This March, 快播视频 is recognizing and participating in , a national initiative to advance collaboration, awareness and engagement around the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Throughout the month, YFile will present a series of articles that highlight contributions from 快播视频 and its efforts to advance the SDGs. These stories reflect the people, research and initiatives that make the University an international leader in sustainability.

快播视频 has launched a new academic partnership with Jiangnan University in Wuxi, China, establishing an international pathway for graduate studies in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

The 3+1+1 program 鈥� named for its structure 鈥� allows students to complete three years of undergraduate study at Jiangnan, followed by a fourth year (the first 鈥�+1鈥�) at 快播视频 focused on academic preparation and research skills, and a fifth year (the second 鈥�+1鈥�) dedicated to earning a master鈥檚 degree.

The program is designed to attract high-performing students from Jiangnan University鈥檚 mathematics and applied sciences programs. These students, selected for their academic excellence, will join York鈥檚 academic community during their fourth year to bridge their undergraduate education with the demands of graduate-level study. While the program primarily targets Chinese students from Jiangnan, it also offers opportunities for cross-cultural engagement with Canadian peers during their time at York.

鈥淭his isn鈥檛 just about moving students between two institutions,鈥� says Hugo Chen, director of International Collaborations and Partnerships at York. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about building an academic bridge that equips students with the tools to thrive in research-intensive environments and prepares them to make meaningful contributions in their fields.鈥�

The transition year at York is central to the program鈥檚 design. Students take courses in advanced mathematics, research methodologies and academic communication skills while adapting to an English-speaking academic environment. Faculty mentorship plays a key role during this period, helping students navigate York鈥檚 research-focused learning culture and develop the skills needed for graduate-level work. By the end of this year, they are fully prepared to enter one of York鈥檚 master鈥檚 streams: Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Probability and Statistics or Data Science.

The fifth year allows students to specialize in areas that align with both academic inquiry and industry demand. The Data Science stream, for example, equips students with computational and statistical expertise sought after in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantitative finance.

鈥淭he program is designed not just to prepare students for academia, but also to position them as leaders in fast-evolving industries,鈥� says Chen.

Jiangnan University nominates candidates based on their academic performance, and York conducts a final review to ensure all applicants meet its rigorous admission standards. 鈥淲e hold all our graduate students to the same expectations,鈥� Chen explains. 鈥淭his ensures consistency in quality across all our programs.鈥�

Discussions are already underway about expanding this model to other departments within York鈥檚 Faculty of Science or exploring similar agreements with additional international institutions.

Chen says: 鈥淚nternational collaborations allow us to create pathways that benefit not only individual students but also advance research and innovation on a global scale.鈥�

Courtesy of聽YFile

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快播视频鈥檚 Office of Sustainability, in partnership with the Faculty of Science and Facilities Services, hosted a successful Bioblitz event during Campus Sustainability Month in October, inviting the York community to explore and document the diverse species of plants, animals, and other organisms found on the Keele and Glendon campuses. Participants used the iNaturalist app to record their findings, contributing to a valuable inventory of local biodiversity. The event saw a fantastic turnout, with 37 participants making 790 observations across 326 species on York鈥檚 campuses.   

A standout contributor was Alice Kostin, a neuroscience student from the Faculty of Science, who made an impressive 164 observations of 79 different species, earning her recognition for her dedication to documenting campus biodiversity. Kostin鈥檚 efforts earned her first place and a $50 reward on her YU Card. 

鈥淧articipating in York鈥檚 Bioblitz was a chance for me to explore Canada鈥檚 diverse beauty right here on our campus,鈥� she said. 

The event showcased a wide range of wildlife, from familiar species like gray squirrels and Canada geese to rarer sightings, including a white-throated sparrow, red-tailed hawk and even a coyote. The data collected will play an important role in advancing York鈥檚 sustainability goals, particularly through the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Living Planet @ Campus program, which encourages students to actively participate in biodiversity conservation and environmental stewardship. The event also included walks on campus, which were led by professors Gordon Fitch, Alex Mills and Laura McKinnon, as well as Valerio Larivera, supervisor of grounds management.  

The Bioblitz event aligns with York鈥檚 Sustainability Strategy, supporting the University鈥檚 efforts to regenerate local ecosystems and foster biodiversity on campus, creating a healthier and more inviting environment for all. It also provides students with valuable opportunities to engage in environmental initiatives and contribute to York鈥檚 pursuit of a WWF Living Planet Leader certification. 

