Two dedicated researchers,
one prestigious award
Drive to improve safety of the world’s
food supply leads to major recognition
An enduring collaboration driven by a shared desire to improve the safety of the world’s food supply paid off for two University of Manitoba researchers who were honoured with a prestigious award for their efforts. University of Manitoba biosystems engineer Digvir Jayas and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada entomologist Noel White have long shared a passion for discovery. In 2009 they shared the Brockhouse Canada Prize for Interdisciplinary Research in Science and Engineering. Established by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Brockhouse Prize has only been awarded four times. Researchers at the University of Manitoba have received it twice. This important national award recognizes outstanding research teams that combine expertise to produce achievements of international significance. Jayas and White have spent more than 20 years studying the causes of grain spoilage, from excess heat and moisture in storage bins to damage caused by insects, fungi and bacteria.
Yes, but is it safe to eat?
Food scientist helps the world conquer a deadly, food-borne illness
When a deadly outbreak of the food-borne illness listeria occurred in the Canadian food supply in the summer of 2008, government officials, food inspection agencies and the media turned to one of the world’s leading food safety experts for answers and direction. Rick Holley, a professor in the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, used his expertise to explain the illness, its transmission and made recommendations on how it can be prevented. His efforts were praised by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Health Canada and Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives.
Click here for a video interview with Rick Holley. 
Saving a dying lake
Gordon Goldsborough is dedicated to understanding how pollution
affects our waterways
Around the world, lakes are dying, succumbing to toxic cocktails of chemical pollution which suck the life from their waters. Manitoba is home to two of the world’s largest lakes both of which are showing signs of such affliction. Gordon Goldsborough, director of the Delta Marsh field station and professor in the department of biological sciences, has dedicated his research to studying Lake Manitoba and the devastating algae blooms which threaten it and its eastern neighbour, Lake Winnipeg.
Genetic marker found for devastating disease
New hope for families of children born with rare disorder
For generations, the Hutterite communities in the Canadian prairies have been devastated by a genetic disorder which prevents their children from growing and developing. Affected children typically die at birth or in early childhood and, until now, medical science had little to offer families coping with the disorder. To unlock the genetic cause of this disorder was crucial to diagnosis and treatment. A multi-disciplinary group of researchers at the University of Manitoba have done just that. A team including Cheryl Rockman-Greenberg, head of the department of pediatrics and child health and Barbara Triggs-Raine, a professor in the department of biochemistry and medical genetics discovered those born with Bowen-Conradi Syndrome have less of the E-M-G-1 protein needed for the body to grow. The discovery allows researchers to make accurate diagnoses at birth and to develop and test new gene therapies. It also provides new hope to hundreds of families.
Head of national virology lab receives international award
University of Manitoba HIV and H1N1 researcher again in national spotlight
Dr. Frank Plummer’s research into HIV resistance and the development of a vaccine against the deadly virus have garnered him international honours and awards. In 2008, Plummer, a professor of medical microbiology, added the Scopus award to his list of distinctions. Presented by the Canadian Friends of the Hebrew University, the Scopus award is the highest honour bestowed by a Friends Association and it recognizes those who have excelled in their fields and whose humanitarian efforts have contributed to the betterment of society. Plummer, who is also Scientific Director General of the National Microbiology Laboratory and Chief Scientific Advisor for the Public Health Agency of Canada, also took centre stage in 2009, helping the medical and lay community to understand and cope with the H1N1 pandemic.
Research Income, 2005 to 2009
in Millions
