Mosquito sperm research could aid pest control strategies in deadly viruses

New research from the Faculty of Science suggests that influencing male mosquitoes’ reproductive capacity may, one day, hold the key to improved pest control strategies. Impeding some of the world’s most deadly viruses, spread by mosquitoes, could possibly be within reach, this research suggests. Mosquitoes (specifically, Aedes aegypti) carry a variety of pathogens causing diseases including Zika, […]

Meet the researcher who single-handedly built Canada’s largest bee collection

Professor Laurence Packer’s lab houses bee specimens from over 100 countries and, in fact, he has very nearly completed his collection of the world’s bee genera in his online archive. This is the first digital archive of its kind, and its contribution to our understanding of bees is immeasurable. Laurence Packer, professor of biology in […]

York researchers find memory of honeybee foragers better than nurse bees

A new food reward test has found that foraging honeybees are better at remembering where to find nectar than younger nurse bees, and it has to do with behaviour, not age, a study out of York University has found. This test could lead to a better understanding of the honeybee’s remarkable ability to learn and […]

Fields-CQAM announces York U lab among new network of research and training labs

A York University lab is among 11 flagship laboratories launched by the Fields Centre for Quantitative Analysis and Modelling (Fields-CQAM) that aim to solve commercial problems using applied mathematics research. The announcement was made on June 28 at the Fields Institute Annual General Meeting. Fields-CQAM was created in response to a need in the province […]

Chemistry prof co-chairs international gathering of crystallographers, July 20 to 24

This weekend, 650 scientists, academics and students from around the world will converge on Toronto for the American Crystallographic Association’s (ACA) 68th Annual Meeting. The event will be held July 20 to 24. Gerald Audette York University will play a prominent role in the meeting as the event’s co-chair is York Chemistry Professor Gerald Audette. Attending from […]

Mathematics research offers new ways to control West Nile transmission

CIHR- and NSERC-funded research identifies possible measures to control the mosquito population and the transmission of the West Nile virus in artificial ponds around the GTA. The findings could be used to guide programs in local health units.

Scientists uncover role of gene in programmed cell death

Researchers in the Faculty of Science have discovered that the gene BRAP-2 plays a key role in programmed cell death, also known as apoptosis, when there is DNA damage. Apoptosis is an essential process that eliminates abnormal or unnecessary cells from an organism. For instance, it purges cells with irreparable DNA damage that can lead […]

Two York mathematicians determine how to stay a step ahead of C. difficile

York researchers simulated a C. difficile outbreak in a hospital ward. What they learned will capture the attention of public health officials, policy-makers, clinicians and epidemiologists.

Investment in vaccine mathematics a powerful tool to combat infectious diseases

A major new research initiative based in the Faculty of Science at York University will develop mathematical techniques to identify populations most susceptible to infectious diseases and enable manufacturers to produce cost-effective vaccines that can be deployed quickly. The research is also expected to better position Canada to respond rapidly to emerging public health issues […]

York U looking for best, brightest, most passionate future world-changing scientists

Science helps advance knowledge and understanding – whether it’s probing the farthest galaxies, developing clean-energy technologies or investigating the brain. York University’s Faculty of Science hopes to attract the brightest minds from around the globe through a new first-year scholarship program. The new York Science Scholars Award (YSSA) program is seeking students of exceptional promise – high […]