News

Cyanobacteria blooms are a major environmental issue worldwide. They can have direct impacts on the safety of drinking water supplies by producing a variety of toxins which also impose health risks for swimmers and boaters. Although many may associate cyanobacteria with bright green algae seen on the surface of lakes, Ellen Cameron, PhD Candidate in Waterloo’s Biology Department, is using DNA sequencing to study cyanobacteria communities in low-nutrient, clear lakes in Northern Ontario.

We are pleased to share some upcoming organizational changes with some leadership positions held by Science faculty members.

The Waterloo iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) team has been recognized with a number of awards this year at the annual competition. In addition to receiving Gold standing, their project also received the award for best Manufacturing Project at the undergraduate level, it was also nominated for the iGEM Inclusivity Award and the Best Wiki Award!

A scrappy swamp dotted with reeds, mosses, insects and frogs might not look like anything of value, but to Professor Rebecca Rooney, these ecosystems are priceless.

Rooney, an expert in wetland ecology with the Department of Biology at the University of Waterloo, says wetlands are workhorses, providing numerous “environmental services” to us for free.

Professor Mark Servos and his team have been working since early in the pandemic to develop and validate methods to detect the ruminants of SARS-CoV-2 gene fragments in wastewater.

Professor Mark Servos from the department of biology and Professor Emeritus Gary Dmitrienko from the department of chemistry have been awarded research infrastructure grants to support their COVID-19 research.

Almost a year ago, Professor Kirsten Müller from the department of biology embarked on a life-changing voyage to Antarctica.

When asked about the Toronto Raptor’s 2^nd round exit from the NBA finals last month, Matthew Schmitz sighs and his disappointment is tangible “I was worried about them playing the Celtics,” he admits, “I thought maybe it might be different playing in the bubble, but in the end they were just too tough. But they gave it a good shot.”

Waterloo Biology is one of the top ten biology programs in Canada for 2021, according to the influential annual Maclean’s magazine ranking program.

In results released last week, Waterloo’s Biology program was placed 10^th for 2021, rising in the rankings from 13^th in 2020 and 15^th in 2019.

In 2015, after documenting testimonies from Indigenous survivors of the residential school system in Canada, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released 94 Calls to Action to enable reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. Without personal connections to Indigenous communities, many Canadians fail to grasp the depth of intergenerational impacts of residential schools and associated systemic racism. Consequently, reconciliation remains an elusive concept.