鈥淭he Bioblitz is about more than just species identification 鈥� it鈥檚 about fostering a deeper connection to the natural world,鈥� said Mike Layton, chief sustainability officer. 

Community members are encouraged to contribute to  year-round and to keep an eye out for another Bioblitz event this spring. For information about how to get involved in sustainability on campus or how to join the WWF Living Planet Leader certification, visit the Sustainability at York website. 

Courtesy of YFile

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Three 快播视频 researchers who are advancing public health by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of drug and vaccine development are being honoured with the Synergy Award for Innovation by the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

The Synergy Award, which recognizes partnerships in natural sciences and engineering research and development between universities and industry in Canada, was given to professors Jianhong Wu, Sergey Krylov and Derek Wilson.

Each is a leader in their field. Wu is a research professor and York Research Chair in Industrial and Applied Mathematics as well as a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and the Fields Institute. Krylov is a Research Chair in Bioanalytical Chemistry and a professor of chemistry. Lastly, Wilson is a York Research Chair in Chemistry, as well as an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry within the Faculty of Science, in the research stream.

The three professors received the Synergy Award in recognition of their pursuit of work addressing challenges in early-stage drug development by providing the health economic data needed for informed decision-making in pharmaceutical markets. In its award announcement, NSERC described their work as being at the forefront of efforts to revolutionize drug and vaccine development and distribution.

鈥淭hrough innovative bioanalytical technologies and mathematical models, the team鈥檚 research has significantly accelerated the drug development process, offering new insights into vaccine risks, deployment strategies and uptake patterns,鈥� stated an . 鈥淭his pioneering approach not only supports Canada鈥檚 biomanufacturing sector but has also influenced strategies for industrial partners internationally.鈥�

The story also noted that the researchers鈥� collaboration with industry partners, including Sanofi Canada, underscores the value of interdisciplinary partnerships in advancing public health.

Each researcher will receive a $200,000 NSERC research grant to continue their work. In future, the team intends to help meet global health challenges by streamlining pharmaceutical innovation through faster, more cost-effective development of vaccines and therapeutics.

鈥淲e congratulate the 快播视频 team for their extraordinary contributions to public health,鈥� said Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation. 鈥溈觳ナ悠� is committed to new discoveries that advance the public good, and this innovative approach to getting drugs and vaccines to the world faster is a perfect example of how our research is creating positive change at a global scale.鈥�

The NSERC awards were part of six national prizes announced. To learn more about the other prizes, visit .

Courtesy of YFile

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快播视频 is taking a leadership role in addressing one of the world鈥檚 most pressing issues 鈥� water sustainability. The University is serving as the academic lead for a pioneering virtual course titled 鈥淚ntroduction to Big Data for Water Sustainability,鈥� run by the United Nations Institute for Training & Research (UNITAR) Global Water Academy.

The seven-week course, which began recently and runs until Dec. 3, aims to tackle the complex challenge of global water insecurity. With more than two billion people lacking safe access to clean water, the need for innovative solutions in water sustainability management has never been more critical.

Professor Sapna Sharma in 快播视频鈥檚 Faculty of Science, who designed the curriculum, emphasizes the urgency of the situation. 鈥淲e are in need of practical and effective solutions to water sustainability management that are relevant at both local and global scales, and based on a data-driven strategy,鈥� she says.

The course content focuses on harnessing the power of open-access data, novel technologies, inclusive international collaborations and Indigenous knowledge integration. By combining these elements, the project aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of water sustainability on a global scale.

A defining feature of this offering is its 鈥渢wo-eyed seeing鈥� approach, which integrates Indigenous knowledge with western scientific practices. This comprehensive strategy aims to expand understanding of global freshwater availability, particularly in unexplored regions or areas with insufficient resource access. As Sharma points out, incorporating Indigenous knowledge is essential for developing effective water management solutions. 鈥淚t allows us to tap into centuries of local expertise and understanding of water systems.鈥�

Each module features an experienced practitioner guiding participants through the process of accessing, using and applying open-access global freshwater datasets. Topics covered include remote sensing technologies, community networks, traditional knowledge and increased accessibility of open-access data.

The project鈥檚 global reach is already apparent. 鈥淭his free, open-access curriculum has approximately 750 registrants from about 120 countries,鈥� Sharma says. 鈥淲e have invited leaders from academia, [United Nations] agencies, governments, [non-governmental organizations] and Inuit communities 鈥� to present guest lectures.鈥� This diverse participation not only showcases York鈥檚 international influence but also demonstrates its commitment to democratizing higher education. Furthermore, by providing high-calibre knowledge and training in water sustainability to a global audience, the University is helping to increase access to expertise, particularly for those in regions where such resources may be limited.

