http://www.innovationanthology.com/ en-us © 2008 Porcupine Stone Productions. All Rights Reserved. Canada's Voice of Innovation Cheryl Croucher Cheryl Croucher's Innovation Anthology: Innovation Anthology profiles Canadian science, research and invention. Award winning broadcaster Cheryl Croucher talks to scientists and innovators across the country, bringing you the latest in Canadian ingenuity. Cheryl Croucher cheryl@innovationanthology.com http://www.innovationanthology.com/images/podcast-graphic.jpg Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #165 In 2008, even a six year old can navigate around Facebook and YouTube. But until just fifteen years ago, the only people who had access to the internet were scientists and the military. It wa only in November of 1992, its American creators opened the internet to commercial use. An early adopter was the Alberta Research Council. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20165.mp3 Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 information technology Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #164 Statistics show that in Alberta, 20 percent of the population is obese. The obesity crisis striking North America has prompted Edmonton’s Capital Health Region to try something completely different. It’s called the Weight Wise Program. Leading this program is Dr. Arya Sharma, a professor of medicine at the University of Alberta and Canada’s foremost expert on obesity. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20164.mp3 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #163 It’s the recent discovery of the Chicxulub Crater in Mexico and its link to the extinction of dinosaurs that turned Dr. John Spray into a crater man. A petrologist by training, Dr. Spray now specializes in impact geology and shock metamorphism at the University of New Brunswick. . On one day Dr. Spray could be tramping the nickel mines of the Sudbury Basin. The next, he could be planning a space mission to Mars. (Canada Foundation for Innovation.) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20163.mp3 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 space Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #162 Two new missions to Mars will benefit from the expertise of Canadian crater scientist Dr. John Spray. Dr. Spray holds a Canada Research Chair in Planetary Materials at the University of New Brunswick. He’s also the director of the Planetary and Space Science Centre there. One mission is led by NASA and the other is led by the European Space Agency. (Canada Foundation for Innovation) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/1-Innovation%20Anthology%20162.mp3 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 space Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #161 Meteor showers like the Persiads offer a dazzling display in the night sky. But sometimes those rocks roaming through our solar system touch down with great impact, leaving their mark - like the giant crater at Sudbury. One scientist who studies craters and the geology of their impact is Dr. John Spray, director of the Planetary and Space Science Centre at the Univresity of New Brunswick. (Canada Foundation for Innovation). http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20161.mp3 Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 space Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #160 There are many roads to obesity. And unfortunately, there is no cure. That’s the stark reality which motivates Dr. Arya Sharma in his mission to change the way we think of obesity and how we treat it. A professor of medicine at the University of Alberta and scientific director of the Canadian Obesity Network, Dr. Sharma is considered Canada’s foremost expert on the subject. (Canada Foundation for Innovation) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20160.mp3 Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #159 Before oil sands can be processed into oil, lumps of ore have to be crushed on their way through the plant. Some of those lumps are as big as cars. And especially when they’re frozen, they can jam the crushers. Syncrude has developed a novel computerized sensing program that analyzes real time images of the moving ore, and forewarns the crusher operators of any huge lumps coming their way. It's called " Dirt TV". (Syncrude Canada Ltd.) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20159.mp3 Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 energy, engineering, technology Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #158 The continued loss of sea ice in the high Arctic due to global warming is dramatically changing the marine environment for organisms that live there. Dr. David Barber likens it to the mass removal of trees in the Amazon rainforest. A specialist in Arctic systems at the University of Manitoba, Dr. Barber is stationed on the icebreaker Amundsen to research the impact of this change. (Canada Foundation for Innovaton) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20158.mp3 Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 climate change, environment, marine, wildlife Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #157 Imagine the Arctic ocean without ice. For almost three decades, Dr. David Barber has studied sea ice in Canada’s high Arctic. He holds a Canada Research Chair in Arctic Systems at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Barber first noticed a decline in the amount of multi-year sea ice in the late 1980’s. Averaging a loss of 70,000 square kilometers a year, this increased to a stunning 1.4 million square kilometers in 2007. (Canada Foundation for Innovation) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20157.mp3 Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 climate change, environment, marine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #156 Climate change is occurring at a much faster rate than it ever did in the past. That’s the observation of climate change modeler Dr. Andrew Weaver at the University of Victoria. Dr. Weaver studies the role oceans play in climate. His new computer model predicts excess carbon dioxide holds a grim future for the marine environment. (Canada Foundation for Innovation) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20156.mp3 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 chemistry, climate change, environment, marine, water Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #155 The current process for separating oil from oil sands requires huge volumes of water. But that may change thanks to the research of Dr. Steve Kuznicki at COSI, the Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation. Dr. Kuznicki is a specialist in new molecular sieves. His new sieve is made from thin slices of volcanic rock that are heated in the presence of oil sand. (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20155.mp3 Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 chemistry, energy, nanotechnology, natural resources, technology Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #154 In 1929, scientist Karl Clark patented his hot water method for separating oil from the oil sands. His is the principle that underlies oil sands production in the 21st century. But the science is far from over. Brenda Crickmore has worked as a chemist at the Syncrude Oil Sands Research Centre in Edmonton for almost three decades. (Syncrude Canada) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20154.mp3 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 chemistry, energy, natural resources, science Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #153 Hydrogen is the fuel of the future. Using steam at temperatures over 1300 degrees Celsius, oil sands material can be converted into hydrogen. This process is called gasification. But current technology is energy intensive and has lots of problems. At COSI, the Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation, Dr. Murray Gray hopes his research will change that. (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20153.mp3 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 chemistry, energy, engineering, natural resources Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #152 The Alberta oil sands produce over a million barrels a day. But scientists still don’t have a complete understanding of the basic chemistry of bitumen. That’s why Dr. Murray Gray and his colleagues at the Imperial Oil-Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Oil Sands Innovation are developing synthetic bitumen molecules. They’re hoping comparative computer analysis will help them understand these complex oil sands molecules. