News

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.

 WCMR members Brian Ingalls and Sherry Schiff are part of a team awarded funding through the Global Water Futures program to study the problem of algal and cyanobacterial blooms in lakes and reservoirs.

Shannon Majowicz, member of the WCMR and professor in the school of Public Health and Public Health Systems, has been awarded funding within the 5th Joint Programming Initiative on Antimicrobial Resistance (JPIAMR).

Last week, the University of Waterloo hosted the 67^th annual Canadian Society of Microbiologists (CSM) conference.

Organized by a committee co-chaired by members of the WCMR: Professor Josh Neufeld and Canada Research Chair Laura Hug from the Department of Biology, the CSM 2017 conference brought together 450 participants for a four-day gathering aimed at promoting new ideas and advances in microbiology.

School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability professor and member of the WCMR Andrew Trant was recognized today for his outstanding contribution to the fields of plant ecology and biogeography.