Building on this global collaboration, the course tackles several key challenges in water sustainability management. These include data accessibility, quantifying water insecurity and developing innovative solutions.

Despite significant annual investments in acquiring, compiling and analyzing data on various water bodies around the world, many researchers and practitioners struggle to locate and effectively utilize these datasets. This gap between data availability and practical application highlights the need for improved data management and sharing practices in the field of water sustainability.

To address these challenges, the course aims to foster creative, data-driven solutions that safeguard freshwater resources and promote equitable access to clean water worldwide. By equipping participants with the skills to navigate and leverage existing datasets, the initiative seeks to connect data collection with real-world application in water management strategies.

Looking ahead, Sharma envisions the curriculum as a catalyst for positive change: 鈥淲e hope that this offering will provide the tools to inspire new approaches to safeguard our freshwater resources and work towards a future of equitable access to clean water across the globe.鈥�

For more information and to register for the remaining sessions, visit the Introduction to Big Data for Water Sustainability course web page.

Courtesy of YFile

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A 快播视频 researcher is advancing a drug initiative to give hope to millions of people around the world suffering from rare diseases for which drug therapies have not yet been developed.

Professor Conor Douglas is leading a global initiative to uncover the economic, political and regulatory barriers that prevent costly research into drugs that could treat rare diseases. The goal is to advance new approaches to drug development that could open the door to a broader range of treatments for rare diseases, not just those for more common ailments.

鈥淭he majority of rare disease patients have no kind of pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical treatment option,鈥� said Douglas, an associate professor in York鈥檚 Department of Science, Technology & Society. 鈥淭he science is in prime time; it鈥檚 ready to go. But you can have the fanciest science and technology and it鈥檚 not going anywhere unless these other issues are being addressed.鈥�

Through the  project, Douglas is working with researchers around the world to find and advocate for changes he hopes will diversify a system that has been driven in part by profit motive and regulation.

鈥淎s a society, we鈥檙e choosing not to develop certain kinds of treatments because they might not be profitable enough,鈥� Douglas said. 鈥淥ur notion of social pharmaceutical innovation is trying to understand initiatives that are tackling these problems of availability, accessibility and affordability in a way that ensures health system sustainability, supports a private insurance system that can afford to cover cutting-edge treatments and where people don鈥檛 have to pay for them out of pocket.鈥�

Although individually they are uncommon, rare diseases as a whole are quite common, with more than 7,000 identified today, and more being discovered as science progresses. It鈥檚 estimated that up to six per cent of people around the world suffer from rare diseases. There are up to two million sufferers in Canada alone, contributing to five to 10 per cent of the country鈥檚 hospitalization costs, according to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Last year, Canada announced a  and an investment of $1.5 billion to increase access to and affordability of drugs. As part of the strategy, provinces and territories are expected to cost share through their bilateral purchasing agreements for rare disease treatments with Health Canada.

鈥淭here鈥檚 definitely a policy window right now,鈥� said Douglas, whose innovation project is looking at more ways to ensure drugs for rare diseases are brought to market.

Ideas include involving patients in research and development, teaming them with clinicians to collect data on how drugs are working outside of clinical trials in an effort to move drugs through trials more quickly. In another example, companies trying to bring a treatment to market and provincial health-care systems could enter into risk-sharing agreements as a drug is tested. One such collaboration has already resulted in approval by Health Canada for enzyme replacement therapies to treat Fabry disease, a rare genetic condition caused by a missing enzyme that can attack vital organs.

Douglas said he hopes the examples of winning approaches he and his colleagues are uncovering will offer hope to those who suffer from rare diseases, many of whom struggle to get a diagnosis and then feel hopeless when they learn there is no treatment.

鈥淎lmost all of the cases that we come up against are full of often painful stories of suffering,鈥� he said, adding that the solution doesn鈥檛 lie only with the medical scientists.

鈥淭hey need help from people looking at regulatory changes. We need the patients鈥� input. We need collaboration from industry, and certainly we need buy-in from Health Canada and the provincial health-care systems and pharmaceutical plans. Change is underway; a different way of doing things is possible.鈥�

Courtesy of YFile

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For decades, scientists knew there was a huge swath of undetected and unaccounted for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the atmosphere, often referred to as PFAS dark matter, but no one knew how much was missing or how to measure them. Now, a 快播视频 atmospheric chemistry research team has devised a way to test for one of the most ubiquitous elements of these potent greenhouse gases.