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20152.mp3 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 chemistry, energy, engineering, natural resources Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #151 When oil sands are processed to make oil, two of the heavy metals that must be removed are nickel and vanadium. While valuable in their own right, they can lead to pollution and contamination problems further down the production line. But according to COSI director Dr. Murray Gray, the present technology for removing these heavy metals is wasteful. (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20151.mp3 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 chemistry, energy, engineering, natural resources Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #150 How fast the landscape changes due to climate warming is a major concern for ecologist Dr. Rick Schneider. He says climate induced change has already been documented in Alaska, where forests are moving up mountainsides and peatlands are drying out. In Alberta, we’re already seeing the grassland encroach north into the parkland. (NSERC/ACR Industrial Chair in Integrated Landscape Management) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20150.mp3 Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 climate change, environment, forests Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #149 Most climate change models consistently predict a three degree increase in Alberta’s temperature over the next half century. This means the hot dry weather of Medicine Hat will one day extend to Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray. The research of ecologist Dr. Rick Schneider’s indicates the grasslands will double, while the northern forests will shrink by 20 percent. Knowing this, he says, should help us plan now for future land use. (NSERC/ACR Research Chair in Integrated Landscape Management) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20149.mp3 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 agriculture, climate change, environment, forests Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #148 Over the last ten years, an invasion has quietly occurred in the forest of northeastern Alberta. The invaders are whitetail deer. Their arrival has had a devastating impact on woodland caribou. Why deer are spreading into the peatlands is a concern for Dr. Stan Boutin. He holds the Research Chair in Integrated Landscape Management at the University of Alberta. (NSERC/ACR Industrial Research Chair in Integrated Landscape Management) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20148.mp3 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 environment, forests, natural sciences, wildlife Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #147 The Integrated Landscape Management program led by Professor Stan Boutin at the University of Alberta has looked for many years at what industry could do to lessen its impact on boreal wildlife. New computer models can help predict future changes. But there are still many unknowns. So now Dr. Boutin is shifting his focus to solving what he calls “key uncertainties”. One is the introduction of exotic species into the boreal ecosystem.(NSERC/ACR Industrial Chair in Integrated Landscape Management) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20147.mp3 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 climate change, conservation, environment, forests, natural sciences, wildlife Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #146 When it comes to forest management, the voice of Dr. Daryll Hebert sounds loud and long. As a biologist and co-founder of the Sustainable Forest Management Network, Dr. Hebert’s career has focused on ensuring wildlife and their habitat are central to land use planning. For this, he is a recipient of the prestigious Dr. Ian Mctaggart-Cowan Award for Biology.(Sustainable Forest Management Network) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20146.mp3 Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 environment, forests, science, wildlife Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #145 As peak oil becomes a reality, the world’s attention is turning to Alberta’s vast oil sands deposits. Open pit mining digs out oil sands near the earth’s surface. Steam injection can access very deep deposits. But there’s still no way to recover the oil sands lying inbetween. That’s why mechanical engineer Dr. Mike Lipsett has turned his attention to middle earth. (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/1-Innovation%20Anthology%20145.mp3 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 energy, engineering, natural resources Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #144 Imagine floating down the river, your canoes strapped together to carry an outhouse into the wilderness. That’s school work for students at David Thompson High School in Condor, Alberta. Their river stewardship program won them a 2008 Emerald Award for Environmental Excellence. Teacher Mike Horembala tells the story. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20144.mp3 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 conservation, environment, science communication, water Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #143 On March 20th, 1992, oil scientist Peter Sherrington was out in the field when he looked up and caught sight of a golden eagle. Seventeen years later, Peter now spends over 200 days a year near Kananaskis observing thousands of golden eagles and other birds of prey. They are on migrations between the southern United States and Canada’s Arctic. Peter’s dedication was recently recognized by the Emerald Foundation for Environmental Excellence. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/1-Innovation%20Anthology%20143.mp3 Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 conservation, environment, natural sciences, wildlife Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #142 Tracing the source of pollution is sometimes a tricky business. But University of Calgary researcher Dr. Bernhard Mayer has developed a new technique that will make this search much easier. It’s called isotopic fingerprinting, and it helps distinguish between natural and manmade sources of chemicals. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20142.mp3 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 chemistry, conservation, environment, technology, water Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #141 The winner of this year’s Emerald Award for Environmental Excellence in the Research and Innovation category is Dr. Bill Gunter.   It's the latest in a string of awards recognizing his groundbreaking research. A distinguished scientist at the Alberta Research Council, Dr. Gunter pioneered the science for capturing carbon dioxide and storing it underground.  http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20141.mp3 Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 climate change, energy, environment Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #140 The North American forest products industry is facing the worst crisis of its history. This is a result of changes in Canadian currency, the American housing crisis, and competiton from countries where trees grow much faster than ours. So the key to survival lies in embracing a new cellulose-based economy, one utilizing nanotechnology platforms. That’s the message from Dr. Ian de la Roche, president and CEO of the new forest products institute called FP Innovations. (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20140.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 bioeconomy, forests, nanotechnology Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #139 The term nano is quickly moving into the consumer lexicon.  We already have nano attached to anti-wrinkle cremes and mp3 players.    And it won’t be long before the paper we write on or the houses we build are also nano-ized.  That’s the prediction of Dr. Ted Wegner of the Forest Products Laboratory with the USDA Forest Service in Madison, Wisconsin.  (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20139.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 forests, nanotechnology Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #138 The fight against the devastating impact of the mountain pine beetle continues with more funding from the federal government through Western Economic Diversification. The current outbreak in British Columbia is the largest ever seen in Canada. About half of BC’s mature pine is expected to be dead by 2008, with an increase to 80 percent by 2013. Among the latest round of federal funding is money to support research by the University of Northern BC in collaboration with the Wood Pellet Association of Canada. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/1-Innovation%20Anthology%20138.mp3 Thu, 29 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700 environment, forests Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #137 Most gardeners collect rainwater to water their flowers. But using grey water from the bath, laundry and washing dirty dishes is another story. That perception may soon change thanks to the research of Dr. Stephanie Young. She’s an associate professor in Environmental Systems Engineering at the University of Regina. Dr. Young has just received funding from Western Economic Diversification to design and test a self-contained, portable, grey water reclamation plant. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/2-Innovation%20Anthology%20137.mp3 Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700 engineering, environment, water Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #136 Arsenic is a poison and known carcinogen, but it may also prove beneficial in the treatment of disease. This novel idea has prompted the Canadian Cancer Society to fund the research of Dr. Chris Le, a professor in Public Health and Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at the University of Alberta. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20136.mp3 Thu, 22 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700 health, medicine, water Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #135 During its latest round of funding, the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research has awarded more than a million dollars to Dr. Gerlinde Metz. An Alberta Heritage Senior Scholar at the Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience in Lethbridge, Dr. Metz is interested in what happens when the brain is damaged by stroke, Parkinson’s disease and other insults. (Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/1-Innovation%20Anthology%20135.mp3 Tue, 20 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700 health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #134 When organs fail, the hope for a transplant depends on finding a matching donor to prevent rejection. But it’s a different story for infants. Dr. Lori West, a pediatric cardiologist at the University of Alberta and a senior scholar with the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, has discovered its possible to transplant infant hearts even when their blood types do not match. (Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20134.mp3 Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700 health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #133 Taking a new technology from the lab bench into the marketplace is a long journey with lots of bumps in the road. So it\'s welcome news that PRECARN Inc is opening an office in Edmonton to ease the commercialization process for Alberta based high tech companies. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20133.mp3 Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #132 Have you ever wondered what to do with your spare time to make money? That single thought gave birth to a new company called Idle Time, the brainchild of student entrepreneur James Matsuba. As a student at the University of Alberta's School of Business, James decided to enter his concept into the student category for the 2008 for the 2008 TEC VenturePrize Business Plan Competition. And he won! (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20132.MP3 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700 information technology Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #131 The winner of the 2008 TEC VenturePrize Business Plan Competition is a start-up company called Datagardens. Datagardens operates in the virtal world and eliminates the physical boundaries between computers. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20131.MP3 Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700 information technology Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #130 The solution to our energy and climate change crises could be as near as the local slough. That’s the hope of Innoventures Canada, a consortium of research councils across the country. Their scientists want to harness the photosynthesis activity of algae, the green scum that forms on prairie lakes and ponds during the summer. (Innoventures Canada) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20130.MP3 Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700 bioeconomy, climate change, energy, water Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #129 Although the number of confirmed cases are still relatively few, chronic wasting disease continues to spread from Saskatchewan into Alberta’s wild deer population. As a geneticist and investigator for the Alberta Prion Research Institute, Dr. David Coltman is looking for some way that scientists might predict the spread of the deadly disease. (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20129.MP3 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 genomics, health, medicine, wildlife Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #128 When NEPTUNE Canada comes on stream in 2009, the internet will sink from cyber-space into the depths of the deep blue sea. The project, a Canadian first, is a collaboration between the University of Victoria, the Canada Foundation for Innovation and other partners. The network consists of fibre optic cable laid in an 800 kilometer ring on the ocean floor off Canada’s west coast. (Canada Foundation for Innovation) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20127.MP3 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 information technology, marine Cheryl Croucher Innovaton Anthology #127 It’s halfway through International Polar Year, and Arctic scientists are already seeing results from their many research projects. Dr. David Hik is the Executive Director of the Canadian IPY Secretariat. And at an IPY workshop in Edmonton, he highlighted the excitement generated by the Circumpolar Flaw Lead System Study. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20128.MP3 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #126 International Polar Year is generating all kinds of scientific activity. But what will be the legacy of IPY? That’s a question scientists and public officials from many polar nations are trying to answer. And they’ve established a group called SAON to do just that. SAON stands for Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks. Over 200 participants from SAON met in Edmonton in mid-April for the second of three workshops. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20126.mp3 Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #125 Those chatty little Kluane red squirrels have hit the news again. And this time, it’s about the newly discovered “silver spoon” effect. That’s the latest finding of University of Alberta ecologist Dr. Stan Boutin and his international team of squirrel researchers from Michigan and France. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20125.mp3 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 wildlife Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology 124 A whiff of salty sea air might sooth the soul, but it’s not so great for air quality. Turns out sunshine and sea salt make air pollution worse around coastal shipping centres. And emissions from marine vessels may be polluting the earth’s atmosphere to a greater extent than previously thought. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20124.mp3 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #123 You may have strung LED lights on your Christmas tree to save energy. A new Edmonton company has its sights set on an even bigger market for LED’s or Light Emitting Diodes And that’s street lights, parking lots and buildings. Optilume Engineered Light is western Canada’s first LED manufacturer that caters specifically to outdoor lighting applications. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20123.mp3 Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 energy, engineering Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #122 It’s been many years since any new nuclear power plants have been built in North America. But proponents of using nuclear energy to provide power for oil sands production are pinning their hopes on a new generation of nuclear technology - Generation 4. Dr. Bill Rogers of the Idaho National Laboratory describes Generation 4. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20122.mp3 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 energy Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #121 The Alberta Research Council has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Idaho National Laboratory to investigate energy resources and technologies on both sides of the border. According to ARC’s Dr. Ian Potter, the research agencies will benefit from each other’s expertise. Alberta is strong in coal, oil and oil sands technology. Idaho is a leader in nuclear energy and waste management. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20121.mp3 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 energy Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #120 You may know boron as borax, an environment friendly laundry additive. Borax is the way the element boron is found in nature. But Dr. Dennis Hall, an organic chemist at the University of Alberta, prefers his boron in a synthetic form – as boronic acid. (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/1-Innovation%20Anthology%20120.mp3 Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #119 Top honours for a star athlete means winning a gold medal at the Olympics. For Canadian scientists, that stellar mark of excellence comes from winning the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering. And this year’s Herzberg Gold Medal goes to another Nobel Laureate, Dr. John Polanyi. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20119.mp3 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #118 Outbreaks of Norwalk virus or severe vomiting spread quickly among people living in close quarters like cruise ships, college residences and nursing homes. Now, an international team of researchers led by Dr. Ken Ng at the University of Calgary has discovered how the Norwalk virus multiplies. It does this using an enzyme called RNA polymerase.(Alberta Ingenuity and Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20118.mp3 Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #117 While malaria is no longer endemic in Canada, there are still about 400 cases diagnosed each year. Malaria is usually detected by analyzing blood samples under the microscope. But now the Alberta Provincial Lab for Public Health has developed a new test. This works on a molecular level, targeting the parasite’s DNA . http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20117.mp3 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700 health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #116 The omega-3 fatty acids you get from fish help maintain your eyesight, particularly one called DHA. University of Alberta researcher Dr. Yves Sauve explains. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/innovation%20anthology%20116.mp3 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700 health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #115 Age-related macular degeneration is one of the major causes of blindness in seniors. About one quarter of all people over 75 will develop this vision problem. That’s why prevention is the key for Dr. Yves Sauve, an electro-physiologist at the University of Alberta. He’s researching a link between a decline in omega 3 fatty acids, in particular DHA, and the onset of macular degeneration. (Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/innovation%20anthology%20115.mp3 Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700 health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #114 You or your kids may have watched The Nature Nut on TV. Now the man who starred in that production has been honoured by NSERC, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. John Acorn has been named the recipient of this year’s Michael Smith Award for Science Promotion. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/1-innovation%20anthology%20114.mp3 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0800 conservation, environment, science communication Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #113 What impact nutrition has on the mental health of pregnant women and their newborn babies is the focus of a new study called APRON - Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition. According to principle investigator Dr. Catherine Field, the nutrition aspect of the study will focus on three micro-nutrients that are often deficient in western diets – Omega-3 fatty acids, iron, and folic acid. (Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/innovation%20anthology%20113.mp3 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0800 health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #112 Depression during pregnancy is on the rise. Recent statistics indicate about 12 percent of pregnant women will either be diagnosed with or seek medical help for depression. That’s where APRON or Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition, comes in. (Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/innovation%20anthology%20112.mp3 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #111 Huntington’s disease is an inherited, neuro-generative disorder that usually manifests in a patient’s 30’s or 40’s. The mutant gene that causes Huntington’s was identified several years ago. And pharmocologist Dr. Simonetta Sipione was part of a group in Milan, Italy that recently discovered a link between Huntington’s and cholesterol. (Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/innovation%20anthology%20111.mp3 Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #110 Twenty years ago, one out of 10 children was considered overweight. Today it’s one in three kids. And for adults, more than half are weighing in on the chubby side of the scale. Social nutritionist Dr. Kim Raine of the Centre for Health Promotion at the University of Alberta is just one of several researchers who are studying the cultural changes that underlie this alarming increase in obesity. (Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/1-Innovation%20Anthology%20110.mp3 Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 environment, health, medicine, social sciences Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #109 If you keep losing the battle of the bulge, don’t blame yourself. The real problem could be the world around you. Society has changed. And in the words of Dr. Kim Raine, today’s social and physical environment is “obesogenic”. It promotes overeating and a sedentary lifestyle. (Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20109.mp3 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 environment, health, medicine, social sciences Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #108 Beyond our concern over diet and nutrition, carbohydrates play an important role in the human immune system. Bacteria bind to carbohydrates on our cells, causing infection. But at the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Carbohydrate Science, Dr. David Bundle’s team is synthesizing molecules that disrupt this process. (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20108.mp3 Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 chemistry, health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #107 When e.coli 0157 contaminated the water supply at Walkerton, Ontario, several people died. But tragedies like that may soon be a thing of the past thanks to an exciting development from the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Carbohydrate Science. Scientists there have developed a molecule that acts as an antidote which neutralizes toxins produced by the bacteria. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20107.mp3 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 chemistry, health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Program #106 Who needs a hefty gas tank when you can go nano? Scientists from the University of Calgary have developed a new process for capturing and storing gas. And they call their invention nano valves. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20106.mp3 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 chemistry, energy, nanotechnology Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #105 Now that most of the easy to reach natural gas in Alberta has been tapped, industry is turning its attention to more challenging reservoirs. One of these unconventional sources is called"shale gas." Current technology can only recover about five percent of that gas because the gas molecules attach themselves to the shale. So the Alberta Research Council has teamed up with oilfield service giant Schlumberger to develop better and more cost effective technology. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20105.mp3 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 energy Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #104 When it comes to polar bears, loss of habitat means the loss of sea ice. And in 2007, sea ice melted at an unprecedented rate - a good indication of the impact of global warming. Polar bear expert Dr. Andrew Derocher says the sea ice conditions of 2007 are something scientists didn’t expect to see until around 2050. And this advancement of habitat degradation due to climate change has serious consequences for polar bears. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20104.mp3 Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 climate change, environment, wildlife Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #103 Imagine a North Pole without ice and without polar bears. That’s a scenario that could very well become a reality and much sooner than you might think. University of Alberta biologist Dr. Andrew Derocher is a world renowned expert on polar bears. His observations in both the Norwegian and the Canadian Arctic over the last 20 years indicate global warming is already putting polar bears at risk. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20103.mp3 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 climate change, environment, wildlife Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #102 In her eight year study of black bears in northeastern Alberta, biologist Dr. Sophie Czetwertynski found several differences in the way female black bears behave, and this depends on whether hunting is allowed where they live. By tracking their movements with GPS collars, Dr. Czetwetynski learned that females living on the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range - where hunting is not allowed - had smaller home ranges than females in the adjacent hunted areas. (Alberta Conservation Association) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20102.mp3 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 conservation, environment, wildlife Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #101 For the last eight years, biologist Dr. Sophie Czetwertynski has studied the movements of black bears in northeastern Alberta. Using GPS collars, she followed bears on the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range where there is no hunting and compared them to bears where there is hunting. Her concern was whether hunting disrupts the social system of bears, leading to greater cub mortality. (Alberta Conservation Association) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20101.mp3 Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 conservation, environment, wildlife Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #100 The rate of obesity in Canada has more than doubled over the last two decades. Obesity is an underlying cause of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Dr. Richard Lehner is a lipid researcher at the University of Alberta. He and his colleagues are studying how the body transports fat, stores it, and then releases it for