University of Manitoba - Faculty of Science - Faculty of Science Highlights

Faculty of Science Highlights - 2010

Student and Recent Graduate Achievements

Melissa Bailey, a Faculty of Science Genetics Honours Co-op student was awarded a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship in November 2010. Melissa’s co-op experiences, first at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg and at the Max Plank Institute for Immunology in Freiburg Germany were significant elements of her successful application.

Jody Reimer, a Faculty of Arts, Mathematics Major, was also awarded a Rhodes Scholarship in November 2010.

Oleksandr Maizlish was awarded a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship. The Vanier Scholarship program is designed to attract and retain world-class doctoral students at Canadian universities.

Two Science graduate students are part of an elite group from across Canada selected to receive the 2009 Canada Graduate Scholarships – Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement. Students Laura Cobus, Physics and Astronomy, and Morgan Craig, Mathematics, will each receive financial support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to pursue research at institutions outside Canada.

Hao Qi, (a University of Manitoba Distinguished Thesis Award winner), won the prestigious Glenn H. Brown Award from the International Liquid Crystal Society. Only four of these awards are granted every two years for the best Ph.D. thesis worldwide in the field.

Carrie Paquette, (M.Sc. student, Statistics), working under the supervision of Brad Johnson presented a report to the International Red River Board on “Statistical Analysis of Trends in Water Quality in the Red River Over a 45-year Period.” This project, which was funded by the International Watersheds Initiative of the International Joint Commission, arose because of questions of the appropriateness of the statistical methodology that was used in studies showing that changes had taken place in the nutrients in the River and subsequently in Lake Winnipeg.

David Tang, (B.Sc. Hons. 2009) an alumnus of the Faculty of Science, was awarded the Let’s Talk Science National Site Coordinator Award. This award recognizes the site coordinator who has made an outstanding contribution by demonstrating excellence in leadership through innovation, site development, effective communication, and contributions to science outreach and science literacy. Under Tang’s leadership, Let’s Talk Science, based out of the Faculty of Science, created new partnerships with Rossbrook House, the Aboriginal Head Start Biomedical Youth Program and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg, bringing Science awareness to young people from disadvantaged groups and providing meaningful volunteer experiences and opportunities to university students, primarily from the Faculty of Science. Tang was also the 2010 winner of the Science Promotion Prize granted by the Canadian Council of University Biology Chairs. The prize is given annually in recognition of outstanding contribution to the promotion of biology in Canada.

Discover Your Future in Science Information sessions – In September, the Faculty of Science hosted 10 information sessions for students in their first and second year of university. Over 500 students participated in sessions that dealt with everything from general career exploration (by David Ness of Student Counselling and Career Services) to a presentation by a student enrolled in the Medical Physics program, to how to apply to the Faculty of Pharmacy. The Faculty of Science runs these sessions annually to help students make decisions about their degree and career choices.

Faculty Awards, Distinctions and Outreach

Kenneth Standing and Werner Ens, Physics and Astronomy, were the first University of Manitoba professors to win the Encana Principal Award, the highest honour given by the Ernest C. Manning Awards Foundation. The award is given to Canadians who have demonstrated recent innovation talent in developing and successfully marketing a new concept, process or procedure. Standing and Ens won for advancing the field of time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Mass spectrometry is used to identify compounds and their chemical composition. Standing and Ens introduced significant improvements which allow for a clearer picture of a compound’s composition. Over the years, advances, including those of Standing and Ens, have enabled the analysis of larger biological molecules like proteins. Studying proteins is of tremendous importance to understanding biological processes and in designing more effective clinical diagnostic tools and pharmaceutical. In 2003, members of the Standing/Ens research team helped identify and characterize key proteins of the SARS virus using mass spectrometry techniques. The research group has participated in projects involving cancer treatments, tissue transplant rejection and disease resistance in wheat. Recently, they are involved in developing improved methods of biofuel production. The physicists will receive the $100,000 award at a gala in Ottawa on September 17.

Michael Butler, Distinguished Professor, Microbiology, is launching an extensive research network to establish the technology for the large-scale manufacture of Mabs. (A growing area of treatment for cancer and other potentially deadly disorders is biopharmaceuticals, which provide patients with the disease-killing antibodies the patients aren't producing but require to fight back. These drugs are made of therapeutic human monoclonal antibodies (known as Mabs)). Butler was awarded $5 million over the next five years to create a strategic alliance (known as MabNet). The grant is from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Strategic Network Grant.

Abba Gumel, Mathematics, was elected into the Nigerian Academy of Sciences in January, 2010. The induction took place in May.