By measuring for gaseous fluorine, one of the most prevalent and overlooked contaminants, scientists can better understand the extent of previously unaccounted for PFAS, comprised of thousands of organofluorine compounds. These compounds, used in a wide range of products from food, paint, paper packaging and dental floss to cosmetics and agrochemicals, can off gas fluorine.

The researchers measured how much fluorine was released into the air both in the lab and outside using chemicals, such as fluorosurfactant liquids, and found 65 to 99 per cent of the fluorine in the air inside the lab was not normally unaccounted for, while outside that number was about 50 per cent.

鈥淚 expected missing fluorine, but I didn鈥檛 expect it to be so much. This new technique can measure all fluorinated things in the atmosphere, which has never been done before and shows the majority cannot be accounted for using our usual measurements,鈥� says senior author of the study Professor , an atmospheric chemist and Guy Warwick Rogers Chair in York鈥檚 Faculty of Science.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important as missing gaseous fluorine accounts for a huge part of airborne PFAS compared to what we actually measure at the moment, which means a lot of the PFAS aren鈥檛 being detected.鈥�

Most PFAS, known as forever chemicals, include fluorine bonded with carbon, a bond that doesn鈥檛 naturally break down in the environment. Testing for fluorine is an easier way to assess how many PFAS are present in the air rather than measuring all 4,700 or so PFAS contaminants individually.

The high quantities of previously unknown PFAS points to a gap, not only in measuring them, but also in understanding their sources and the impact on the environment. Gaseous fluorine is a byproduct of chemicals used in a wide range of products from food, paint, paper packaging and dental floss to cosmetics and agrichemicals.

鈥淥ur lack of focus on this has been mostly because we didn鈥檛 have the techniques to look at it properly. It鈥檚 not that people hadn鈥檛 thought that this might be important, it鈥檚 that we didn鈥檛 know how to do it, but now we do,鈥� says lead author RenXi Ye, a PhD student in .

While there are techniques to measure total fluorine in soil and water, there wasn鈥檛 one to capture it in its gas state in the atmosphere. The researchers used a method that they previously developed to test for total gaseous chlorine and adapted it to measure gaseous fluorine.

鈥淢uch of the focus of research on PFAS was on what鈥檚 happening in the water in the soil, not as much on what happens in the air, despite the fact that these fluorinated compounds, by the nature of their chemical properties and that they are in so many commercial products, are more likely to go into the air,鈥� says Young.

The question of how much gaseous fluorine is going unaccounted for piqued the interest of York researchers last year while they were working on their .

Should we worry?

Most people are highly concerned about PFAS exposure, but Young says it鈥檚 too early to know what the effects are of from the off gassing of fluorine into the environment, either human or on the environment.

鈥淎ny fluorinated gas is a potent greenhouse gas, but the impact of that depends on how long it lasts in the atmosphere, but what is the impact of breathing this? When it comes to outdoor air and human exposure, we don鈥檛 know a lot about how much we breath in,鈥� she says, adding she doesn鈥檛 think anyone should panic, but it is an area that needs more research and could certainly have important implications.

The research 鈥� 鈥� published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters points out that unknown fluorinated chemicals emitted into the atmospherecould not only contribute to the transport of PFAS around the globe but also impact climate change.

PFAS in the Arctic in sometimes surprising quantities found in 50-year-old ice cores

PFAS is the atmosphere are even finding their way into pristine environments like the Arctic. In a recent study led by York PhD student Daniel Persaud with Young and team looked at perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in ice cores in the Arctic, from 1967 to 2016, on Ellesmere Island in Nunavut.

鈥淭he measurement covers the longest time period and so you鈥檙e seeing that it has been accumulating for a very long time,鈥� says Young. The surprising part? 鈥淚n the early part of the ice core, there was more than I thought there would be. I expected it to be accumulating since the 1990s, maybe the 1980s, but in the early part of the core, I thought there would be less鈥�

As the longest deposition record in the Arctic for perfluoroalkylcarboxylic acids (PFCAs) and the longest record globally for perfluoroalkylsulfonic acids (PFSAs), it allowed for observations not previously possible.

Before the 1990s, the ice core showed some variable pulses of accumulation, which the researchers at first weren鈥檛 sure about, but now think it may be linked to Arctic military activities of the time. Starting in the 1990s, however, the ice core shows a steadier accumulation of the chemicals up to the present.

The study shows that most PFAAs are present in the ice at Mt. Oxford icefield on Ellesmere Island and that over 50 years, there is a steady increase of PFCA deposits, but it also highlighted how ice cores are helpful in understanding how PFAS are transported long-range.

