http://www.innovationanthology.com/ en-us © 2013 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 #559 More than half of Canada’s aboriginal population lives in urban centres. University of Lethbridge health researcher Dr. Cheryl Currie's recent study of urban aboriginal health indicates those who participate in traditional activities despite living in the city are less likely to have trouble with drug abuse. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 559.mp3 Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #558 Lethbridge, Alberta is hosting the 52nd annual Canada Wide Science Fair. 500 young scientists in grades 7 through 12 are competing in this national event and will demonstrate their inventions, experiments and innovations to a panel of 350 judges. Mark Bellamy is one of those judges. (University of Lethbridge) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 558.mp3 Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #553 Alberta Innovate Health Solutions hopes that through the appointment of health researcher Dr. Lee Green, some of the problems around primary health care can be eliminated. Dr. Green comes from Michigan to take up the first Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Chair in Translational Health at the University of Alberta. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 553.mp3 Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #551 Physician turned entrepreneur Dr. Breanne Everett has made history at the 2013 TEC VenturePrize Business Plan Competition. She's the first woman to win the TEC VenturePrize and her company Orpyx Inc is the first to move up from the Student VenturePrize, which it won last year, to win the Grand Prize this year. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 551.mp3 Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #550 Young women who suffer with inflammatory bowel disease are often afraid to get pregnant. Thanks to funding from Alberta Innovates Health Solutions, University of Calgary gastroenterologist Dr. Cynthia Seow is running a clinic to counsel women with the disease. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 550.mp3 Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #549 Imagine health care as an economic asset rather than a drain on government coffers. That’s the new paradigm that AIHS President and CEO Dr. Cy Frank wants to instill in the Alberta mindset. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 549.mp3 Tue, 09 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #548 The new President and CEO at Alberta Innovates Health Solutions is Dr. Cy Frank, a highly respected orthopaedic surgeon, research and medical professor from the University of Calgary. His mandate includes a bigger emphasis on applied research. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 548.mp3 Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #547 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 547.mp3 Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #546 When it comes to forest reclamation after oil sands mining, tree seedlings need a lot of help to grow. That’s where forest reclamation specialist Dr Joshua Sloan comes in. From Purdue University, he's researching the use of fertilizers to help spruce and aspen seedlings establish on oil sands reclamation sites. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 546.mp3 Thu, 28 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #545 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 545.mp3 Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #544 The WHEC study on Wildlife Habitat Effectiveness and Connectivity is collecting information on wolves in the Fort McMurray oil sands region. University of Alberta ecologist Holger Bohm says his group was surprised to find that wolves eat so much beaver. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 544.mp3 Thu, 21 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #543 As ecologist Holger Bohm reported to the recent CONRAD Symposium on oil sands reclamation, the WHEC study on Wildlife Habitat Effectiveness and Connectivity has identified ten wolf packs in the study area. While wolves generally keep to defined ranges, Holger has uncovered an apparent conflict between two packs in the south. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 543.mp3 Tue, 19 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #542 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 542.mp3 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #541 Forest ecologist Dr. Justine Karst studies the linkages between trees, soil and ectomycorrhizal fungi. In the Aurora Capping Study on Syncrude’s oil sands lease, Dr. Karst will look at how well the fungi do in two different types of reclamation soils - a peat mineral mix and another salvaged from the forest floor. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 541.mp3 Tue, 12 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #540 For her part in the Aurora Capping Study, U of A ecologist Dr. Justine Karst is researching the role of fungi in the successful reclamation of boreal forests. As she explained at the recent CONRAD Symposium on oil sands reclamation, ectomycorrhizal fungi colonize tree roots, forming a symbiotic relationship to draw nutrients from the soil. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 540.mp3 Thu, 07 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #539 How do you restore a forest ecosystem in sandy conditions? That’s the question researchers like Dr. Bing Si want to answer as they begin the Aurora Capping Study at Syncrude's northern oil sands mine. As University of Saskatchewan soil scientist discussed at the recent CONRAD conference, scientists will track hydrological conditions throughout what they call “an instrumented watershed”. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 539.mp3 Tue, 05 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #538 At the recent CONRAD Symposium on oil sands reclamation, Syncrude soil scientist Marty Yarmuch presented the concept of an integrated watershed approach to soil reclamation. As Marty explains, oil sands companies are working in collaboration with scientists from various disciplines to understand how an entire watershed works. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 538.mp3 Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #537 The Oil Sands Vegetation Cooperative expects the seeds it is banking for future reclamation to be viable for anywhere from six to 30 years. But how can you know for sure that this seed banking work? Plant Ecologist Ann Smreciu of Wildrose Consulting addressed that question at the recent CONRAD Symposium on oil sands reclamation. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 537.mp3 Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #536 When banking seeds for future oil sands reclamation, plant ecologist Ann Smreciu has learned that for some plants, it may not be possible to harvest enough seeds from the wild. As Ann told researchers at the 2013 CONRAD Symposium, the new Oil Sands Vegetation Cooperative is addressing that issue. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 536.mp3 Thu, 21 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #535 Collecting seeds to bank with the Oil Sands Vegetation Cooperative for future reclamation is not an easy task. Ann Smreciu of Wild Rose Consulting has been developing the program and to date, has collected seeds from 24 of a potential 500 native species, including red osier dogwood. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 535.mp3 Tue, 19 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #534 After 30 years, a dream has come true for plant specialist Ann Smreciu of Wild Rose Consulting. That’s a boreal seed banking program called the Oil Sands Vegetation Cooperative. As Ann explains, six oil sands companies have joined forces to harvest seeds from native plants for future reclamation. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 534.mp3 Thu, 14 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #533 Reclaiming an oil sands mine is involves more than filling a hole with dirt and planting trees. As forest land reclamation expert Dr. Simon Landhausser presented at the recent CONRAD Conference on Oil Sands Reclamation, it’s about rebuilding a sustainable forest ecosystem. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 533.mp3 Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #532 Replacing the forest after oil sands mining is a monumental task. At the recent CONRAD Symposium on Oil Sands Reclamation, Dr. Simon Landhausser provided an update on the progress he and his graduate students have made over the last five years in improving the survival of tree seedlings in reclaimed landscapes. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 532.mp3 Thu, 07 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #531 Scientists recently gathered in Edmonton to discuss their latest research on oil sands reclamation. Known as the Environmental and Reclamation Research Group, they are an arm of CONRAD, the Canadian Oil Sands Network for Research and Development. Michele Young chaired the 2013 Symposium. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 531.mp3 Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #530 Fourteen oil sands companies in Alberta are pooling their resources to form a new research organization. Called COSIA, Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance, the goal of this collaboration is to accelerate the implementation of research findings to improve environmental and reclamation performance. Veteran scientist Dr. Garry Scrimgeour leads the land division. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 530.mp3 Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #529 For the first time ever, the impoverished pinweed has been seen and collected in Alberta. It was found during a recent survey by the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute. According to Dr. Tyler Cobb of the Royal Alberta Museum, there have only been six sightings ever in the world, and the last time it was recorded was 32 years ago. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 529.mp3 Tue, 29 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #528 The Star Wars saga has entertained generations of movie goers for more than 35 years. Now the producers Lucasfilm of San Francisco have joined forces with Montreal company X3 Productions to create a traveling exhibit. According to Lucasfilm's Kyra Bowling, the exhibit Star Wars Identities takes a fresh look at the science behind what defines who we are. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 528.mp3 Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #527 “May the force be with you” is the iconic phrase from Star Wars. But what forces shape you? That’s the fundamental question behind the exhibit, Star Wars Identities at the Telus World of Science. According to exhibit creator Jacques-Andre Dupont, there's a lot of science behind how Anakin and Luke Skywalker turned out to be so different. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 527.mp3 Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #526 Among the presenters at the recent meeting of the American Anthropological Association in San Francisco was Zoe Todd, a Trudeau Scholar and a PhD candidate at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. Zoe spent a year in the Arctic researching the role of women in fishing and how that shapes their knowledge of the environment. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 526.mp3 Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #525 The recent meeting of the American Anthropological Association in San Francisco demonstrates the wide reach of anthropologists. According to Association President Dr. Leith Mullings, a particularly hot topic in the field is climate change. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 525.mp3 Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #524 Judging from the recent conference in San Francisco, anthropology is alive and well. Over 6000 people participated in the annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association. AAA president Dr. Leith Mullings, herself a Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at City University of New York, talks about anthropology today. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 524.mp3 Thu, 10 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #523 Outbreaks of food borne infections like e.coli, listeria and salmonella always grab the headlines. So research into new technologies to protect human health and safety is good news. Dr. Cornelia Kreplin outlines some of the projects underway in her departmen at AIBio Sustainable Production and Quality Food for Health. (Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 523.mp3 Tue, 08 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #522 Scientists and consumers are becoming more concerned about the relation between food and health. One of Dr. Cornelia Kreplin’s responsibilities at Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions is to support research and innovation in the production of healthier food to prevent disease. (Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 522.mp3 Thu, 20 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #521 If ever anyone had a broad portfolio, it’s Dr. Cornelia Kreplin. As the Executive Director of Sustainable Production and Quality Food for Health with Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions, her role in foresight and research investment brings together agriculture and forestry. (Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 521.mp3 Tue, 18 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #520 Chemo drugs based on taxanes are commonly used to treat breast cancer. The problem is, about half the patients develop a resistance to taxanes. With funding from the Alberta-Pfizer Translational Research Fund, U of A biochemist Dr. Ing Swie Goping is researching the cause of this resistance. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 520.mp3 Thu, 13 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #519 It begins with tiny steps, but biomass may soon compete with coal and oil as a source of energy and chemical feedstocks. According to Steve Price at Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions, Alberta cannot miss this global movement. (Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 519.mp3 Tue, 11 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #518 With 40 years of experience in the forest sector, Steve Price is perfectly placed for his current role with Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions. And that’s to advance the development of Alberta’s bio economy. (Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 518.mp3 Thu, 06 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #517 Integrating environment, economic and social concerns from a landscape perspective is the heart of Carol Bettac’s work. Carol is the Executive Director of Strategic Alliances and Ecosystem Services with Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 517.mp3 Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #516 Development versus the environment is a challenge Carol Bettac deals with on a daily basis. As the Executive Director of Strategic Alliances and Ecosystem Services with Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions, Carol's work is guided by the Land Use Framework and Land Stewardship Act. (Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 516.mp3 Thu, 29 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #515 Money collected from industry for carbon dioxide offsets is funding research into novel ways to reduce biological sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Maybe not beano for burping cows, but certainly bio char for water filtration holds promise. Dr. Susan Wood-Bohm of the Biological Greenhouse Gas Emissions Program explains. (Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 515.mp3 Tue, 27 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #514 Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions is taking on Mother Nature to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from biological sources. As Dr. Susan Wood Bohm explains, this includes things like the decomposition of plants and a little excess tummy gas from cows. (Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 514.mp3 Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #513 Water from snow melt has a very different isotopic signature than water that was used in processing bitumen. Dr. Lee Barbour from the University of Saskatchewan says his research team is identifying these isotopes. This database will help the scientists determine how water moves through reclaimed sites in the oil sands. (Syncrude) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 513.mp3 Thu, 15 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #512 Predicting how water moves through reclaimed mine sites in the oil sands is a question that Dr. Lee Barbour from the University of Saskatchewan will address. Dr. Barbour holds the new NSERC-Syncrude Industry Research Chair in Hydro-geological Characterization of Oil Sands Mine Closure Landforms. (Syncrude) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 512.mp3 Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #511 Alberta has 20 million hectares of cropland and 35 million hectares of forest. That holds a lot of potential for developing a new bio economy based on novel uses for traditional resources. That also supports research in a field called ecosystem services. Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions CEO Dr. Stan Blade explains.(Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 511.mp3 Thu, 08 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #510 Imagine car parts made from pulp. This new entry into the growing bio refining industry is a reality thanks to a deal with auto parts giant Magna Corporation. Dr. Stan Blade of Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions outlines the potential for this new technology. (Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 510.mp3 Tue, 06 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #509 Forestry, agriculture and food production contribute about $25 billion a year to the Alberta economy. As CEO of Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions, Dr. Stan Blade is guiding the province to a new paradigm for industry and innovation. That's a bio economy based on utilizing biomass in completely different ways. (Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 509.mp3 Thu, 01 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #508 In cattle, the rogue prions that cause mad cow disease or BSE, concentrate in the brain and the intestines. According to Dr. Kevin Keough, scientists with the Alberta Prion Research Institute are discovering novel ways to dispose of potentially infected material. (Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 508.mp3 Tue, 30 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #507 The Alberta Prion Research Institute was established in 2005 to combat the mad cow crisis that closed Alberta’s borders to the export of beef. Today, the Institute operates under the umbrella of Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions. As APRI's executive director Dr. Kevin Keough explains, Alberta’s scientific capacity now extends from mad cow or BSE to Chronic Wasting Disease in wildlife and even Alzheimer's in humans. (Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 507.mp3 Thu, 25 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #506 Research Infosource has just released its 2012 ranking of research universities across Canada. Top rankings go to the University of Toronto, the University of Waterloo, and for the very first time, an Alberta University has risen to the Number One position. That's the University of Lethbridge for the undergraduate category. University of Lethbridge VP Research Dr. Dan Weeks is ecstatic at the news. http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 506.mp3 Thu, 18 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #505 Currently there’s very little to stop sepsis, an immune response to severe infection that shuts down the body’s organs. But a new discovery about neutrophils by University of Calgary researcher Dr. Bryan Yipp may one day pave the way for a treatment. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 505.mp3 Tue, 16 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #504 When Syncrude first started its operations in the 1970’s, raw bitumen was moved by conveyor belt to the plant. But the conveyor belts could not handle distance or cold weather. Veteran technology researcher Richard Masalanko helped Syncrude pioneer a new method called “hydro transport”. (Syncrude Canada Ltd.) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 504.mp3 Thu, 11 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #503 It was 1976 when Richard Masalanko graduated from NAIT as a chemical technologist and joined the research department of a new oil sands company called Syncrude. One of Richard’s first tasks with Syncrude was to gather samples from the waterways before the company started its operations. (Syncrude Canada Ltd.) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 503.mp3 Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #502 The vampire legend is based on a rare disease called porferia. Now Dr. Kirst King-Jones at the University of Alberta has discovered a link to this disease. That happened when his mutant fruit flies glowed red under UV light. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 502.mp3 Thu, 04 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #501 Imagine speeding up the lifecycle of a fruit fly to the point where it matures twice as fast. University of Alberta biologist Dr. Kirst King-Jones discovered how to do that while studying Drosophila Hormone Receptor Number 4 in fruit flies. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 501.mp3 Tue, 02 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #500 As far as biologist Dr. Kirst King-Jones is concerned, the lowly fruit fly is a geneticist’s dream. With funding from Alberta Innovates Health Solutions, Dr. King-Jones studies the fruit fly to find metabolic pathways related to disease. