Thursday, January 9, 2025

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• Overview and introduction to Inclusive Research Resources coming up
• If you can't beat 'em, eat 'em: removing microplastics with engineered bacteria 
• Thrifting and tea in the SLC and other notes

Overview and introduction to Inclusive Research Resources coming up

A message from the Office of the Vice-President, Research and International.

The Inclusive Research Team is hosting Overview and Introduction: Inclusive Research Resources (Introductory Session) on Thursday, January 16 from 11:00 a.m. to 12 noon. Are you planning to attend?

The Inclusive Research Team is dedicated to intentionally supporting faculty to build equitable and inclusive research practices for rigorous research. This presentation is focused on providing you with an introduction to the resources and supports provided by the Inclusive Research Team within the Office of the Vice-President, Research and International, including how to navigate the Inclusive Research Resource Hub and how we support embedding EDI in grant applications.

Please registerto receive the Zoom link to participate.

Upcoming webinars

• Inclusive Research Tools: Identifying and Addressing Barriers , Thursday, February 6, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., register.
• The Foundation: Building Inclusive Teams , Friday, March 7, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., register.
• What is GBA+ Anyway? An Introduction, Monday, March 24, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., register.
• The Decolonial “R’s” of Research: Principled Approaches to Engaging Indigenous Communities, Monday, April 28, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., register.

Resources 

• Inclusive Resource Hub
• The Research Equity and Inclusion website

For more information or questions, please reach out to research.equity@uwaterloo.ca or Indigenous.Research@uwaterloo.ca.

If you can't beat 'em, eat 'em: removing microplastics with engineered bacteria

A news release from the Media Relations team.

Microplastics can go right through wastewater treatment plants, and researchers have engineered bacteria commonly found in there to break down this pollution before it can persist in the environment.

Researchers from the University of Waterloo added DNA to several species of bacteria found in wastewater, allowing them to biodegrade polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a common plastic found in carpet, clothing and containers for food and beverages.

PET plastics take hundreds of years to degrade in the environment. Over time, they break down into microplastics, pieces of plastic less than 5 mm long, which enter the food chain. Chemicals in these plastics are associated with insulin resistance, cancer and decreased reproductive health.

“Think of these bacteria that already exist in water systems to clean up microplastics as biorobots that can be programmed to get the job done,” said Dr. Marc Aucoin, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering. “Microplastics in water also enhance the spread of antibiotic resistance, so this breakthrough could also address that concern."

The researchers use a natural process referred to as “bacterial sex,” where bacteria share genetic material with each other when multiplying. It enables the introduction of a new trait into the target bacteria, giving them the ability to break down microplastics.

“As next steps, we will use modelling to understand how well the bacteria transfer the new genetic information under different environmental conditions and thus how effectively they can break down the plastics,” said Dr. Brian Ingalls, a professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics. “The long-term vision is to break down microplastics in wastewater treatment plants at scale.”

While the researchers will start with wastewater facilities, they also hope to find ways to clean up the plastic waste accumulating in oceans.

"We will assess the risks of using engineered, plastic-eating bacteria in the natural environment" said Aaron Yip, a PhD candidate in the Department of Chemical Engineering. "Right now, microplastic degradation in wastewater treatment plants is a safer application to target. Many of these facilities are already designed to neutralize bacteria in wastewater, which would kill any engineered bacteria prior to discharging water back into the environment.”

The study, “Degradation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics by wastewater bacteria engineered via conjugation,” appears in Microbial Biotechnology.

Thrifting and tea in the SLC and other notes

WUSA Thrift will be hosting a Thrift Tea: Sip & Shop today from 1:00 p.m to 2:00 p.m. in the Student Life Centre's Great Hall, which will be turned into a giant thrift store for the occasion. "Find amazing clothes from WUSA Thrift, all priced under $10 — yes, you read that right!" says the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA). "The sale is open to everyone, so come check out these incredible deals." Undergraduate students will also have an opportunity to knock back some free bubble tea while supplies last (WatCard required).

The Call for Posters for Climate Con 2025 deadline has been extended to Tuesday, January 14. "Submit a proposal to present at the Student Showcase at this year’s Climate Con 2025 on Friday, February 7," says a note from the Waterloo Climate Institute. "Prizes are available. Submit today!"

The opening reception for artist Xiaojing Yan's Under the Pines, Over the Clouds exhibition takes place tonight from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the University of Waterloo Art Gallery (UWAG).

"Under the Pines, Over the Clouds is rooted in Xiaojing Yan’s Chinese heritage and her experience as an immigrant," says a note from UWAG. "Her explorations as an artist can be viewed through a similarly bifurcated lens: the forms and landscapes are equally as indebted to the artist’s cultural identity as they are to her empathy for the natural world."

The exhibition runs from January 9 to March 8 in Gallery 1 and 2.

Across the creek, St. Jerome's University's Lectures in Catholic Experience series continues with a public lecture by Dr. Amir Hussain entitled A Muslim Theologian Teaching at a Catholic University.

"Amir Hussain, a Canadian Muslim with a dissertation on Muslim communities in Toronto, found himself some twenty years ago teaching at a Catholic university in Los Angeles," the lecture's abstract reads. "In 2009, he became the first non-Christian scholar to be tenured in his department (which was founded with the university almost 100 years earlier). He then served a term as chair of that Department of Theological Studies. In this presentation, Amir will talk about his journey, from graduate work in a secular department for the study of religion, to first teaching in a large public state university, and then seeking out a position in a Jesuit university’s theology department. He’ll also talk about why he, as a Muslim, couldn’t imagine a better place for him to thrive than at a Catholic university, and also about how non-Christians, not to mention non-Catholics, can contribute to the mission of Catholic universities."

The event takes place tonight from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at St. Jerome’s University. There's still time to register.