highly coveted facilities. “These activities will help the Canadian community overall,” he says. Most recently, he was given a leadership role and asked to contribute to a United States Congress report. In late October, Marquardt, president of the Canadian Institute for Neutron Scattering, went to Washington, D.C.…
Coating shows promise in fighting bacteria Post-doctoral researcher Abhinandan (Ronnie) Banerjee is part of a team exploring an antimicrobial coating. An odourless antimicrobial coating invented in a UWindsor lab shows promise to neutralize bacteria in its tracks. Scientists in chemistry and biochemistry professor John Trant’s team brainstormed the product during the early days of the pandemic. Senior post-doctoral researcher Abhinandan (Ronnie) Banerjee says the combination of materials is physically damaging to bacteria in such a way that antibiotic resistance will not develop. “We were looking at research opportunities to develop materials that cleanse surfaces with the idea that you apply something once and don’t worry about it for a number of days versus bleach, which you have to constantly wipe,” says Dr. Banerjee. They combined ionic liquids, compounds completely composed of ions with a melting point below 100°C, and copper nanoparticles. “I realized they were structurally similar to surfactants like soap and…
November networking event to bring together health research community WE-SPARK Health Institute hosts monthly networking events for members of the Windsor-Essex health research community to get to know one another through fun and casual conversations. There is no formal agenda, and all are welcome. This is an opportunity for anyone interested in health research to make connections in an informal and enjoyable atmosphere. The next event will be held Thursday November 2nd from 5-8pm at the Bourbon Tap & Grill, 1199 Ottawa St, Windsor. No RSVP is required. WE-SPARK Health Institute is supported by an innovative partnership between the University of Windsor and Erie Shores HealthCare, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, and Windsor Regional Hospital that brings together health research strengths, expertise, and infrastructure from across the WindsorEssex region.
Study on sexual assault resistance seeking participants for online trial Researchers have launched a clinical trial of an online program to curb incidents of sexual assault among young women. By conservative estimates, one in five women report experiencing an attempted or completed sexual assault while at University in Canada. Effective prevention programs are few and far between, with the gap often filled by quick but superficial online training modules that lack a proven track record. The Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act (EAAA) sexual assault prevention program (aka Flip the Script with EAAATM), developed by Charlene Senn, a professor of psychology and women’s and gender studies, Canada Research Chair in sexual violence, and a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, is the only intervention proven to significantly reduce sexual assaults experienced by women university students. It is a 12-hour in-person training program which helps undergraduate women resist acquaintance sexual assault by debunking myths, enhancing risk assessment skills, increasing confidence…
Sensors to help researchers study the breathing of sleeping subjects Professors Jalal Ahmed from engineering and Anthony Bain from human kinetics are leading a team developing a wearable sensor to measure breathing during sleep. One out of four adult Canadians suffers from obstructive sleep, and a team of UWindsor researchers is hoping to learn more. Jalal Ahmed from engineering and Anthony Bain from human kinetics are leading a multidisciplinary team working to develop a wearable sensor to measure the breathing of sleeping subjects. “We engineered breathing sensors that can give us complete metrics of different breathing-related signs and patterns,” says Dr. Ahmed. “Breathing is aligned with a lot of our well-being: it regulates our blood pressure and our heart rate and can impact our mental health.” Body movement, pressure, temp, comfort, and environmental factors are other issues that arise when studying sleep. The next steps for the researchers are to add more sensors, more metrics, and to conduct another sleep study. Dr. Bain’s lab in HK…
Community invited to WE-SPARK Town Hall WE-SPARK Health Institute is holding its annual Town Hall October 18, 2023 from 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. where it will be highlighting their 4th year achievements and milestones and new strategic plan, and inviting participants to share ideas for moving forward. Please click here to register for the virtual event. All are welcome. WE-SPARK Health Institute is an innovative partnership between the University of Windsor and Erie Shores Healthcare, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, and Windsor Regional Hospital that brings together health research strengths, expertise and infrastructure from across the Windsor/Essex region.
Researcher seeking answers to questions of healthy development Animal development hinges on where and when different genes are expressed. Brian DeVeale is delving deep into the genome to dissect roles that molecules called MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play in gene expression. Humans have more than 1,000 distinct miRNAs. At least two dozen mammalian miRNAs are essential for viable development, and mutation or excess production of many others disrupt development. “We know dozens of miRNAs are essential for viability and many others are extremely important for health,” says Dr. DeVeale, an assistant professor of biomedical sciences. “Yet several distinctive features of miRNA biology have limited our understanding of how each miRNA contributes. We’re trying to determine which targets of individual miRNAs are important for each of their functions.” The details of where and when most miRNAs are present during development are also fuzzy, which makes it difficult to pinpoint the cellular context in which they are critical. “We are starting with new assays…
October networking event to bring together health research community WE-SPARK Health Institute hosts monthly networking events for members of the Windsor-Essex health research community to get to know one another through fun and casual conversations. There is no formal agenda, and all are welcome. This is an opportunity for anyone interested in health research to make connections in an informal and enjoyable atmosphere. The next event will be held Thursday October 5th from 5-8pm at the Bourbon Tap & Grill, 1199 Ottawa St, Windsor. No RSVP is required. WE-SPARK Health Institute is supported by an innovative partnership between the University of Windsor and Erie Shores HealthCare, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, and Windsor Regional Hospital that brings together health research strengths, expertise, and infrastructure from across the WindsorEssex region.