Peter Loewen, Microbiology, had a renewed Canada Research Chair in Protein Chemistry. Loewen's research focuses on the structure and function of the proteins which play a key role in promoting health and combating disease. His work involves the characterization of cellular responses to oxidative stress, which occurs when reactive oxygen - commonly called 'free radicals' in health food stores - accumulates faster than it can be removed by our bodies. Loewen is also interested in the mechanisms by which a certain group of enzymes destroy hydrogen peroxide before it breaks down and damages cellular components.

Tapash Chakraborty, Physics and Astronomy, has a renewed Canada Research Chair in Nanoscale Physics. He is a leader in nanoscience, a rapidly growing field given the relentless drive for the miniaturization of electronics. Chakraborty explores the physical properties of systems on a scale of a few nanometres (one nanometre equals one billionth of a metre). He is a top researcher in the rapidly developing field of graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms that is poised to replace today’s silicon microelectronics. His focus is broad and includes novel electronic and magnetic properties of DNA molecules, quantum dots, and spin transport in semiconductors—an important step in developing spintronic devices. Spintronics is an emerging field of technology in which the spin of electrons is exploited.

WestGrid: The University of Manitoba’s newly-installed Grex cluster is making waves in the supercomputing world. Even though the system is not yet ready for users, the Green500 list ranked UofM at number 44 - which is second in Canada, and first in Compute Canada. The Green500 list provides a ranking of the most energy-efficient supercomputers in the world. As well, this soon-to-be-launched system recently ranked 315 in the Top500 list released recently at the SC conference in New Orleans. On that list, Grex ranked 6th in Canada, 4th in Compute Canada, and first in WestGrid.

Torsten Hegmann, Chemistry, was awarded one of the 125 Discovery Accelerator Supplements (DAS) available across the country for his project: Modulating the Properties of Liquid Crystals Using Nanoparticles as Dopants. The $120K over three years is part of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) DAS Program. Researchers do not apply for the award; instead, NSERC awards the funds to a small group of researchers who show strong potential to become international leaders in their areas of research. Hegmann has just become one of that select group.

Pourang Irani, Computer Science, was awarded $376K from the Canada Foundation for Innovation to set up the Collaborative Visual Analytics Laboratory in the Faculty of Science.

Terry Dick, Biological Sciences, Senior Scholar, received a very large contract related to the Arctic Arena part of the Ocean Tracking Network. The project aims to provide a large-scale description of biogeographical (pelagos and benthos) domains for the Arctic Sector (Bering to Labrador seas). This will guide in the design of the Ocean Tracking Network (OTN) and will help in the interpretation of tracking data. It involves expeditions to the Arctic and/or living in komatiks (cabins) in the Arctic for the PIs, students and postdoctoral fellows to deploy a number of ship-based instruments (CTD including fluorometer and turbidity, ADCP, bioacoustic system, underway Tand S and zooplankton nets) to collect physical and chemical data at the location of the OTN arrays and process the data from CTD pods deployed on each line. The research involves collaboration with Dr. Eddy Carmack (Department of Fisheries and Oceans), Dr. Aaron Fisk (University of Windsor), Dr. Steve Ferguson (DFO) and Dr. Svein Vagle (DFO), amounting to 278,000-377,000 per annum for 6 years. This award was supported by 974,000-1,145,800 in in-kind contributions to direct costs of research from partner organizations. The project involves tracking animal movements (by arctic cod, sculpin, char, beluga whales, narwhals, seals, birds) movements and trophic interactions (feeding behaviour) in Arctic river systems with deltas onto Hudson's Bay and the Arctic Ocean. The research will enable modeling of the food webs important for commercial fisheries and biological sustainability. The project also includes capacity building by training of residents in the Arctic region, and translation into Inuktitut of project reports to the community of Pangnirtung and the Nunavut Research Institute.

Kevin Campbell, Biological Sciences, published a paper titled, "Substitutions in woolly mammoth hemoglobin confer biochemical properties adaptive for cold tolerance." In Nature Genetics (June 2010, vol 42:536-40) along with local collaborator Joerg Stetefeld, Chemistry, two MSc students, Anthony Signore and Angela Sloan (graduated), and two undergraduate students (Jason Roberts (now Law), Jesse Howatt (now Medicine) who contributed their work to the international collaborative project led by Campbell. The work that spanned institutions in Germany, Denmark, Australia, USA, Japan and the UK. The paper reported genetic retrieval, resurrection and analyses of authentic woolly mammoth hemoglobin to reveal for the first time the evolutionary origins and the structural underpinnings of a key adaptive physiochemical trait in an extinct species, namely being able to supply oxygen to cold tissues. The team identified amino acid substitutions with large effect on mammoth hemoglobin that provide a unique solution to this problem and minimize the amount of heat lost through extremities. The biochemical specialization may have allowed mammoths to exploit high-latitude environments during the Pleistocene period. The research demonstrates a new approach for direct analysis of genetic and structural bases of physiological adaptations and adds an important new dimension to the study of natural selection. The publication of Campbell’s research in Nature Genetics was covered by media nationally and internationally, including CBC, BBC and the New York Times.

