Sophia Spencer is a little girl with a big love for the study of bugs. But when her appreciation for insects and all things entomological got her bullied by her school peers, it set in motion a series of events that have now brought the eight-year-old international attention and encouragement, and a credit along with …

By Prof. David MacDonald

The North American free trade agreement (NAFTA) was ratified nearly 24 years ago, and is currently being renegotiated. A third round of talks is scheduled for later this month, and negotiators aim for a revised agreement by early 2018. University of Guelph economist  Alan Ker believes renegotiating the agreement is a good idea. Terminating NAFTA would …

It’s a good time to be entering Ontario’s agriculture and food industry because there are jobs galore. In fact, there are currently four jobs for every graduate of the University of Guelph’s Ontario Agricultural College (OAC), according to a new report. “It’s a sector that has to grow no matter what, because people have to …

Travelling five times faster than a speeding bullet, and 300 kilometres above the Earth’s surface, Roberta Bondar witnessed immense beauty from the window of the space shuttle Discovery. That experience changed forever the way Canada’s first female astronaut saw and understood our planet. Bondar, a University of Guelph alumna, vowed after her space flight to …

By Prof. Mike Hoy

Editor’s Note: Hurricane Harvey caused immense flooding in the Houston area, sending people scrambling from their homes. With Hurricane Irma now threatening Florida, and mandatory evacuation orders in place for much of Miami, more than three million people are fleeing the Category 4 storm. Amid the rush, many people are concerned about their pets. Speaking …

While the plight of the honeybee has grabbed public attention, the health of other pollinators vital to our food system remains largely unknown, according to a new University of Guelph report. “There has been lots of work examining honeybee health, but it’s important that we understand more about the 421 other wild bee species in …

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the Toronto Star. Profs. Jess Haines, Family Relations and Applied Nutrition (FRAN), and David Ma, Human Health and Nutritional Sciences, wrote about a U of G study on snacking habits of young children. The research, conducted as part of the Guelph Family Health Study, was led by undergraduate …

Four new tender fruit varieties are coming soon to Canada. After 18 years of research and testing, the University of Guelph is poised to release two varieties of yellow Japanese plums and two varieties of early peaches. “You’ve got to be patient in this game,” said U of G plant agriculture professor Jayasankar Subramanian, who …

Using our pets to track ticks and the prevalence of Lyme disease is the focus of a new online reporting system aimed at understanding how the disease-carrying insects are spreading across Ontario. The province has become a hotbed for the blacklegged tick known to carry B. burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. “Right now …

University of Guelph landscape architecture professor Martin Holland grew up in Halifax before moving to Charlottesville, Virginia, to pursue his master’s degree at the University of Virginia. While a student there, he saw the Robert E. Lee statue downtown that became the focus of recent protests and counter-protests. Holland, who has studied social impact through design …

A majority of shark fins and manta ray gills sold around the globe for traditional medicines come from endangered species, a University of Guelph study has revealed. Using cutting-edge DNA barcoding technology, researchers found 71 per cent of dried fins and gills collected from markets and stores came from species listed as at-risk and therefore …

Many researchers and policy-makers have asked why young people leave the farm, never to return, says Prof. Sharada Srinivasan, the Canada Research Chair in Gender, Justice and Development at the University of Guelph. The migration of young people out of agriculture, and the seeming lack of allure the sector has for the younger generation, is …

It once dominated the forests of eastern North America, but the American chestnut was nearly wiped out during the past century by a devastating fungal disease. Now a new survey by University of Guelph researchers offers a bit of hope for the survival – and perhaps the ultimate recovery — of this native tree in …

It’s already known some fish have big hearts — at least during the winter. Now a U of G professor has identified a protein that enables fish to change the size of their hearts based on the temperature of the water. The finding might yield clues to treating or preventing heart damage in humans. “Fish …

Bumblebees are less able to start colonies when exposed to a common neonicotinoid pesticide, according to a new University of Guelph study. Prof. Nigel Raine has discovered that exposure to thiamethoxam reduces the chances of a bumblebee queen starting a new colony by more than one-quarter. This study has garnered international media coverage with stories …

By: Kelly Hodgins Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in The Conversation Canada. As consumers become increasingly dissatisfied with conventional, large-scale food systems, they are seeking ways to reconnect with their food. For the wealthy, that translates into a turn toward what we call the “alternative food system.” My extensive research into North American food …

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in The Conversation Canada. Canada Day 2017 marks the sesquicentennial of Confederation. While the anniversary is a chance to reflect on the past, The Conversation Canada asked some of our academic authors to look down the road a further 150 years – or “Canada +150.” What will our world and …

Using cutting-edge DNA-based technology, University of Guelph researchers have conducted the first-ever Canadian study of sausage mislabelling. The researchers found mislabelling and cross-species contamination of meat ingredients in 20 per cent of sausage samples selected from grocery stores across the country. “This study now provides us with a baseline that we can use when working with …