鈥淲e were able to confirm that the PFCAs we found in the ice cores are formed primarily through long-range atmospheric transport and oxidation of volatile precursors in the atmosphere,鈥� says Persaud.

The issue now, says Young, is that as the permafrost melts, this resource is disappearing which creates an urgent need to collect more ice cores to further illuminate temporal trends and possible sources of PFAAs.

The paper, , was published in the journal Environmental Science: Processes and Impact.

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Several studies have looked at lake ice quantity and its duration, but there is little research on the quality of the ice which directly corresponds to how safe it is to venture out on.

Ice may look safe for a game of pick-up hockey on the lake, but as a new study out of 快播视频 found, looks can be deceiving. Warming winters are not only affecting ice thickness and timing 鈥� when a lake freezes and thaws 鈥� but also quality, making it potentially unstable and unsafe.

When lakes and rivers freeze, there are two predominant layers of ice, what鈥檚 called white ice and black ice. White ice is generally opaque, like snow, and filled with more air bubbles and smaller ice crystals, diminishing its strength and stability, while black ice is clear and dense with few air pockets and larger ice crystals making it a lot stronger.

鈥淚ce quality is important because of its direct implications for load bearing capacity for human safety and also how much light will transmit under ice for life under frozen lakes,鈥� says York Professor Sapna Sharma.

The problem, says lead author and York Postdoctoral Fellow Joshua Culpepper, is that the unpredictable and warmer winter weather is creating thinner layers of black ice and sometimes a corresponding thicker layer of white ice, the unstable kind. The two combined can make for treacherous conditions for skaters, hockey players, snowmobilers, ice anglers and ice truckers.

鈥淲e know that in general, lake ice is forming later in the season and breaking up earlier, which implies an overall shorter duration of ice cover, but our study looked at what the ice is doing. How is it changing? You might get periods of time when people are on the ice and they think it鈥檚 safe, but it really isn鈥檛. It鈥檚 not sufficiently thick enough given the changes in the quality,鈥� says Culpepper.

10 cm no longer the golden rule

Thickness alone is no longer a good predictor of safe ice. If there is too much white ice and not enough black ice, the ice it may not be strong enough to hold a person鈥檚 weight. It鈥檚 what the researchers are calling a dangerous combination.

鈥淔or a human to go out on the ice to skate or play, that requires about 10 centimeters or four inches of black ice鈥ut what we鈥檙e seeing and what we鈥檙e predicting is that climate change is contributing to more white ice conditions,鈥� says Sharma, who recommends people measure the ice and if there is only a thin layer of black ice to double the usual recommended thickness to at least 20 cm.

鈥淏lack ice is clear and there鈥檚 no slush. You shouldn鈥檛 be walking over slush,鈥� says Sharma, she adds that it鈥檚 always best to go with someone or a group.

On thin ice

The lack of consideration for quality ice is already leading to a loss of life. In Canada last December, six people, including a couple of teens in Ontario, died within a week plunging through thin ice. Two more died in Ontario this February. In Finland, four people died from falling through weak ice in January and February alone, where the average is said to be 18 people annually. In Sweden, 16 people drowned from falling through the ice in 2014 and at least nine in 2021, for example.

The findings from a 2020 study led by Sharma found widespread drowning across the Northern Hemisphere, but surprisingly, northern Canada, the territories, had the highest drownings per capita even though it was the coldest.

鈥淭hat is because of the dramatic changes in the Arctic which is warming four times faster than the rest of the globe so it鈥檚 not just southern regions that are experiencing these changes in ice conditions, but also far north. What you would consider to be like extremely cold icy areas,鈥� says Sharma.

鈥淔or a transport truck, they require 100 cm or about 42 inches of black ice. So those benchmarks on transportation are no longer viable because there is more white ice, which is approximately less than half the strength of black ice. What we鈥檙e predicting is a 95 to a 99 per cent loss in winter ice road transportation infrastructure without meaningful adaptations for ice safety.鈥�

That could mean remote communities are at risk of not being cut off and unable to access food, supplies, medicine and the like, during the winter.

Unseasonable winter weather

For this study, Culpepper and some of his co-authors had to stop taking ice measurements in mid-February on Lake Simcoe and early March on Paint Lake in the Muskoka region because the ice cover was dangerously thin.

Changes in precipitation from unseasonably warm weather is creating a lot of the unsafe ice conditions and unpredictability. Warmer temperatures, rain and even snow can alter the strength and thickness of lake ice.

