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The Waterloo Centre for Microbial Research (WCMR) is coordinating a campus project screening for COVID using saliva. Professors Trevor Charles and Jozef Nissimov from the Department of Biology, alongside Drs. Patricia Quadros and Carly Huitema of the WCMR have been awarded $120,000 to determine the effectiveness of a new rapid test and help prevent outbreaks on campus.

Tuesday, July 2, 2019

WatSAM and World Microbiome Day

For this year's World Microbiome day, WatSAM decided to engage the creative side of students on the University of Waterloo campus. A booth was set up with a option to decorate a cookie and design a pinback button with inspiration drawn from various types of petri dishes. The cookies drew in many curious (and hungry) students, and those who had a bit more time sat down and designed a button or grabbed a WatSAM laptop sticker. Students had a blast getting creative while learning and celebrating World Microbiome day.

Scientists have discovered a new type of Botox.

A new source of the botulinum neurotoxin was discovered by Canadian and American scientists including WCMR member Andrew Doxey in a strain of animal gut bacteria known as Enterococcus faecium. The neurotoxic protein is known for its paradoxical ability to remove wrinkles yet cause botulism, a potentially fatal illness associated with food poisoning.