UNBC Faculty Attract Scientific Research Funding
June 9, 2003 For Immediate
Release
960-5838, chenl@unbc.ca
In a national competition for research in the sciences, UNBC faculty
have attracted federal research money to northern BC, with much of the
research focusing on issues of particular interest to the North. The total
value of the new projects is nearly $1 million. The following outlines
the new UNBC research projects that have received funding from the Natural
Sciences and Engineering Research Council:
Mark Shrimpton (Biology) is studying the hormonal changes that
salmon experience as they move from the freshwater environment where they're
born to the ocean. These changes are called smolting, and the research
will examine how stress, temperature changes, water flow, and general
habitat change (affected by urban development, forest harvesting, etc)
affect salmon development.
960-5991, shrimptm@unbc.ca
960-5991, shrimptm@unbc.ca
Waqar Haque (Computer Science) is developing a computerized transaction
scheduling system that will more effectively process such services as
online banking, airline ticketing, and multimedia databases. The goal
is development of a system that will process transactions faster while
reacting to rising demand loads.
960-6522, haque@unbc.ca
960-6522, haque@unbc.ca
Keith Egger (Ecosystem Science & Management) is simulating
the effects of global warming to predict how ecosystems will respond to
climate change. Working in the high Arctic, where global warming has already
been more pronounced than the mid-latitudes, Dr Egger is conducting DNA
analysis of microbes associated with plant roots to document the impacts
of warming treatments. The microbes being studied are essential for uptake
of nutrients necessary for plant growth.
960-5860, egger@unbc.ca
960-5860, egger@unbc.ca
Ron Thring (Chemistry, Environmental Science, and Environmental
Engineering) is conducting research that will lead to the creation of
new value-added products from kraft lignins and hog fuel, the most under-utilized
yet dominant wood wastes from wood processing operations. New products
may include environmentally friendly fuels, chemicals, and bio-materials.
960-5804, thring@unbc.ca
960-5804, thring@unbc.ca
Ian Hartley (Forestry) is assessing how different methods of drying
wood affect the response of wood in temperatures ranging from -30 to +20
degrees Celsius. The research will add to knowledge about wood-water interaction
and be of use in the design of structures in cold climates.
960-6054, hartley@unbc.ca
Liang Chen (Computer Science) is developing a new online search engine
that will allow web users to search for documents written in languages different
from the language used in a query. The search engine will also be able to
generate document summaries using the languages of queries.960-6054, hartley@unbc.ca
960-5838, chenl@unbc.ca
Richard Lazenby (Anthropology) is comparing the hand structures
in humans and nonhuman primates to expand our understanding of human evolution.
Some primates (such as chimpanzees) do exhibit handedness, but only at
the level of the individual, not at the species level, which is unique
in humans. Based on archaeological evidence, handedness is believed to
extend as far back as 1 million years. The research will attempt to extend
the search for the origin of handedness back 3-4 million years.
960-6696, lazenby@unbc.ca
960-6696, lazenby@unbc.ca
Joe Ackerman (Canada Research Chair in Physical Ecology &
Aquatic Science) is investigating how water flow and turbulence affect
the transport of nutrients and foods to bottom-dwelling organisms in streams,
lakes, and oceans. This research is aiming to better understand the functioning
of aquatic ecosystems.
960-5839, ackerman@unbc.ca
960-5839, ackerman@unbc.ca
Mark Shegelski (Physics) is undertaking a four-year project to
enhance the imaging power of the low energy electron point source microscope,
partially invented in Canada. The unit uses electrons to reconstruct clusters
of atoms, but Dr Shegelski's research will work to improve the resolution
of the microscope to reconstruct individual atoms.
960-6663, mras@unbc.ca
960-6663, mras@unbc.ca
Kerry Reimer (Chemistry) will chemically synthesize small segments
of plant polysaccharides, called oligosaccharides. The synthetic oligosaccharides,
together with carbohydrate binding proteins, will be used by plant physiologists
to study the biological roles of plant cell wall polysaccharides. These
studies will lead to a better understanding of plant biology.
960-6675, reimerk@unbc.ca
960-6675, reimerk@unbc.ca
All of the projects listed above are new, multi-year research projects
receiving federal funding. A number of scientists at the University continue
to be engaged in other ongoing research projects.