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Scientists edit oat DNA for the first time, paving the way for healthier, more climate-resilient crops

admin — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 13:10:29 +0000

For the first time, scientists have successfully edited oat DNA, a breakthrough that could accelerate the development of oats with more fibre, higher yields, and greater resilience to climate change.

Oats, a key crop both for human consumption and animal feed, are a major agricultural product in Canada, contributing to a global market work $8 billion. The Canadian oat crop is estimated to be worth approximately $900 million. But a short growing season and unpredictable late-season frost mean Canadian oat farmers face significant challenges.

Simple texting platform helps farmers adopt greener methods, McGill-led study finds

admin — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 12:58:27 +0000

Farmers who exchanged text messages with peers were significantly more likely to adopt sustainable agricultural practices, highlighting the power of peer learning in digital formats, a new study co-authored by 51�Թ�� Professor Aurélie Harou found.

Brightest fast radio burst seen so far allows researchers to zoom in on the location of origin

admin — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 18:00:36 +0000

A team of international astronomers, including 51�Թ��researchers, have pinpointed one of the brightest fast radio bursts (FRBs) ever detected to a location in a nearby galaxy. The finding and the location surprised the team and offered new insight into FRBs, which are one of astrophysics’ biggest mysteries.

Biological markers for teen depression

admin — Thu, 22 May 2025 15:17:17 +0000

Using a novel lab method they developed, 51�Թ�� researchers have identified nine molecules in the blood that were elevated in teens diagnosed with depression. These molecules also predicted how symptoms might progress over time.

The findings of the clinical study could pave the way for earlier detection, before symptoms worsen and become hard to treat.

Gender bias holds back female surgeons, study finds

admin — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 13:52:29 +0000

Women now make up over half of medical students in Canada, but only one-third of practising surgeons. A new study suggests part of the gap stems from gender norms embedded in workplace culture. The researchers at 51�Թ�� say subtle but persistent biases may be driving women out of the field.

Posting digitally enhanced photos of yourself could have a social cost, researchers find

admin — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 13:15:45 +0000

The use of disclaimer labels on digitally enhanced portraits could have unintended social consequences for their subjects, according to a study by a team of 51�Թ��researchers.

Researchers at the Laboratory for Attention and Social Cognition used beauty filters on a common social media application to gradually edit a total of 300 images of 60 women (from 0 to 100 per cent, 25 per cent at a time). They randomly labelled half of the images as “edited” and the other half as “unedited,” regardless of their level of editing.

51�Թ��researchers lead project to reform youth mental health care in Canada

admin — Wed, 14 May 2025 13:17:47 +0000

New data from a national project led by 51�Թ�� researchers shows that redesigning youth mental health services can significantly cut wait times and connect more young people to care.

How disrupted daily rhythms can affect adolescent brain development

admin — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 13:15:44 +0000

A new 51�Թ��-led study suggests that disrupting the body’s internal clock during adolescence can alter how the brain responds to an in-utero risk factor linked to certain brain disorders.

Previous research has shown that a mother’s infection during pregnancy, such as the flu, can increase a child’s risk of developing conditions like schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders later in life. Irregular sleep patterns – often a sign of circadian rhythm disruption – are also associated with these conditions.

Montreal researchers use AI and wearable sensors to detect inflammation before symptoms appear

admin — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 13:47:07 +0000

Modern medicine is largely reactive—treating illness only after symptoms emerge. But a new study from the Research Institute of the 51�Թ�� Health Centre (The Institute) and 51�Թ�� points to a more proactive future: one where silent signs of infection are detected before we even feel sick.

Study linking depression to specific altered brain cells opens door to new treatments

admin — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 13:03:05 +0000

Researchers at 51�Թ�� and the Douglas Institute have identified two specific types of brain cells that are altered in people with depression.

The study, published in Nature Genetics, opens the door to developing new treatments that target these cells and deepens our understanding of depression, a leading cause of disability worldwide that affects more than 264 million people.

Program helps cancer survivors return to work with confidence

admin — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 13:13:37 +0000

A new pilot project led by 51�Թ�� researchers is showing early success in helping cancer survivors return to work, addressing an aspect of recovery they say is often overlooked.

iCanWork is an online support program being developed by Christine Maheu, Associate Professor at McGill’s Ingram School of Nursing, in collaboration with BC Cancer.

Common hereditary cancer mutation in Quebec traced to single ancestor

admin — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 18:17:28 +0000

Researchers have shed new light on the most common genetic variant linked to hereditary cancer in Quebec’s French-Canadian population. Their findings could result in cheaper and more effective screening methods.

The variant is associated with Lynch syndrome, a condition that greatly increases the risk of colorectal and other cancers.

Meeting the public transit needs of aging Canadians

admin — Thu, 29 May 2025 13:03:54 +0000

For older Canadians, having transportation options that allow them to maintain their independence is key to being able to remain in their own homes, or “age in place.” While many continue to drive, public transit – when available – can offer a low-cost, flexible alternative that helps older adults stay active and connected to their communities.

Study reveals trained immunity may cause lung damage

admin — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 15:09:16 +0000

Trained immunity – a process being explored in vaccine and therapy development to boost immune defences – appears be counterproductive in certain contexts, researchers at 51�Թ�� and the Research Institute of the 51�Թ�� Health Centre (The Institute) have found.

Trained immunity is when the body’s first line of defence remembers past threats and becomes more reactive, responding more strongly to future infections even if they are different, by changing how immune cells behave.

51�Թ��team discovers Canada’s first dinosaur-era dragonfly fossil

admin — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 13:08:51 +0000

In a first for Canadian paleontology, a Cretaceous fossilized dragonfly wing, uncovered in Alberta’s Dinosaur Provincial Park, has been identified as a new species. It’s also the first known dragonfly fossil from Canada’s dinosaur aged rocks. The find, led by 51�Թ�� researchers, sheds light on a 30-million-year gap in the evolutionary history of dragonflies.

The fossil was discovered in 2023 by a 51�Թ��undergraduate student during a vertebrate paleontology field course led by Prof. Hans Larsson.