energy. (Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20100.mp3 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #99 Forest managers are desperately searching for ways to stop the advance of mountain pine beetles from British Columbia into Alberta and Saskatchewan. A new study into the genetic relationship between the beetles, the fungi they carry and the trees they attack could help predict areas at risk. (Genome Alberta) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20099.mp3 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 climate change, forests, genomics, natural sciences Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #98 It’s taken millions of years for micro organisms to turn perfectly good oil into the sticky goo we call oil sands. Now researchers are turning their attention to the new science of metagenomics to identify how these microbes work, and how they might be genetically harnessed to improve oil sands production. (Genome Alberta) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20098.mp3 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 energy, genomics, natural resources Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #97 In the battle to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we look to our northern forest as a carbon sink – a place where carbon dioxide is absorbed and stored. But new research published in the journal Nature suggests that situation is changing. Northern forests could become net carbon emitters due to warmer autumns. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20097.mp3 Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 climate change, environment, forests Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #96 An Edmonton company which has developed a new treatment for multiple sclerosis has closed one of the biggest deals in Canadian pharmaceutical history. BioMS Medical Corporation has entered into a global licensing and development agreement with Ely Lilly . The drug is called MBP8398. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20096.mp3 Thu, 03 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #95 Wild salmon, with its high concentration of omega three fatty acids, is riding high in consumer popularity. But a recent study by University of Alberta ecologists shows wild Pacific salmon are on the fast track to extinction. The cause is an infestation of sea lice from fish farms. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20095.mp3 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800 conservation, environment, wildlife Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #94 As reported in the journal Nature, giant earth movers may soon give way to tiny microbes as the oil sands processors of the future. Dr. Steven Larter is an geology professor and Alberta Ingenuity Scholar at the University of Calgary. He and a team of international researchers have discovered that through a process of fermentation, anaerobic bacteria turn crude oil into the heavy oil found in oil sands deposits. (Alberta Ingenuity ) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20094.mp3 Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #93 Type A and Type B personalities are not confined to humans. Red squirrels exhibit those personality traits too. That’s the discovery of University of Alberta ecologist Dr. Stan Boutin and his colleagues. For the last two decades Dr. Boutin’s group has been studying generations of red squirrels in the southern Yukon. (NSERC Industrial Chair in Integrated Landscape Management) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20093.mp3 Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #92 The ring necked pheasant is a popular game bird introduced to North America in the lates 1800’s. Since the 1970’s the wild population of these pheasants has been in decline. So, each fall, thousands of farm-raised birds are released to satisfy the hunting demand. But this may actually make things worse for wild pheasants. University of Alberta masters student Tammy McLash looked at the distribution of pheasants and their habitat. (Alberta Conservation Association) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20092.mp3 Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800 environment, wildlife Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #91 While stopping deforestation in the tropics is key to mitigating climate change, protecting the boreal forest is even more important. Maps illustrating this perspective were released at the United Nations conference on climate change in Bali over the weekend. The three maps show that Canada's boreal forest stores 27 years worth of global carbon emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20091.mp3 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800 climate change, conservation, environment, forests Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #90 Canada is famous for its wheat, barley and even canola. But who would ever think of Canada as a great producer of flax. According to Adrien Pilon of the National Research Council’s Biotechnology Research Institute, there are 22,000 flax producers across the country. Canada supplies 25 percent of the world’s linseed oil which comes from flax. But the real future lies in using fibre from flax to make a whole host of products. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20090.mp3 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800 agriculture, bioeconomy, chemistry, energy, engineering, natural resources Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #89 One day soon, the golden wheat fields of the prairies may be replaced by the heavenly blue of flax. Flax is the bioeconomy crop of the 21st century according to Linda Braun, executive director of the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission. She was among the many scientists, farmers and manufacturers who came from across Canada to discuss biofibres at a symposium sponsored by the Alberta Research Council. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20089.mp3 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800 agriculture, bioeconomy, energy Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #88 For over three decades, world famous sociologist Dr. Reginald Bibby has been following the lifelong trends in the social values of Canadian. The result is several books authored by this University of Lethbridge sociology professor, many dealing with our on again-off again relationship with organized religion. (The University of Lethbridge) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20088.mp3 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800 social sciences Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #87 Methane is a safety hazard in coal mines. In the 1980’s, new technology to de-gas the mines led to the realization that coal bed methane could also be used to produce energy. And that’s where the research of Dr. Bill Gunter at the Alberta Research Council came into play. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20087.mp3 Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800 climate change, energy, natural resources Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #86 The boreal forest is teeming with hundreds of different species of spiders, all playing an important role in the forest food web. What impact logging has on spiders is a question Jaime Pinzon is investigating. Pinzon collects his specimens by setting pitfall traps in the ground or beating trees to shake spiders out of the spruce and aspen canopy. (Alberta Conservation Association) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20086.mp3 Thu, 22 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #85 For thousands of years, farmers the world over have grown hemp to make cloth and rope. In the 21st century, scientists at the Alberta Research Council are re- engineering hemp for a new purpose - to make plastics. With the rising price of oil, and dwindling supplies of natural gas, plants like hemp provide an attractive alternative to synthetic petrochemicals. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20085.mp3 Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800 agriculture, chemistry, technology Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #84 There is still no known cure for mad cow disease. But some very promising work to develop a vaccine is underway at the University of Alberta. Biochemist Dr. Nat Kav will working with genes of antibodies developed in knockout mice with an eye to developing an edible vaccine for livestock. (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20084.mp3 Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800 agriculture, chemistry, health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #83 Injecting carbon dioxide underground is a technology pioneered by scientists at the Alberta Research Council. This month, world experts like Nobel Laureate Dr. Stefan Bachu will meet in Calgary to talk about the social framework required to employ this technology on a global scale. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20083.mp3 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800 climate change, energy, environment, social sciences Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #82 This year’s Nobel Peace Prize recognizes the work done internationally to promote awareness of global warming and what action must take place. Among the many scientists who contributed to the IPCC report are three Albertans who are now being recognized as Nobel Laureates. They are Dr. David Keith, Dr. Stefan Bachu and Dr. Bill Gunter. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/1-Innovation%20Anthology%20082.mp3 Thu, 08 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800 climate change, energy, environment Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #81 Grizzly bears are attracted to roads, making them easy targets for hunters and poachers. For her Masters thecis at the University of Alberta. biologist Carrie Roever looked at what might attract grizzlies to roads in the first place. (Alberta Conservation Association) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20081.mp3 Tue, 06 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800 environment, forests, natural sciences, wildlife Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #80 In her famous song, Joni Mitchell said "you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone." Scientists involved with the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute hope we never get to that point. So they’ve set out to catalogue and track all the flora and fauna across the province. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20080.mp3 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0700 environment, forests, natural sciences, wildlife Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #79 As industrial development pushes further into the Canadian hinterland, the impact on wildlife habitat, animals and plants becomes more apparent. But as Environment Canada biologist Mike Norton explains, maintaining biological diversity is a key underpinning of economic strength. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/1-Innovation%20Anthology%20079.mp3 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 environment, forests, natural sciences, wildlife Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #78 The search is on to find environment friendly ways to control outbreaks of grasshoppers. One biological treatment which has been used successfully in other countries but not Canada is a fungus in the genus Metarhizium. For her Master’s research at the University of Lethbridge, Susan Entz developed a molecular assay to detect the fungus and trace it through the environment. And she discovered Canada has its own version of the fungus. (University of Lethbridge) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20078.mp3 Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 agriculture, chemistry, environment Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #77 Parkinson’s is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system. Among the many symptoms are hand tremors and muscle rigidity that make physical movement difficult. One scientist studying this movement impairment is Dr. Ian Whishaw of the Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge. (University of Lethbridge) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/1-Innovation%20Anthology%20077.mp3 Tue, 23 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Alberta #75 It’s two decades since scientists first made predictions about global climate change. And with forecasts of warmer temperatures and drier conditions, it seemed obvious there would be more forest fires. What scientists didn’t predict at the time was an increase in forest pests like mountain pine beetle. But according to world renowned ecologist Dr. David Schindler, this is one of the inevitable outcomes of climate warming. And it’s a result of what he calls, a “positive feedback” on greenhouse gas emissions. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20075.mp3 Tue, 16 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 climate change, environment, forests, water Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #74 For almost ten years, Dr. Kevin Devito has been researching the hydrology of northeastern Alberta through what is called HEAD – The Hydrology, Ecology and Disturbance Project. In the boreal ecosystem, wetlands dominate. And what Dr. Devito has discovered runs counter to the standard notions of how water moves through the landscape. In fact, it appears in the boreal, water can run uphill. (Sustainable Forest Management Network) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20074.mp3 Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 environment, forests, water Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #73 With $30 million from the provincial government, Alberta Ingenuity has launched the Alberta Water Research Institute. Heading up the International Research Advisory Committee for the Institute is one of the most respected water scientists in the world, Dr. David Schindler. While scientists and politicians have often been at odds over water issues, the reality of shrinking glaciers, increased drought and climate change have sobered the arguments from policy makers. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20073.mp3 Tue, 09 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 climate change, water Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #72 Once again, Dr. Craig Coburn has reached for his roll of duct tape and crafted some fancy equipment to carry out his research at the University of Lethbrdge. What he needed was an infrared remote sensing system to do aerial surveys of cottonwoods along the Oldman and St. Mary rivers. But instead of the $50,000 price tag, Dr. Coburn's creation ony cost $500. (University of Lethbridge) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20072.mp3 Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 engineering, environment, forests, technology Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #71 The big winners in the 2007 Manning Innovation Awards are two researchers who discovered a way to use light to treat skin cancer. Back in the late 1970’s, Drs. James Kennedy and Roy Pottier pioneered a new field called photodynamic therapy. Their work with amino-levulinic acid or ALA led to the development of Levulan® Photodynamic Therapy. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20071.mp3 Tue, 02 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #70 Governments across Canada and around the world have become increasingly dependent on revenues generated by casinos and other gambling venues. But there is a growing public backlash and Ontario, for example, has instituted a moratorium on the building of new casinos. That’s due in part to the research of Dr. Robert Williams, a professor and gaming researcher at the University of Lethbridge. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20070.mp3 Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 social sciences Cheryl Croucher Program #69 When pollutants such as metals and agricultural chemicals leach into waterways, they can have a major impact on the health of fish. They do this by changing the levels of hormones secreted by the fish’s endocrine system. EcotoxicologistDr. Alice Hontela is particularly interested in cortical steroid hormones. (University of Lethbridge) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20069.mp3 Tue, 25 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 environment, health, medicine, wildlife Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #68 Forest fires are a natural part of forest regeneration, yet not all trees die in a fire. One scientist who has looked at why some trees survive fires while others don’t is Dr. Ed Johnson. Dr. Johnson says when it comes to surface fires, the first important factor is how thick the bark is at the base of a tree. (Sustainable Forest Management Network) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20068.mp3 Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 forests Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #67 2007 marks the tenth anniversary of the Canada Foundation for Innovation. CFI is a granting agency that helps universities buy equipment that’s critical for conducting research. To date, the Canada Foundation for Innovation has supported 5300 projects at 64 universities, leveraging over 11 billion dollars in funding. But as CFI Vice President Suzanne Corbeil explains, this is an amazing turnaround from ten years ago. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20067.mp3 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 science Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #66 While alarming when they happen, reports of mad cow disease are actually few and far between. One scientist looking at what makes some cows more susceptible to mad cow disease than others is Dr. Stephen Moore, Scientific Director for the Alberta Prion Research Institute. And the answer may lie in the cow’s genetic makeup.(Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/1-Innovation%20Anthology%20066.mp3 Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 agriculture, health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #65 Forest covers almost half of Canada today, but how much will be left on the landscape in the year 2050? That’s a question researchers with the Sustainable Forest Management Network are striving to answer with a unique approach to predicting the future. Dr. Peter Duinker of Dalhousie University is leading the Forest Futures Project. And he calls it a scenario based approach to understanding the future. (Sustainable Forest Management Network) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/1-Innovation%20Anthology%20065.mp3 Tue, 11 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 climate change, environment, forests, social sciences Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #64 Schizophrenia is a mental illness that usually manifests in early adulthood. Common symptoms include paranoid delusions and hearing voices. Very little is known about what might cause schizophrenia, but David McAllindon expects his research using functional magnetic resonance imaging will change that. (Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20064.mp3 Thu, 06 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #63 Communities of fish are linked together by complex food webs, meaning \"who eats who\" as they go up the food chain. But human use of rivers and lakes can dramatically alter these delicate predator-prey relationships. For aquatic scientist Dr. Joe Rasmussen at The University of Lethbridge, a good illustration is the effect of a weir built on the Oldman River in southern Alberta. (The University of Lethbridge) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20063.mp3 Tue, 04 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 environment, natural sciences Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #62 One of the major concerns with landfill sites is the toxic brew of chemicals which can leak into the groundwater and poison the environment. To prevent that, landfills are constructed with liners. But sometimes holes or punctures occur and they cannot be fixed. One solution is a leakproof liner developed at the Alberta Research Council. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/1-Innovation%20Anthology%20062.mp3 Thu, 30 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 chemistry, engineering, environment Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #61 Type 2 diabetes is on the rise in Canada and fat may play a bigger role than previously thought. Your body's adipose tissue or fat not only provides a storage site for excess calories, its also an active endocrine organ that secretes biochemical substances that influence the way insulin behaves in the body. (Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20061.mp3 Tue, 28 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #60 Conserving biodiversity is a critical issue facing Canadians. The big question for forest companies deals with monitoring. How do you measure your performance to ensure you are maintaining biological systems? (Sustainable Forest Management Network) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20060.mp3 Thu, 23 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 environment, forests, social sciences, technology Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #59 When it comes to biofuels and the new bio-economy, what can Canadians learn from the German experience? Quite a lot according to the Alberta Research Council, which recently invited Dr. Peter Heck to confer with its researchers here. At the Institute for Applied Materials Flow Management in Birkenfield, Germany, Dr. Heck’s colleagues focus on better utilizing waste as a source of fuel and other materials. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20059.mp3 Tue, 21 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 agriculture, climate change, environment Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #58 When it comes to living sustainably, or within the means of our planet, what does the world of science and technology have to offer? Dean Richardson is the New Ventures Manager for Engineered Products and Services at the Alberta Research Council. His scientists are investigating new technologies that process waste and biomass for the goods and services of the future. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20058.mp3 Thu, 16 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 agriculture, environment, technology Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #57 Industrial development is already threatening boreal habitat for species like woodland caribou. With a predicted three degree rise in average temperature, climate change could sign their death warrant. That’s why Dr. Rick Schneider is researching ways to incorporate climate change models into land use planning for the boreal. (NSERC Industrial Chair in Integrated Landscape Management) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20057.mp3 Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 climate change, environment, forests, wildlife Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #56 One idea for reducing our human footprint on the environment is the green roof. This is a sophisticated version of the pioneer’s sod hut. And creating rooftop gardens on city buildings can go a long ways towards conserving water and energy. Kerry Ross is an architectural consultant who is monitoring a green roof on top of the Alastair Ross Technology Centre in Calgary. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20056.mp3 Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #55 If you hate losing a game of checkers, then you won’t want to take on an opponent called Chinook. That’s the name of a computer program created by Dr. Jonathan Schaeffer at the University of Alberta. The best any human can ever do now when playing checkers against Chinook is call it a draw. (iCORE) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20055.mp3 Tue, 07 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #54 To understand the bigger picture on water, scientists like Dr. Derek Peddle are turning to GIS, or Geographical Information Science. Dr. Peddle is the science director for WISE, the Water Institute for Semi-Arid Ecosystems at the University of Lethbridge. Using GIS, he can integrate data from satellite imagery, aerial photographs, and geographical maps, with samples taken in the field. (The University of Lethbridge) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20054.mp3 Thu, 02 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #53 Triticale is a cereal crop developed in the 19th century, the result of crossing wheat with rye. And with a few more tweaks to its genome, triticale may find new life in the 21st century fueling Canada’s new bio-economy. That’s the hope of Dr. Andre Laroche, a molecular biologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lethbridge. (Genome Alberta) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20053.mp3 Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 agriculture, chemistry, energy, nanotechnology Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #52 Wellsites for energy production take a big chunk out of the boreal forest. Each wellsite can be half a hectare or more in size. And even after several decades, you’re more likely to find grass than trees on reclaimed wellsites. (NSERC Industrial Chair in Integrated Landscape Management) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20052.mp3 Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 energy, environment, forests Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #50 Implementing environmental sustainability involves more than planting trees or conserving water. Dr. Peter Boxall from the Sustainable Forest Management Network is investigating new economic models that will measure and support environmental integrity. (Sustainable Forest Management Network) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20050.mp3 Thu, 19 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 environment, forests, social sciences Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #49 The search for renewable energy has focused the spotlight on biofuels to drive our cars. Ethanol can be produced from crops like grain or corn and blended with conventional gasoline at a concentration of 5 to 10 percent. Countries in Europe and South America have been doing this for some time, but Canada is lagging behind. (The University of Lethbridge) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/1-Innovation%20Anthology%20049.mp3 Tue, 17 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 agriculture, environment, social sciences, technology Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #48 As we know from the recent trans-fat scare, not all fats are equal. And some fats we shouldn’t eat at all. On the other hand, omega-three fatty acids like those found in fish are essential to good human health. But there may not be enough fish to supply the North American market. That’s where the new field of genomics comes in. (Genome Alberta) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20048.mp3 Thu, 12 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #47 One of the major causes of blindness in humans is age-related macular degeneration. Dr. Glen Prusky at the Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience in Lethbridge is researching new techniques to treat this disease. And he\'s using rats that swim. (The University of Lethbridge) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20047.mp3 Tue, 10 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #46 What’s old is new again, and that’s certainly the case with biofibres. Long before people used trees to make paper, they depended on the fibres from cotton, flax and papyrus. Once again, though, we’re turning to plants in the search for more environment friendly feedstocks for the products essential to our modern economies. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20046.mp3 Thu, 05 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 agriculture, environment, technology Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #45 In school we're taught you can tell the age of a tree by counting its rings. But that's not always the case. Under stressful conditions, some trees like balsam fir don't bother making any rings at all. So what looks like a small fifteen year old tree may actually be one that's a hundred years old. (Sustainable Forest Management Network) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20045.mp3 Tue, 03 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 forests, natural sciences Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #44 When fires burn through the boreal forest, they always leave behind patches of live, green trees. These patches may only amount to a handful of trees, but they are important to forest regeneration, providing sources of seed and a haven for birds and insects. (Sustainable Forest Management Network) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20044.mp3 Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 forests, technology Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #43 If there's gold in them thar hills, what then can you find in the rumen of a cow? Quite a lot according to Dr. Brent Selinger from the University of Lethbridge. As a microbiologist, he refers to himself as a bio-prospector. (University of Lethbridge) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20043.mp3 Tue, 26 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 agriculture, chemistry, environment Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #42 If you need a cancer test, it won't be long before the doctor may offer you FISH on a chip. FISH is short for fluorescent in situ hybridization. This is a complex test for cancer that detects mutations in chromosomes. It's also very expensive , so it's seldom used in the clinic. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20042.mp3 Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 engineering, health, medicine, nanotechnology Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #41 Much like cholesterol that clogs human arteries, one of the problems that plagues oil companies is the deposition of wax or paraffin inside pipelines. The deposit is removed by a process called pigging, where the paraffin is either mechanically pushed through the pipe or is dissolved by chemical additives. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20041.mp3 Tue, 19 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #40 The University of Lethbridge is home to a machine called a high temperature-pressure densimeter. It’s one of only a handful in the world. And it was built by Dr. Andrew Hakin, a world renowned researcher who studies the thermo-dynamics of aqueous systems. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20040.mp3 Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 chemistry Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #39 One of the world’s foremost researchers on memory and the hippocampus is Dr. Robert Sutherland, Director of the Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge. (The University of Lethbridge) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20039.mp3 Tue, 12 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #38 Rats seem to recover better from brain injury that occurs during infancy than if it occurs later in life. But there are still problems with the healing. For example, as part of her postdoctoral research at the Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neurosciences in Lethbridge, Dr. Nicole Sherrin has looked at what happens when only one side of the frontal cortex is removed. (The University of Lethbridge) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20038.mp3 Thu, 07 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #37 Wonderful as wood is, it decays over time with water, mold and insects all taking their toll. Now Genics, a company from Spruce Grove, Alberta, has invented an environment friendly wood preservative that could change all that. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20037.mp3 Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 engineering, technology Cheryl Croucher Innovation Alberta #36 A burned forest can still be smoldering when woodpeckers fly in to forage amongst the charred trees. Fire specialists like black-backed and three toed woodpeckers come to eat beetles that migrate from long distances to colonize these newly burned areas. (Sustainable Forest Management Network) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20036.mp3 Thu, 31 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700 environment, forests, wildlife Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #35 Beetles chewing on old wood might seem like a bad thing. But in the forest, this is one of the first steps in forest renewal. Known as saproxylic or wood living beetles, these insects are attracted to dead and dying trees, particularly those killed by fire. (Sustainable Forest Management Network) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20035.mp3 Tue, 29 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700 environment, forests, natural sciences, wildlife Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #33 When you’re traveling around Lethbridge, don’t be surprised if you see a rattlesnake crossing the road. This city on the southern plains of Alberta has a resident population of rattlesnakes. Their hibernucula are dotted throughout the city and its surrounding grasslands. (The University of Lethbridge) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20033.mp3 Tue, 22 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700 environment, natural sciences, wildlife Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #32 As the age of petroleum peaks and heads into decline, waiting in the wings to takeover is the new field of bio-refining. Residues from traditional farming or pulping processes will soon transform the chemical and energy industries. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20032.mp3 Thu, 17 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700 agriculture, chemistry, energy, forests, technology Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #30 As a gardener, you rejoice at the sight of earthworms in the soil. But if you’re a forest ecologist, you’ll scream in horror. That’s because earthworms are such good composters, they destroy the forest floor. Erin Cameron is a master’s student in the Integrated Landscape Management Program at the University of Alberta. And she’s researching the impact of earthworms invading the boreal forest. (NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Integrated Landscape Management) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20030.mp3 Thu, 10 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700 environment, forests, wildlife Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #29 The winner of the 2007 Alberta Venture Prize Business Plan Competition is a startup company called Picomole Instruments Inc. Picomole Instruments is developing a new medical tool which could greatly reduce the cost, time and pain associated with diagnosing disease. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20029.mp3 Tue, 08 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700 health, medicine, technology Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #28 One of Canada's pioneers in the use of nuclear magnetic resonance technology is Dr. Brian Sykes. This biochemist at the University of Alberta uses the imaging device to study proteins - both their structure and how they function. (Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20028a.mp3 Thu, 19 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700 health, medicine Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #27 In modern times, fluorine is used in many compounds, from teflon to pharmaceuticals to refrigerants like fluorohydrocarbons. But fluorine is actually the most reactive of all the elements. It does not occur freely in nature. And those early chemists who died trying to isolate fluorine are remembered as the “fluorine martyrs”. (University of Lethbridge) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20027.mp3 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700 chemistry Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #26 When asked how fast a glacier moves, you’d probably say at a speed slower than a snail’s pace. And generally speaking, that’s true. Normally a glacier only moves up to a hundred meters a year. But there are some glaciers that suddenly pick up and run. (University of Lethbridge) http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20026.mp3 Thu, 12 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #25 Call it the “Pinocchio” syndrome, - although there’s no fibbing involved here, only cold weather. In winter, mountain whitefish grow longer noses. That’s so they can root for food such as caddis flies that hide under rocks. http://www.innovationanthology.com/uploads/Innovation%20Anthology%20025.mp3 Tue, 10 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #24 With all the development in the boreal forest, one of the major concerns for ecologists is the conversion or permanent loss of forest to grasses and agricult