Sharma and Culpepper recommend checking the weather reports for the last month.

鈥淟ake ice has a memory,鈥� says Sharma. 鈥淎ll of the weather fluctuations are stored in the ice. If the temperature was over 0 C for a period of time, if there was rain or if there were extremely sunny conditions, all of that can affect the safety of the ice for human use. When there are freeze thaw events or temperatures are above 0 C, the ice becomes weaker, and it becomes structurally less stable.鈥�

Underneath the ice

The diminishing quality of ice is also affecting life below, the amount of nutrients available for fish and other aquatic life, such as invertebrates, as well as phytoplankton which needs light for photosynthesis, but with more white ice, it鈥檚 blocking some of that light and compromising the health of the ecosystem.

But as Culpepper says, their study is one of only a few that looks at the quality of lake ice and yet that ice is changing dramatically. 鈥淭he thing that stuck out to me first is the surprising lack of data that we have on ice quality broadly,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e were diving into what data was available, but trying to find exactly what we could work with in terms of data that鈥檚 available in the Northern Hemisphere was pretty challenging.鈥�

What鈥檚 needed, he says, is regular measurements of ice quality, including black and white ice thickness, throughout the Northern Hemisphere.

The paper, , was published today in the journal Nature Reviews Earth and Environment.

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Thanks to new funding from the Ontario Ministry of Colleges & Universities, the Faculty of Science is launching a new micro-credential in Vaccine Production and Quality Assurance in Winter 2025 at 快播视频鈥檚 Markham Campus.

The provincial funding comprises $50,000 from the and $75,000 from the , which will go toward the creation of the new micro-credential that will prepare trainees for jobs in vaccine biomanufacturing and processing.

鈥淥ur new programs in vaccine production and biotechnology aim to bridge talent gaps in the pharmaceutical industry in Canada and to offer students and professionals a variety of training options for upskilling for industry jobs,鈥� says Hovig Kouyoumdjian, associate dean of curriculum and pedagogy in the Faculty of Science.

Spearheaded by Kouyoumdjian and faculty members Jade Atallah, the Markham biotechnology graduate program director, and Luz Adriana Puentes J谩come in the Department of Biology, the micro-credential in Vaccine Production and Quality Assurance will provide accelerated, experiential and industry-centred training on the fundamentals of vaccine production, including emerging technologies.

鈥淚t will be offered as an eight-week, blended program, shaped by input from a variety of industry partners,鈥� says J谩come. 鈥淭he micro-credential offers more rapid, vaccine-focused training relative to the new Graduate Diploma in Biotechnology and Master鈥檚 in Biotechnology Management programs, which are broader in scope and completed in one year or two, respectively.鈥�

With the new funding, the Faculty of Science will also purchase new equipment that will not only benefit student training in the micro-credential but also the Master鈥檚 in Biotechnology Management and Graduate Diploma in Biotechnology programs starting this fall at Markham Campus. The equipment will include cell culture tools for various expression systems (bacterial, yeast, insect and mammalian cells) and novel vaccine platform technologies (DNA, RNA and recombinant proteins) that are highly aligned with current advancements in the vaccine industry.

鈥淕iven the focus of these biotechnology postgraduate programs on applied training, the new equipment will support a curricular delivery that is hands-on and highly experiential in nature,鈥� says Atallah. 鈥淥ur students will complete their training with the knowledge and skills they need to secure in-demand jobs in the biotechnology and vaccine production industry.鈥�

鈥淲e are grateful to the Ontario Ministry of Colleges & Universities for supporting the creation and enhancement of these important programs at 快播视频,鈥� says Kouyoumdjian.

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Farming, urban expansion, and climate change have significantly changed the habitats that are available to bees, crucial pollinators that underpin agriculture 鈥� but do these habitats provide the foods that the bees need to survive? Scientists studied the nutritional content of different pollens to determine which plants bees need to eat a healthy diet. They found that the key is access to many different plants, and that non-native species can be equally healthy options. Roses, clover, raspberries, and buttercups are particularly beneficial.

As critical pollinators, bees keep our agricultural systems going 鈥� but human-caused changes to the planet heavily impact their foraging options. To help protect our food security, we need more information about bees鈥� own dietary requirements. Scientists writing in studied the nutritional value of 57 types of pollen and found that bees need to forage from a variety of plants to balance their diet between fatty acids and essential amino acids.

