News | Page 2 | Animal Research

Browse the latest news and discoveries relating to animal research at UBC.

News feed of the latest animal research stories from UBC Media Relations.

New viruses discovered in endangered wild Pacific salmon populations

Sep 04, 2019

Three new viruses—including one from a group of viruses never before shown to infect fish—have been discovered in endangered Chinook and sockeye salmon populations.

While the impact of the viruses on salmon health isn’t yet known, all three are related to viruses that cause serious disease in other species.

Slowed metabolism helps geese fly high

Sep 03, 2019

New physiology study sheds light on how bar-headed geese migrate over the Himalayas

A few years before NASA astronaut Jessica Meir began learning to fly a spacecraft for her upcoming trip to the International Space Station, she was in flight-training of a different kind: teaching bar-headed geese how to fly in a wind tunnel at the University of British Columbia.

High insulin production may contribute to pancreatic cancer

Aug 01, 2019

UBC scientists have demonstrated for the first time a causal link between high insulin levels and pancreatic cancer.

Biodiversity highest on Indigenous-managed lands

Jul 31, 2019

UBC-led study highlights importance of collaborating with Indigenous communities to protect species

More than one million plant and animal species worldwide are facing extinction, according to a recent United Nations report. Now, a new UBC-led study suggests that Indigenous-managed lands may play a critical role in helping species survive.

DNA analysis reveals cryptic underwater ecosystem engineers

Jul 11, 2019

They look like smears of pink bubblegum on the rocks off British Columbia’s coast, indistinguishable from one another.

But a new DNA analysis of coralline algae led by UBC and Hakai Institute researchers has revealed a wealth of different species – a diversity that could hold the key to protecting critical underwater habitats like kelp forests.

UBC study holds promise for novel and safe treatment for Type 2 diabetes

Jun 17, 2019

Reducing a specific protein in the fat cells of mice not only prevents onset of Type 2 diabetes but also appears to reverse the disease in the animals, researchers at the University of British Columbia and Sweden’s Karolinska Institute have found.

Matchmaking for healthier bees

May 07, 2019

While poor hygiene may be a deal breaker in human relationships, in bee colonies it can be a matter of life and death.

Which is why, for two weeks in May, a lab at UBC runs a high-tech matchmaking service for bees: swipe right for hygienic bees, swipe left if not.

Good mousekeeping: en suite bathroom makes for happier mice

Apr 23, 2019

Mice have a strong preference to nest away from their own waste and should be housed in a system of cages that allows them to create a toilet area, according to work led by researchers at the University of British Columbia.

From foam to bone: Plant cellulose can pave the way for healthy bone implants

Mar 19, 2019

Multimedia assets: Dropbox

New approach to stroke treatment could minimize brain damage

Mar 14, 2019

A new treatment for a common type of stroke may soon be possible, thanks to a discovery by an international team of researchers led by the University of British Columbia.