Richard Sparling, Microbiology and David Levin, Biosystems Engineering were selected to be part of the Genomics on the Hill reception on 28 November 2010. This unique event of Canadian excellence in genomics and proteomics research is an opportunity for Genome Canada funded researchers to display some of their research and innovations to ministers, MPs, senators, government and embassy officials as well as key stakeholders on Parliament Hill. Sparling and Levin are co-leaders in a $10.4 million international collaboration looking for new ways to convert waste materials (like wood chips, straw and even Tim Horten’s coffee cups) into fuels (biofuels) and other products. The researchers have been active in the media with numerous interview such as:

CBC radio interview local program Up To Speed on September 28, 2010.
Interview with CKSB (CBC French radio) on September 29, 2010 for the 6 o’clock news.
Article in the Winnipeg Free Press, “Biofuels from used Tim’s Cups? Maybe” on September 29, 2010.
Interview with Jerry Agar on NEWSTALK 1010 of the Astral Media Radio Group, October 1, 2010.
Interview with CTV News Channel on Saturday, October 2, 2010.
Interview with University News on Monday, October 4, 2010.
Sparling and Levin also participated in the University’s Bringing Research to Life Speaker Series in September with their talk entitled: Bacteria: refineries for bio-fuel production.

Steve Whyard, Biological Sciences, whose research involves West Nile Virus and working on ways to address the insect problem through mosquito population control, was interviewed in June by 17 different CBC radio hosts across the country. With heavy amounts of rainfall and early predictions of record numbers of mosquitoes, there was a peeked interest in the mosquito problem. Whyard was asked to talk about his research and to give listeners, “straightforward tips on how to fend off mosquitoes”.

Michele Piercey-Normore, Biological Sciences, and John Sorensen, Chemistry are studying bioactive natural products made by lichens in a collaborative search to find new antibiotics that can be used to fight infection. This research was included in the special September 27, 2010 issue of MacLean’s called: The Rethink Issue: the People and ideas that are changing the shape of our world.

James Fu, Statistics, who was awarded the title Professor Emeritus at Spring Convocation 2010.

The 2010 Inorganic Chemistry Exchange (ICE) program wrapped up with its annual workshop at the University of Manitoba on August 19-20. Ten undergraduate students from six provinces spanning the country and their faculty advisors gathered to present and discuss their summer research. Topics included converting biomass to biofuels, developing better materials for methane storage, testing nuclear waste disposal, designing more sensitive solar cells, and much more. The ICE program, now in its eighth year, operates under the auspices of the Canadian Society for Chemistry Division of Inorganic Chemistry. It is designed to provide talented undergraduate students with an opportunity to do inorganic chemistry research at an institution other than their own. Its goals are to promote undergraduate awareness of and involvement in inorganic chemistry research, to support potential graduate students, to establish networks for undergraduate researchers who will eventually have chemistry-related careers, and to reinforce connections amongst researchers across the country. This is the first time the ICE workshop has been held outside of Ontario. Lawson Miller joined Scott Kroeker's research group as a participant in the Inorganic Chemistry Exchange.

The fall of 2010 marked the start of the Enrichment Program in Chemistry (EPIC), at the University of Manitoba. For five Saturday mornings, from November to February, 22 high school and homeschooled students from across Winnipeg gather at the Faculty of Science to learn about and experience the multifaceted nature of chemistry. EPIC provides opportunities for young students to explore various branches of chemistry by conducting experiments. The EPIC program was designed and is run by Horace Luong, Chemistry, and includes undergraduate volunteers who coach participants during the sessions. Planning is already underway to build on the EPIC program for the next year. Financial support for EPIC was provided by the Faculty of Science and the CIC Chemical Education Fund.

James Xidos, Chemistry, coordinated the first Science Rendezvous at the University of Manitoba on May 8, 2010 with the Faculties of Science, Engineering and Human Ecology participating. Science Rendezvous is a unique initiative that takes place across partnering university and college campuses and at select research hospitals, cultural, and public sites across Ontario, and in 2010 involved the University of Manitoba. From the serious to the fun and quirky, free events and lab tours take place on campuses in a variety of venues, engaging adults, families and children in a day of fun and exploration.

The Humanoid Robotic Team, Computer Science, won the Champion of the Taiwan Micro-Mouse and Robot Contest: Humanoid Robot Explorer Challenge Contest – International Group, on October 2, 2010 in Tainan, Taiwan. The team consists of Jacky Baltes, Computer Science, and his students, Chi Tai Cheng, Andrew Winton and Hanbyeol Stela Seo. Baltes and Cheng were in Tainan competing against teams from Taiwan, Singapore and Japan. Baltes was interviewed on Taiwanese television after their robot, Buster, was able to successfully navigate a field of obstacles without touching any of them.