鈥淒espite public interest and a rise in pollinator plantings, little is known about which plant species are best suited for bee health,鈥� said Dr Sandra Rehan of 快播视频, senior author. 鈥淭his study aimed to better understand the nutritional value of plant species. Based on their ideal protein to lipid ratios for wild bee nutrition, we recommend that pollen species from roses, clovers, red raspberry, and tall buttercup should be emphasized in wildflower restoration projects.鈥�

The bees鈥� needs

Pollen and bees are heavily interdependent: plants need bees to spread their pollen to reproduce, and bees need pollen to eat. While bees get their carbohydrates from nectar, pollen provides proteins, lipids, and other critical nutrients. Anthropic changes to the environment which alter the availability and the properties of pollen risk malnourished bees.

Bees especially need to consume high-quality foods containing non-esterified fatty acids like omega-6 and omega-3. Without these nutrients, bees live shorter lives, have weaker immune systems, and are less able to cope with environmental stressors 鈥� but if bees consume them in the wrong ratio, they experience cognitive problems. Bees also need essential amino acids, which are necessary for cognitive health and reproduction 鈥� but if they eat too much, they may be more susceptible to certain parasites.

To understand which plants are best for bees, the scientists collected pollen samples from 57 species found in North America, either from fresh flowers in the wild or from flowers dried in the lab. They chose the plant species based on their importance to species of wild northeastern bee and their prevalence. The pollen was processed and analyzed for levels of different amino acids, non-esterified fatty acids, and protein to lipid and omega-6:3 ratios, to determine which plants were best for bees.

The scientists also investigated whether closely related species of plant provided similar nutritional benefits, and whether species that had been introduced to the area where they were collected were less nutritious than endemic species.

Healthy eating habits

In general, plants from the same family offered bees quite different nutrients compared to other members of the same family, with the exception of essential amino acids. Plants from the cabbage family, the legume family, and the daisy family all had similar levels of essential amino acids compared to other plants within the same family. Daisies, a very important plant for foraging bees, boasted particularly high levels of essential amino acids. Interestingly, plants that were high in essential amino acids were relatively low in non-esterified fatty acids, and vice versa.

鈥淭here is a potential tradeoff between fatty acid and amino acid content within pollen, suggesting that a diverse floral diet may benefit bees more than a single pollen source,鈥� said Rehan. 鈥淣o one plant species is optimal for generalist wild bee health.鈥�

The scientists鈥� results indicated that feeding from many different flowers is best for most bees, and that feeding from endemic species of plant offers no nutritional advantage. Most pollen species contain most of the necessary nutrients, but to get the optimal levels of nutrients in their diets, bees would need to forage from several different plant species. The scientists suggested that this diversity of nutritional content reflects the diverse needs of different species of bees, especially the specialist species that favor particular plants. A wide variety of sources of nutrition with different properties means that all bees can forage on the plants that feed them best.

鈥淲e hope this work will help inform flowering plant selections for pollinator gardens,鈥� said Rehan. 鈥淏ut here we examined only 57 plant species, and there are thousands to examine to understand nutritional profiles. We hope this will inspire future similar research as well as follow up studies on the preference and survival of bees on different diets.鈥�

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Three New Frontiers in Research Fund-International grants, with additional $3.2 million from partner countries, to support climate change adaptation and mitigation research in Global South, Scandinavia and Canadian Arctic

Today, the Canadian government announced the 2023 results of the New Frontiers in Research Fund grants (NFRF), including $6.1 million for three 快播视频-led research collaborations that will focus on how vulnerable communities 鈥� including those in Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Ghana, Guatemala, Kenya, the Philippines, Rwanda, Scandinavia, and Canada鈥檚 Arctic region 鈥� could mitigate or adapt to climate change.

鈥淐limate change and its various economic and social impacts are observed globally. By supporting game-changing interdisciplinary research and fostering international collaboration for innovative projects, our government is committed to finding innovative solutions that could have a significant impact on some of the world鈥檚 most vulnerable populations,鈥� said National Revenue Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, announcing $60 million allocated across 32 research teams through the International Joint Initiative for Research in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Competition, during an event at Carleton University in Ottawa.

Research funders from Brazil, Germany, Norway, South Africa, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States, collaborated on the initiative. Together, more than $30 million in additional funding was contributed to the research projects by the international funders, according to a Canada Research Coordinating Committee .

鈥淭oday鈥檚 funding announcement highlights our country鈥檚 commitment to support international research collaborations led by Canadian academic leaders like 快播视频 researchers who engage in incredibly important global projects,鈥� says Amir Asif, 快播视频鈥檚 vice-president research and innovation. 鈥淚 thank Canada and other funding partner countries for their support, and I commend York鈥檚 research community for their continued commitment to tackling the most significant threat to our planet and the future of humanity, climate change.鈥�

The projects will examine how changing sea ice and snow conditions in Northern Canada and Alaska are affecting the lives of Indigenous Peoples; how coastal communities in Bangladesh, Ghana and the Philippines can be negatively affected by climate change adaptation programs; and how support for good governance practices can halt biodiversity decline and accelerate nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation in Central America and East Africa.

BioCAM4 鈥� Biodiversity Integration in Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Actions for Planet, People, and Human Health:

Professor Idil Boran, an expert in applied environmental governance and public policy in the Department of Philosophy and a Faculty Fellow at York鈥檚 Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health, has secured $3.1 million as the principal investigator and lead for the consortium project. This includes $1.6 million in grants from and .

The objective of the project is to develop methodologies for mapping Nature-based Climate Action trends worldwide and assessing local opportunities and challenges through deep-dive studies in two biodiversity hot-spot regions: East Africa and Central America, where vulnerable groups and communities are among the most affected by climate impacts, least responsible for it, and have reduced adaptive capacity due to social and economic fragility.

In partnerships with research institutes, non-governmental organizations, and universities in Kenya, Rwanda, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Germany, Netherlands, and the UK, the team will work on outputs to serve as a blueprint for counterparts facing similar risks within low- and middle-income countries. With open-access global databases, toolkits and policy-engagement processes rooted in open and collaborative science principles, the project will generate resources for researchers and practitioners worldwide.

, an ecologist with extensive experience in interdisciplinary research and science policy who served as the director of the Institute for Research Innovation in Sustainability, is the co-principal investigator from 快播视频. Other York researchers on the project鈥檚 core team are Faculty of Health and Gender, Sexuality and Women鈥檚 Studies . Environmental and Urban Change , director of York鈥檚 Las Nubes Eco-campus in Costa Rica, is one of the collaborating partners.

Climate Change Adaptation, Dispossession and Displacement: Co-constructing Solutions with Coastal Vulnerable Groups in Africa and Asia:

Migration and critical health psychology scholar, , in the Department of Psychology who conducts community-based research in both conflict and environment induced forced migration, will receive $3.1 million, including $1.4 million from the and UKRI for the project, as its principal investigator. in the Department of Equity Studies is a co-principal investigator. She is an interdisciplinary migration and international development scholar and the incoming director of York鈥檚 Centre for Refugee Studies, which will host the project.

In partnership with research institutes, universities, and community organizations in Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Norway, Philippines and the UK, the project will focus on gendered processes of displacement, dispossession, and other unintended negative impacts of climate-adaptation projects. Focusing on coastal communities of Bangladesh, Ghana and the Philippines, the team will collaboratively develop an intersectional framework for adaptation and build community-centred interventions to avoid maladaptation.

The team will also co-develop low-tech, mobile phone applications and virtual platforms for communities to share and document their knowledge, strategies, innovations and concerns with one another. These tools can help in sharing local community responses, as well as informing future programming and supporting a collaborative, intersectional, contextualized and equitable framework for adaptation.

Climate changed transportation: holistic and Indigenous informed responses to transportation infrastructure, food security and community well-being in the Arctic:

As the principal investigator, York Research Chair in Global Change Biology Professor Sapna Sharma, the inaugural director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research Global Water Academy, whose research interest is in predicting the effects of environmental stressors 鈥� such as climate change, invasive species and habitat alteration 鈥� on lakes, will receive nearly $3.1 million for the project.

The project will co-develop adaptation measures and technological solutions to decrease the frequency of drownings and accidents in response to hazardous cryospheric conditions for Arctic Indigenous communities, and promote enhanced mobility and food security, in addition to physical and mental health. The main goals of the researchers are to map and forecast safe cryospheric conditions across the Arctic and explore observational and modelling tools to enhance Indigenous capacity in stewarding their land.

With a vision of empowerment, unity and resilience in the face of complex challenges, the research team will co-create knowledge mobilization products for promoting knowledge exchange across generations and communities by transcending transdisciplinary research and community boundaries across the Arctic.

, in York鈥檚 Department of Civil Engineering, who studies water resources engineering focusing on research areas including sustainable water-resource management and infrastructure and the impacts of climate change on these systems, and in the Department of Earth and Space Science and Engineering, whose climate-dynamics research has helped to clarify the physical processes driving long-term changes in the atmospheric circulation, with implications on Arctic sea ice motion, are co-applicants on the grant.

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