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 500.mp3 Thu, 27 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #499 In his book “The Cure For Everything”, Professor Tim Caulfield pokes so many holes in the current diet, fitness and well- being industry, you have to wonder if there is a cure for anything. Tim empties his pockets at every turn as he tries to unravel what he calls "twisted science. " But how do ordinary people know the difference between fact and fiction? (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 499.mp3 Tue, 25 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #498 The Cure for Everything is a new book published by Tim Caulfied. This well known health law professor at the University of Alberta takes a tongue in cheek look at our never ending search for the magic bullet for weight loss, fitness and everything else healthy. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 498-1.mp3 Thu, 20 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #497 University of Alberta researcher Dr. Troy Baldwin studies T-cells and why they sometimes start attacking the body. His important discovery about BIM the suicide protein was recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 497.mp3 Tue, 18 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #496 T-cells are an important component of the body’s immune system but sometimes T-cells actually turn against the body. As AIHS Scholar Dr. Troy Baldwin explains, these rogue T-cells are at the heart of auto-immune diseases like diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 496.mp3 Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #495 Dr. Michael Doschak’s success with a group of biologics or peptide compounds has opened the door to the commercialization of potential new treatments for osteoporosis. Working with TEC Edmonton at the University of Alberta, Dr. Doschak’s group has formed a spin-off company called Osteo Metabolics. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 495.mp3 Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #494 Osteoarthritis can be painful, debilitating, and is very hard to treat. But Dr. Michael Doschak’s research on calcitonin is showing great promise. According to Dr. Doschak of Team Osteo Arthritis Alberta, calcitonin is a peptide hormone the thyroid produces naturally to regulate bone metabolism. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 494.mp3 Thu, 06 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #493 The APPLE Schools program teaches children to make better choices for their health, through better eating and more activity. And now, according to public health researcher Dr. Paul Veugelers, the program has added a new target - a good night's sleep. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 493.mp3 Thu, 30 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #492 The very successful APPLE Schools program is a response to concern over rising rates of obesity among children. Lead by researcher Dr. Paul Veugelers, APPLE Schools promote a culture of healthy eating and increased activity for students and their families. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 492.mp3 Tue, 28 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #491 Every summer millions of songbirds migrate to the boreal forest to breed the next generation of birds. Biologist Ken Foster of Owl Moon Environmental leads a monitoring program called MAPS to assess whether reclamation by oil sands companies is working for the birds. The information collected feeds into the Institute for Bird Populations' database for North America. (Syncrude Canada Ltd.) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 491.mp3 Thu, 23 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #490 Now that he’s finished a second season of bird banding in Alberta’s oil sands region, Ken Foster of Owl Moon Environmental is anxious to start analyzing the results. The bird monitoring program at 24 stations from Fort McKay to Conklin is sponsored by a number of oil sands companies including Syncrude. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 490.mp3 Tue, 21 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #489 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 489.mp3 Tue, 24 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #488 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 488.mp3 Thu, 19 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #487 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 487.mp3 Tue, 17 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #486 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 486.mp3 Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #485 As Vice President, Research at the University of Alberta, Dr. Lorne Babiuk believes it is very important to support the social sciences. Art and music, he says, improve our quality of life. And social scientists anticipate public controversy, such as the introduction of new technologies like nanotechnology. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 485.mp3 Tue, 10 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #484 After four decades working in the lab and developing new vaccines, it’s hard to leave all that behind. Even now as an administrator, the Vice President, Research at the University of Alberta, Dr. Lorne Babiuk is still finding a way to make new discoveries. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 484.mp3 Thu, 05 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #483 In the spring of 2012, Dr. Lorne Babiuk received the Canada Gairdner Wightman Award for his outstanding contributions to science and society. Today Dr. Babiuk is Vice President, Research at the University of Alberta. But 38 years of his scientific life were dedicated to virology and creating new vaccines at the University of Saskatchewan. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 483.mp3 Tue, 03 Jul 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #482 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 482.mp3 Thu, 28 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #481 This year the Emerald Foundation’s Challenge Award focused environmental initiatives in the oil sands.Finalist Williams Energy Inc of Fort McMurray has significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions with new off gas recovery technology. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 481.mp3 Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #480 Winner in the big business category at the 2012 Emerald Awards for Environmental Excellence is the Landmark Group of Builders in Edmonton. COO Bijan Mannani says the company's innovative house panel system significantly reduces construction waste and saves energy. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 480.mp3 Thu, 14 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #479 The animal studies of Dr. Gerlinde Metz show that effects of stress experienced in the womb can be transmitted through several generations. Her work at the University of Lethbridge is part of a major study on pre-term births. Now her team hopes it can use this information to predict health problems for future generations. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 479.mp3 Tue, 12 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #478 Can't handle stress? Blame it on your great-grandmother. In studying the role of stress in pre-term births, Dr. Gerlinde Metz of the Canadian Centre of Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge discovered that the effects of stress can transmit down through several generations. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 478.mp3 Thu, 07 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #477 As our aging population increases, we can expect the number of people with dementia to double. That’s where the research of Dr. Rob Sutherland at the Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience fits in. His success in restoring brain cells and memory in rats holds great promise for treating dementia in humans. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 477.mp3 Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #476 When it comes to regaining lost memory, a little protein called sonic hedgehog may be the key. Sonic hedgehog is abundant in early life and stimulates the birth of new cells in the brain. Dr. Rob Sutherland at the University of Lethbridge has discovered adding this to an infusion helps rats grow new brain cells in the hippocampus and restore memory. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 476.mp3 Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #475 Finding new uses for plant materials from farm and forest is important from both environmental and economic perspectives. At the recent CanBio conference in Edmonton, Dr. Stan Blade, CEO of Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions, outlined the potential for turning Alberta’s biomass into products, energy and cash. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 475.mp3 Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #474 CanBio, the Canadian BioEnergy Association, met in Edmonton recently. On the conference agenda was how to maximize the enormous amount of biomass Canada produces from agricultural and forest residue, and how to advance the new bio economy. CanBio’s president Doug Bradley outlines the potential for bioenergy companies. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 474.mp3 Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #473 Among the complications from diabetes is the loss of feeling in the feet and this can lead to amputation. Orpyx Medical Technologies Inc of Calgary has developed sensor technology to overcome this problem. And this innovation helped Dr. Breanne Everett and her company win the 2012 Student TEC VenturePrize. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 473.mp3 Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #472 The first ever Nanotechnology Award at the the 2012 TEC VenturePrize Business Plan Competition goes to the Calgary company, Parvus Therapeutics Inc. According to company President and CEO Phil Coggins, PhD, Parvus is commercializing a breakthrough nano technology that could treat and potentially cure many auto-immune diseases. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 472.mp3 Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #471 Winner in the Fast Growth category at the 2012 TEC VenturePrize Business Plan Competition is an Edmonton company – Innovative Trauma Care Inc. The startup company has invented a novel clamp to immediately stop bleeding. According to Phil Faris, Chair of the company’s Board of Directors, the idea came from the battlefield. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 471.mp3 Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #470 There’s hope in the war against superbugs thanks to the work of biochemist Dr. Hans Vogel. Rather than developing more heavyduty antibiotics, Dr. Vogel’s research at the University of Calgary is focused on more natural means of fighting off bad bacteria. That includes tweaking the body’s own antimicrobial peptides. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 470.mp3 Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #469 Humans need iron to survive. So do bacteria. The research of University of Calgary biochemist and AIHS scientist Dr. Hans Vogel shows promise in developing new ways to fight superbugs that are resistant to antibiotics. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 469.mp3 Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #468 Among the many scientists at the recent CONRAD symposium on oil sands reclamation was Dr. Michael van den Heuvel. This aquatic scientist from PEI is trying to determine at what levels compounds from oil sands production become toxic to fish. (Syncrude Canada Ltd.) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 468.mp3 Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #467 A second project of the WHEC research program follows radio-collared moose in the active oil sands region of northern Alberta. As biologist Holger Spaedtke explained at an oil sands research symposium, these moose have very small home ranges compared to those elsewhere. (Syncrude Canada Ltd.) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 467.mp3 Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #466 The WHEC Study which is looking at how wildlife are affected by oil sands development uses remote cameras. As U of A research Holger Spaedtke explains, the animals have triggered over 80,000 snapshots. (Syncrude Canada Ltd.) http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 466.mp3 Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #465 WHEC is a study on how oil sands development is affecting habitat for boreal animals like moose, wolves and other species. Holger Spaedtke from the University of Alberta presented his findings at a recent CONRAD symposium on oil sands reclamation research. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 465.mp3 Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #464 When mining for oil sands, if the dirt and clay are simply dug up and stockpiled, that destroys most of the roots and plants that populate the forest floor. Forest ecologist Dr. Simon Landhausser is looking at a new proposition for reclamation. That’s to dig out the forest floor and keep it intact. (Syncrude Canada Inc) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 464.mp3 Tue, 13 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #463 Unlike regrowing a cutblock after logging, regrowing a forest after mining for oil sands is a major endeavour. Overcoming those challenges is the focus of research for reclamation expert Dr. Simon Landhausser at the University of Alberta. (Syncrude Canada Inc) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 463.mp3 Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #462 TEC Edmonton has presented this year’s Enterprise Award to Metabolomic Technologies Inc. This University of Alberta spinoff is commercializing a new low-cost, easy to use, diagnostic test for colon cancer. As MTI's CEO Reg Joseph says a simple urine test would replace current fecal based tests. http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 462.mp3 Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #461 Syncrude is one of Alberta’s oil sands companies that is looking forward to the release of a new handbook on boreal hydrology. According to Syncrude's vegetation specialist Rob Vassov, now it is industry’s turn to take years of scientific research and put it into practice when restoring mined landscapes. (Syncrude) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 461.mp3 Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #460 Traditional concepts about hydrology are based on precipitation and water running downhill to lakes or rivers. But things are more complex on the boreal plain. Boreal fens, bogs and peatlands act more as a big sponge. And as reclamation expert Clara Qualizza explains, one has to appreciate the importance of what’s called the “U-Factor”. (Syncrude) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 460.mp3 Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #459 The new manual for rebuilding oil sands hydrology is based on the lessons learned through the scientific research conducted by Drs. Kevin Devito and Carl Mendoza from the University of Alberta. As soil scientist and knowledge transfer expert Clara Qualizza explains, success depends on understanding the main principle - the boreal plain ecosystem is driven by a very dry climate. (Syncrude) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 459.mp3 Thu, 23 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #458 It’s taken almost two decades of scientific research to uncover how boreal hydrology works. Now that knowledge is being synthesized into a manual that oil sands companies can use to reconstruct the boreal ecosystem. Soil scientist and reclamation consultant Clara Qualizza explains the process of knowledge transfer. (Syncrude) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 458.mp3 Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #457 Reclaiming boreal wetlands after mining the oil sands requires an intimate knowledge of how these ecosystems work. Dr. Jan Ciborowski from the University of Windsor has just wrapped up a five year study called CFRAWS on natural versus constructed wetlands. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 457.mp3 Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #456 This year, in honour of the tenth anniversary of the TEC VenturePrize Business Plan Competition, there's a new category. This is the all new Nano VenturePrize. According to nanoAlberta's director Dan Djukich, first and second prizes are worth $125,000 and $50,000. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 456.mp3 Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #455 A big challenge for oil sands reclamation is getting aspen to regrow on old mine sites. The original root clones are gone, so that means planting a lot of aspen seedlings. U of A Master's student Kaitlin Schott is researching how to improve the quality of aspen stock and she presented her findings at the recent CONRAD Symposium. (Syncrude) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 455.mp3 Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #454 Once oil sands mining is done, attention turns to reclaiming the landscape to a functioning boreal ecosystem. In January researchers and industry reclamation experts gathered to share their latest understanding of how best to approach this enormous job. Syncrude vegetation expert Rob Vassov helped organize this year's CONRAD Symposium. (Syncrude) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 454.mp3 Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #453 After two years of transition, Alberta Innovates Health Solutions is ready to launch its new funding regime for health research. According to AIHS CEO Dr. Jacques Magnan, the new programs include money to set up four Translational Research Chairs at the university level. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 453.mp3 Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #452 The Alberta Pfizer Collaboration Fund is a new program designed to move Alberta medical discoveries closer to practical application or commercialization. According to Pfizer's Vice President of Public Affairs, Dr. Ghislain Boudreau, the 2.5 million dollar fund is a partnership between Pfizer Canada, Alberta Innovates Health Solutions, Alberta Advanced Education and Technology, and Western Economic Diversification. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 452.mp3 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #451 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 451.mp3 Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #450 According to a recent opinion published by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, delayed child-bearing is associated with increased risk of infertility, pregnancy complications and other problems. Dr. Suzanne Tough, a perinatal epidemiologist at the University of Calgary, surveyed 2000 Albertans of child bearing age about why they delay pregnancy. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 450.mp3 Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #449 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 449.mp3 Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #448 When you get an implant like a hip replacement or you need a catheter, there’s always the chance you’ll contract an infection that’s resistant to antibiotics. Most of the infections are caused by bacterial biofilms. According to research associate Dr. Patricia Nadworny, Innovotech is applying its new silver technology to combat these infections from medical devices. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 448.mp3 Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #447 Bacterial biofilms cause a lot of disease in agricultural crops. Current practice often includes treatments with antibiotics like streptomycin. But this is falling out of favour. As Dr. Patricia Nadworny of Innovotechexplains, her company is developing an alternative treatment based on silver. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 447.mp3 Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #446 Biofilms are responsible for about 80 percent of infections, including hospital superbugs that are highly resistant to antibiotics. Edmonton company Innovotech specializes in biofilms and is developing alternate killer treatments based on silver. But not just any silver. Dr. Patricia Nadworny, an AITF industry associate at Innovotech, explains. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 446.mp3 Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #445 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 445.mp3 Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #444 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 444.mp3 Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #443 Alberta appears to be a hotbed of invention from one end of the province to the other. That’s where the Alberta Regional Innovation Network comes into play. It’s one of major programs managed by Rick Tofani, Vice President of New Ventures with Alberta Innovates Technology Futures.. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 443.mp3 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #442 The Cooking Lake - Beaverhills Morraine in Strathcona County is a sensitive ecosystem. There’s also tremendous pressure from urban sprawl. According to AITF economist Dr. Marian Weber, the Beaverhills Initiative is a partnership between five jurisdictions that is investigating economic instruments as a means conserve the landscape. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 442.mp3 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #441 One market incentive to encourage conservation is called transfer development credits. Landowners receive credit to maintain ecosystems and municipalities promote higher densities for smart growth. But as AITF environmental economist Dr. Marian Weber explains, there are challenges. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 441.mp3 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #440 Increased pressure for both industrial and urban development does not bode well for conserving the environment. Unless, perhaps, you can attach a market or dollar value to conservation Dr. Marian Weber is an economist who leads the Environmental Planning and Economics Program at Alberta Innovates Technology Futures. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 440.mp3 Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #439 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 439.mp3 Tue, 06 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #438 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 438.mp3 Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #437 The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute is a unique and ambitious program. Information on habitat, flora and fauna is collected from hundreds of sites 20 kilometers apart all across the province. ABMI's scientific director Dr. Jim Schieck says his group is discovering there are many uses for the data collected. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 437.mp3 Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #436 Imagine having a research lab the size of Sao Paulo, Brazil. That’s exactly where Calgary geomatics company Cell-Loc Location Technologies Inc is conducting its market trials. Thanks to funding from TecTerra, Cell Loc is a smart grid network for a utility company with 7 million meters in Sao Paolo. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 436.mp3 Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #435 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 435.mp3 Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #434 Trusted Positioning Inc is an up and coming geomatics company in Calgary. According to co-founder Chris Goodall the company develops enabling technology that integrates wireless signals with sensor signals. And it uses MEMS technology that will reduce the cost of producing, for example, driverless vehicles. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 434.mp3 Tue, 15 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #433 Geomatics is an important technology that helps in the mapping of forest fires, water resources, as well as surveying for oil and gas. According CEO Dr. Mohamed Abousalem, TecTerra Inc. is an agency that helps small and medium size companies commercialize geomatics technology. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 433.mp3 Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #432 Edmonton company Wilson Analytical Services Inc has developed new technology that takes the lab right into the oil field. It’s a user friendly hardened fluorescent spectrometer. According to company president Dr. Ken Schmidt, if it’s not exactly a lab on a chip, it’s certainly a lab in a suitcase. (ACAMP and Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 432.mp3 Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #431 A deficiency in Vitamin D has been linked to several health problems, including cancer, osteoporosis, heart disease, depression, and even Alzheimer’s. Now thanks to a new test developed by NanoSpeed Diagnostics Inc of Edmonton the wait time for test results can be reduced from weeks to just ten minutes. Company president Dr. Seema Gupta explains (ACAMP and Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 431.mp3 Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #430 Wouldn’t it be nice to fix your teeth without going through the ordeal of a root canal? That’s exactly what Cristian Scurtescu is working on at his company SmileSonica Inc. He's collaborating with ACAMP, the Alberta Centre for Advanced Micro Nano Technology Products, to manufacture and commercialize the dental device. (ACAMP and Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 430.mp3 Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #429 A bit of gene sleuthing has led to a new discovery about multiple sclerosis. University of Alberta neurologist Dr. Chris Power and his team were looking for genes that regulate other genes. They found one in particular is involved in both how brain cells communicate as well as inflammation and the immune system. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 429.mp3 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #428 Platinum based drugs kill cancer cells but they also cause serious side effects. These include permanent hearing loss, kidney damage, and brain toxicity. University of Calgary biochemist Dr. Jurgen Gailer is researching the chemistry behind these toxic side effects. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 428.mp3 Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #427 Researchers with PrioNet and at the University of Alberta have made an exciting new discovery about ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. They’ve shown that this neurodegenerative disease develops in the same manner as misfolded prion diseases like “mad cow” and Creutzfeld-Jacob disease. As Dr. David Wishart from the U of A expains, the culprit is a protein called super oxide dismutase. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 427.mp3 Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #426 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 426.mp3 Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #425 Opiates like morphine control pain. But for some patients the drugs can also cause their breathing to stop and they have to be ventilated. A chance finding of physiologist and Alberta Heritage Scientist Dr. John Greer may change that. And that's a new application for a drug called Ampikine. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 425.mp3 Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #424 As the boomer generation ages, the sheer numbers of patients with heart failure and other chronic diseases will overwhelm the health care system. Medical researcher Dr. Alex Clark says this will force a shift towards more self-care and home care for heart patients. (Alberta Innovates Health solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 424.mp3 Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #423 The health message to aging boomers is act now to prevent chronic diseases later, in particular, heart failure. But that’s easier said than done, according to Dr. Alex Clark, a professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta. He's investigating barriers to behavioral change. ( Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 423.mp3 Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #422 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 422.mp3 Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #421 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 421.mp3 Thu, 01 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #420 Native plants are taking a beating in southern Alberta. That’s a conclusion one can certainly draw from the latest report from the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute. According to ABMI's Jim Herbers, the intactness level for native plants in the South Saskatchewan Planning Region of southern Alberta is a mere 41 percent.(Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 420.mp3 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #419 The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute has released its preliminary report on the status of biodiversity in the southern part of Alberta. This report looks at the status of native birds, native vascular plants, and armoured mites. According to information director Jim Herbers, the Institute has measured an overall value of 54 percent intactness. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 419.mp3 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #418 Aging baby boomers will have a tremendous impact on Canada’s health care system. Dr. Alex Clark is a professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta. He calls one approach to handling this coming tsunami of boomers “anticipatory medicine”. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 418.mp3 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #417 The latest edition to the Islet Signaling Lab at the University of Alberta is Shandy Wogan. She is one of this year’s picks for HYRS, the Heritage Youth Research Summer Program. Back home in Red Earth Creek, Shandy was the only Grade 11 student this year, her school a collection of portables, and her science education somewhat sparse. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 417.mp3 Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #416 Students at the University of Alberta believe they may have a better and cheaper way to produce biodiesel. For their entry into the 2011 International Genetically Engineered Machines Competition, they’ve turned their attention to a lowly fungus grows on charred trees after a forest fire. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 416.mp3 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #415 Students at the University of Calgary are genetically modifying two organisms to build a biosensor to test for naphthenic acids in oil sands tailings. And they hope to win big with this project at the 2011 International Genetically Engineered Machines Competition in Boston. Emily Hicks is a 4th year student in biomedical sciences. Her team is using bacteria and microalgae. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 415.mp3 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #414 Alberta university students are already gearing up for the 2011 International Genetically Engineered Machines Competition in Boston. Last year the University of Lethbridge iGEM team won a gold medal for a little organism they created that degrade a toxic chemical in oil sands tailings ponds. Student Justin Vyger says this year the team is taking that process once step further. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 414.mp3 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #413 Safeguarding sensitive communications just got a boost from a team of Alberta researchers. Using quantum physics, Dr. Wolfgang Tittel and his colleagues at the University of Calgary and SAIT Polytechnic have developed a method to send encrypted messages with a secret key that can never be broken by eavesdroppers. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 413.mp3 Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #412 Cancer of the pancreas is one of the most difficult cancers to both diagnose and treat. Standard treatment uses a chemotherapy called gemcitabine. But it doesn’t always work. Dr. Jennifer Spratlin has received funding from Alberta Innovates Health Solutions and the Cancer Research Foundation to better target treatment for cancer patients who’ve had surgery. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 412.mp3 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #411 Many of the products we use today are made from cellulose, including paper, film, and some coatings. Now scientists at Alberta Innovates Technology Futures are setting up a pilot plant to produce the next step in cellulose technology, and that’s nano crystalline cellulose. Dr. Robert Jost says the project will look at how best to scale up production. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 411.mp3 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #410 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 410.mp3 Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #409 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 409.mp3 Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #408 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 408.mp3 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #407 Can a new association kickstart the diversification of Alberta’s economy beyond oil and gas? That's the mission for Dr. Perry Kinkaide over the next 150 days. He's canvassing Alberta's technology community to drum up support for a new Alberta technology industry association. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 407.mp3 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #406 As a principle investigator with CFRAW, an oil sands reclamation group, one of the research concerns for Dr. Jan Ciberowski and his colleagues is pollution. What is the toxic legacy they may face when using process water or tailings when recreating wetlands in areas mined for oil sands? As Dr. Ciberowski explains, the answer is quite surprising. (Syncrude Canada Ltd.) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 406.mp3 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #405 At a recent workshop on oil sands reclamation Dr. Jan Ciborowski addressed the oquestion of sustainability. Dr. Ciborowski is a professor of biological sciences at the University of Windsor. He’s also a principal investigator with CFRAW. This is a research group studying the Carbon Dynamics, Food Web Stucture and Reclamation Strategies in Athabasca Oil Sands Wetlands. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 405.mp3 Thu, 09 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #403 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 403.mp3 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #404 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 404.mp3 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #402 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 402.mp3 Thu, 26 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #401 Mining Alberta’s oil sands involves stripping the land of the soil that supports the forest. And replacing it afterwards involves more than throwing some dirt into a hole in the ground and expecting the trees to grow back. Biogeochemist Dr. Sylvie Quideau is researching the best way to reconstruct the soil and the microbial community to support a viable forest.(Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 401.mp3 Tue, 24 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #400 Biogeochemistry looks at the distribution and cycling of elements within the soil. It’s an important field of research for people who want to restore forests to sites mined for bitumen. Dr. Sylvie Quideau is a professor in the Department of Renewal Resources at the University of Alberta. As she explained at a recent oil sands reclamation workshop, rebuilding the soil is a long and complex process. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 400.mp3 Thu, 19 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #399 Recreating the boreal landscape after mining the oil sands is a complex task. And according to eco hydrologist Dr. Kevin Devito from the University of Alberta, attention to water is the first priority. As Dr. Devito explains, one consideration in the reclamation is the use of material leftover from oil sands production. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 399.mp3 Tue, 17 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #398 For more than a decade, Dr. Kevin Devito has researched the unique hydrology of the boreal forest. Dr. Devito is a professor specializing in eco-hydrology at the University of Alberta. His findings from the Utikuma Lakes region of northern Alberta have particular importance to industries like forestry and oil sands production. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 398.mp3 Thu, 12 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #397 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 397.mp3 Tue, 10 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #396 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 396.mp3 Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #395 Gardeners know most plants won’t grow in salty or acid soil. This same principle seems to apply to what kind of plants will grow in wetlands. The research of U of A PhD Marie-Claude Roy shows a big difference in vegetation between natural wetlands and reclaimed oil sands ponds. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 395.mp3 Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #394 Getting the right plants to grow in recreated wetlands is the research topic for Marie-Claude Roy, a doctoral student in wetland ecology at the University of Alberta. Some of the reclaimed oil sands sites have tailings or process water in them. Some don’t. Marie-Claude is comparing the pond plants in these to those growing in natural wetlands.(Syncrude Canada Ltd.) http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 394.mp3 Thu, 28 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #393 Reconstructing wetlands is a major component of oil sands reclamation. But it takes time and effort to understand the complexities of wetland ecology. CFRAWS leader Dr. Lee Foote lists some of the research by graduate students and university scientists that’s had an influence on practices of oil sands companies. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 393.mp3 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #392 Oil sands reclamation is benefiting from student research in more ways than one. Not only are graduate students expanding the knowledge base on northern ecology. As Dr. Lee Foote explains, they're also changing the mindseet at oil sands companies. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 392.mp3 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #391 Development of Alberta’s oil sands poses a significant risk for water resources in Canada’s boreal forest.   That’s why Dr. Howard Wheater, the new Canada Excellence Research Chair in Water Security,  will be focusing on what he calls a complex set of problems of global industrial and environmental significance.       http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 391.mp3 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #389 April 15th marks the first ever Alberta DNA Day. It was April 1953 that scientists James Watson and Francis Crick published their description of the double helix structure of deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA. And as Mike Spear of Genome Alberta explains, now Alberta is joining in the celebrations. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 389.mp3 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #388 Among the 19 scientific superstars who’ve been recruited to Canada as part of the Canada Excellence Research Chairs program is Dr. Howard Wheater. Dr. Wheater has moved from Imperial College in the United Kingdom to the University of Saskatchewan. And his Canada Excellence Research Chair is in Water Security (Syncrude Canada Ltd.). http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 388.mp3 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #387 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 387.mp3 Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #386 @font-face { font-family: "Arial"; }@font-face { font-family: "Verdana"; }@font-face { font-family: "Verdana"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }.MsoChpDefault { font-size: 10pt; }div.WordSection1 { page: WordSection1; }One way to move bitumen from the mine site to the oil sands plant is to transport it down a pipeline.  The mined material is mixed with water to make a slurry. According to research engineer Ben Fotty, the slurry is very hard on pipelines.  Through MARIOS, his group is looking for new technologies to reduce the wear.  (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 386.mp3 Tue, 22 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #385 You couldn’t build any oil sands plants or pipelines without welders. Through MARIOS, welding specialist Matthew Yarmuch is looking for ways to improve welding technology for the oil sands industry. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 385.mp3 Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #384 Equipment used to mine the oil sands often has a short life. Some pieces have to be replaced after a single eight hour shift. Advanced materials specialist Dr. Gary Fisher at Alberta Innovates Technology Solutions is working with the MARIOS group to find new coatings and overlays to prolong the life of oil sands minging equipment. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 384.mp3 Tue, 15 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #383 The oil sands sectors loses billions each year to equipment breakdowns and lost productivity. The culprits are sand and rocks that wear down equipment. Dr. John Wolodko leads MARIOS, a research consortium focused on improving the longevity of equipment used in oil sands mining. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 383.mp3 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #382 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 382.mp3 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #381 Research into oil sands reclamation has come a long ways in recent years. Illustrating that point is a program called CFRAW: Carbon Dynamics, Food Web Structure and Reclamation Strategies in Athabasca Oil Sands Wetlands. According to wetland ecologist Dr. Lee Foote , reclamation research today takes an ecosystem based approach. (Syncrude Canada Ltd.) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 381.mp3 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #380 Reclamation ecologist Ann Smreciu has spent the last year learning how to grow native ratroot from both seed and root cuttings. This native plant looks like cattails. And as Ann presented at the recent CONRAD conference, ratroot is showing a lot of promise for oil sands reclamation of wetlands. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 380.mp3 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #379 Ratroot is native to boreal wetlands. Its tall slender leaves are similar to cattails and it’s related to iris. Restoration ecologist Ann Smreciu talks about the importance of ratroot to Aboriginal people. (Syncrude Canada Ltd.) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 379.mp3 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #378 When loggers cut aspen for lumber or pulp, the trees generally grows back from old roots in the soil. But in oil sands reclamation, there are no roots because the soil has all been dug out. Kaitlin Schott is a graduate student at the University of Alberta. She’s researching the best way to regenerate aspen from seed. Kaitlin presented her findings at the recent CONRAD Symposium on oil sands reclamation. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 378.mp3 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #377 It’s one thing to mine the oil sands to get bitumen. It’s quite another to reclaim the mine sites back to forests and wetlands. CONRAD : The Canadian Oil Sands Network of Research and Development recently gathered professors and grad their students for its annual symposium on reclamation research. Chairing this year’s symposium was Robert Vassov, a vegetation researcher with Syncrude Canada Ltd. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 377.mp3 Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #376 Not only is the absence of the RASS F1 gene linked to cancer, it’s also linked to chronic inflammation. University of Alberta researcher Dr. Shairaz Baksh is studying the link in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. And surprise, an activite ingredient in red wine holds promise for treatment. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 376.mp3 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #375 For the past decade, Dr. Shairaz Baksh at the University of Alberta has been researching a gene called RASSF1. When this gene is turned on, it inhibits the growth of tumours or cancerous cells. But when it's turned off, cancer forms. This signal could be used to detect cancer in its early stages. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 375.mp3 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #374 The obesity crisis is hitting Canada’s children. Dr. Paul Veugelers is determined to change that. Dr. Veugelers leads a program called APPLE - Alberta Program Promoting Active Living and Healthy Eating. Since 2007, researchers have worked with 10 elementary schools to help children learn the healthy choice is the easy choice. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 374.mp3 Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #373 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 373.mp3 Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #372 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 372.mp3 Thu, 27 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #371 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 371.mp3 Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #370 .. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 370.mp3 Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #369 It takes a lot of energy to process bitumen from Alberta’s oil sands. So energy conservation can pay big dividends both economically and environmentally. According to Syncrudes technology development manager Jim Lorentz,co-generation is just one of several technologies the oil sands company uses to save energy. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 369.mp3 Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #368 If you can’t make it alone, then collaboration is the next best thing. That’s the driving force behind PNWER, a new partnership between several Canadian and American jurisdictions in the Pacific Northwest Economic Region, according Andy Melnyk, a senior strategist with Innovation Saskatchewan, and a member of PNWER’s Innovation Group. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 368.mp3 Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #367 Among the participants at the recent InnoWest Conference in Calgary was Andy Melnyk, senior strategist with Innovation Saskatchewan. Like its neighbours across the west, Saskatchewan is looking to technology and innovation to diversity its economy beyond the traditional sectors of agriculture, mining, and energy. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 367.mp3 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #366 Kim Sturgess is an engineer, entrepreneur, and among Canada’s top one hundred women of influence. Now she’s putting her muscle behind her passion – and that’s water. At the recent InnoWest Conference in Calgary, Kim Sturgess spoke about her experience as the founder and CEO of Alberta WaterSmart. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 366.mp3 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #365 Syncrude Canada Ltd. is focusing a lot of its research on new ways to reclaim water used in the processing of bitumen. According to technology development manager Jim Lorentz, one new method is a technology called accelerated dewatering. It involves mixing gypsum into oil sands tailings. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 365.mp3 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #364 Syncrude is testing several technologies to help speed up the release of water from the tailings clays. This will increase the amount of water that can be recycled to process more bitumen. According to Jim Lorentz, one technique is called thin lift drawing. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 364.mp3 Thu, 23 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #363 A new Interdisciplinary Chronic Disease Collaboration will look at better ways to deliver treatment to patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and kidney disease. U of A kidney specialist Dr. Marcello Tonelli illustrates how the collaboration can improve care and save health care dollars. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions). http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 363.mp3 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #362 Now that the major oil sands companies have decided to collaborate on tailings research, this will help remove barriers and information gaps for the scientists. Dr. David Lynch, the Dean of Engineering at the University of Alberta, explains how the collaboration will work. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.com2-Innovation Anthology 362.mp3 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #361 With the growing international interest in oil sands, Alberta’s oil sands sector has taken an unprecedented step. As Brian Schleckser of Syncrude explains, seven oil sands companies and the University of Alberta will collaborate on research to better manage tailings. (Syncrude Canada Ltd.) http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 361.mp3 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #360 Treating your oil sands tailings in a giant spin dryer is not without its problems. Syncrude’s research and development manager Jim Lorentz is working with engineers to refine a new technology to spin clay out of tailings pond water. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 360.mp3 Thu, 09 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #359 In the oil sands industry, one problem with tailings ponds is the amount of time it takes for clay particles to release water and settle. Over the last three years, Syncrude has been working on a new technology to speed up that process. Technology development manager Jim Lorentz calls it “centrifuging”. (Syncrude Canada Ltd.) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 359.mp3 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #358 .. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 358.mp3 Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher 357 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 357.mp3 Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #356 When it comes to oil sands reclamation, Syncrude is looking to mother nature to lend a hand. And some hard labour. Agrologist Eric Girard describes the process from hand cutting the sticks to hand digging the trenches. (Syncrude Canada Ltd.) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 356.mp3 Thu, 25 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #355 Spring runoff and rainstorms can erode topsoil that’s placed on manmade hills during reclamation after mining for bitumen. The man in charge of erosion control at Syncrude is agrologist Eric Girard. As Eric explains, Syncrude uses bioengineering to stop erosion. And the raw material is cuttings from native aspen, willow and dogwood. (Syncrude Canada Ltd.) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 355.mp3 Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #354 When bitumen is processed, some of the by-products leftover include napthenic acids in the water and coke, which is essentially carbon or charcoal. At grad school, Warren Zubot got the idea to use coke to filter napthenic acids from the leftover process water. And now he is developing the technology for Syncrude Canada Ltd. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 354.mp3 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #353 Now that scientists know that microbes may play an important role in breaking down residual oil in tailings ponds, the next step is to figure out how to speed up the process. That’s the basis of several projects microbiologist Tara Penner is researching at Syncrude, such as this one in conjunction with the Alberta Water Research Institute. (Syncrude Canada Ltd.) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 353.mp3 Tue, 16 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #352 Microbes thrive in the harshest environments, from hot springs to glaciers, and even oil sands tailings ponds. Tara Penner researched these microbes for her graduate studies, and now she’s continuing this investigation at Syncrude Canada Ltd. While still in the early stages of discovery, these microbes could hold the key to reclaiming tailings ponds. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 352.mp3 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #351 When it demonstrates its new water cap tailings technology, Syncrude Canada Ltd will fill an old mine pit with tailings and then cap that with water. It’s Samantha Tavenor’s job to turn that pit into a lake - a viable aquatic environment for plants, bugs and fish. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 351.mp3 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #350 When it comes to oil sands production, toxic tailings ponds could one day just be a bad memory. Instead, you’ll find in their place fully functioning lakes. That’s the hope of Syncrude Canada as it develops a new technology called water cap tailings. Leading the research project at Base Mine Lake is Samantha Tavener. (Syncrude Canada Ltd) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 350.mp3 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #349 Statistics show that neurologic disease remains a major concern for patients with HIV and AIDS. And its presence increases the risk of death. That’s the conclusion of a ten year study at the Southern Alberta Clinic. According to neurologist and co-investigator Dr. Chris Power, brain disorders are often ignored because of other overwhelming medical disorders. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 349.mp3 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #348 For several years, Dr. Michel Tousignant of Montreal has researched the high rate of suicide among aboriginal youth in northern Quebec. Even though the residential school program ended decades ago, Dr. Tousignant cites fallout from that program as one of factors leading to high suicide rates.(Canadian Institutes of Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 348.mp3 Tue, 26 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #347 The rate of suicide among aboriginal youth can be as high as 8 times the national average in some communities. As well, Dr. Michel Tousignant from the University of Quebec in Montreal has found that suicide can be concentrated in some aboriginal families. (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 347.mp3 Thu, 21 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #346 Tuberculosis is still a major health concern for Aboriginal communities. Inner city natives are susceptible to drug resistant strains of TB. But according to Dr. Malcolm King of the Institute of Aboriginal Peoples Health, it’s the Inuit and First Nations people of Canada’s far north who are most at risk. (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 346.mp3 Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #345 When a sick person coughs, fine droplets of germ laden mucous hang in the air, sometimes for hours. But a new inhaler could change that and significantly reduce the threat of global flu pandemics. Developed by Alberta lung researcher Dr. Malcolm King, the inhaler changes how mucous behaves when it’s coughed out. (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 345.mp3 Thu, 14 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #344 iGEM students at the University of Lethbridge have added an artistic component to their groundbreaking work on neutralizing toxic tailings ponds at oil sands plants. As Mackenzie Cottum outlines, her team has turned their scientific discovery into art. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 344.mp3 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #343 Putting together bits of biological material to build new organisms is not an easy task, and the proteins don’t always function the way scientists hope they would. So for their iGEM project, a team of University of Calgary students has developed a protein expression tool kit to identify at which point in the process things are going wrong. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 343.mp3 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #342 Biochemistry students at the University of Alberta hope their invention will do for synthetic biology what LEGO has done for kids' toys. According to student Jeremy Thomas, the University of Alberta iGEM team has developed a radical new method of genetic assembly. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 342.mp3 Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #341 In 2007, Justin Pahara achieved celebrity as a member of the Butanerds. This bio-fuel project was entered in the International Genetically Engineered Machines competition. Now a PhD student at Cambridge University, Justin was in Edmonton to help prepare Alberta's teams for the 2010 iGEM competition. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 341.mp3 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #340 In November, university students from Edmonton, Calgary and Lethbridge will compete in Boston against 130 other teams at the International Genetically Engineered Machines or iGEM Jamboree. Using bacteria and a bit of genetic manipulation, these young scientists are sowing these seeds for tomorrow’s great innovations. And Andrew Hessel of Singularity University in California is mentoring their ingenuity. (Alberta Innovates Technology Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 340.mp3 Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #339 http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 339.mp3 Thu, 16 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #338 For many years, the mainstay of scientific research has been the mouse. But now there’s interest in a new lab animal, and that’s the transgenic pig. Dr. Ina Dobrinski is a reproductive biologist at the University of Calgary. In her work with stem cells, she is currently trying to develop a pig model for lab research.(Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 338.mp3 Tue, 14 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #337 Stem cell research in Alberta will take a big step forward with the arrival of Dr. Ina Dobrinski from the United States. Among her many skills, Dr. Dobrinski is a veterinarian with an interest in reproductive biology. Her cross appointment at the University of Calgary in medicine and veterinary science is supported through Alberta Innovates Health Solutions. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 337.mp3 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #336 Chances are if you’re a runner, you’ll suffer some sort of injury. Dr. Reed Ferber is director of the Running Injury Clinic at the University of Calgary. Using a special gait analysis system, Dr. Ferber has discovered that the underlying cause of most running injuries is weakness in the hip stabilizer muscles. His research promises a high tech, mathematical solution to prevent injuries. (Alberta Innovates - Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 336.mp3 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #335 .. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 335.mp3 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #334 If you are just itching to mix your creative talent with a hint of science and a dash of political comment, here’s your chance. It’s BIOTECH ART. In anticipation of National Biotechnology Week in Canada, Genome Alberta and Biotech Canada are sponsoring a digital art contest. And as Mike Spear of Genome Alberta explains, there are cash prizes. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 334.mp3 Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #333 A bionic hybrid is what Dr. Naweed Syed calls a new microchip that communicates with brain cells. Developed by his group of researchers at the University of Calgary, Syed’s tiny chip may one day literally connect patients to the cyber world around us. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 333.mp3 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #332 The world is one step closer to the bionic man thanks to a group of scientists at the University of Calgary. Dr. Naweed Syed and his colleagues have just published their research on a microchip that communicates with human brain cells. This chip is very sensitive and allows the scientists to monitor subtle changes in ionic activity that excites brain cells. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 332.mp3 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #331 A unit on the heart in Grade 11 biology has possibly changed the life path of Edward Spink. Barely 16 years old, this student from JH Picard High School in Edmonton is spending his summer working in a cardiac research lab at the University of Alberta. Edward is one of 45 students from across Alberta chosen to participate in HYRS or the Heritage Youth Researcher Summer Program. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 331.mp3 Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #330 Sometimes what’s old is new again. That adage certainly applies to one means of getting around at the proposed Rampart Avenir Community for Clean Technology near St. Albert. According to project director and engineer David Bromley, not only will the community be designed to encourage foot and bike traffic, Avenir will also pay homage to the historic Dutch means of travel in winter. http://www.innovationanthology.com2-Innovation Anthology 330.mp3 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #329 New technologies to promote heat recovery can help reduce energy consumption. According to engineer David Bromley, rethinking a city’s sewer system is a good example. Bromley is the project director for the proposed Rampart Avenir Community for Clean Technology. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 329.mp3 Tue, 10 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #328 The emerging field of clean technology is getting a big boost from a community project proposed for the St. Albert region north of Edmonton. It’s called the Rampart Avenir Community. According to the project's director David Bromley, the 1.8 billion dollar development offers a new approach to investing in sustainable communities and clean technologies. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 328.mp3 Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #327 Start-up companies often turn to venture capitalists for money to commercialize their new technologies. But the days of going cap in hand are disappearing. According to economist and venture capitalist Paul Kedrosky, entrepreneurs are becoming much smarter about the VC industry. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 327.mp3 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #326 The venture capital industry is changing. And that should be good news for start up technology companies. That’s the message economist Paul Kedrosky had for people at the recent AVAC meeting in Calgary. When explaining what's behind the shift, Kedrosky points to lower startup costs for businesses and the appearance of small venture capital funds. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 326.mp3 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #325 .. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 325.mp3 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #324 A finalist in the 2010 Emerald Awards for Environmental Excellence, JK Trucking of Lethbridge is leading the way with biodiesel. The fleet uses a 10.5 percent blend of biodiesel, giving reductions in greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to keeping 1500 cars off the road. President John Koliaska says JK Trucking collaborated with Olds College to track the fleet's performance. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 324.mp3 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #323 In northeastern Alberta, Alberta Pacific Forest Industries has demonstrated that cooperation between the forestry and energy industries can not only save money, it can also reduce the environmental impact. As ILM specialist Don Pope explains, that effort made AlPac the first winner of the new category Shared Footprints for Excellence in Integrated Land Management at the 2010 Emerald Awards. http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 323.mp3 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #321 Statistics show that someone dies every seven minutes in Canada from heart disease or stroke. Dr. Zamaneh Kassiri is a physiologist at the University of Alberta. She hopes her research with proteins will change those grim statistics. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 321.mp3 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #322 Advancements in computer technology have given rise to many improvements in the delivery of health care. These include things like robotics, sensors, and telehealth. But it’s a long hard road getting from the lab bench to market. As executive director Rob Beamish explains, Clinexus is a new agency which will help with the commercialization process. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 322.mp3 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #320 Alberta Innovates Health Solutions has just announced 43 million dollars in funding towards health research. The awards will support 37 investigators at the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary, and for most, the funding goes for 7 years. Dr. Jacques Magnan, CEO of Health Solutions, outlines some of the research projects. (Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 320.mp3 Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #319 For some people, one job just isn’t enough. Not only is Dr. Axel Meisen the Chair of Foresight at Alberta Innovates Technology Futures, now he is also the new president of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 319.mp3 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #318 .. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 318.mp3 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #317 Now that Alberta has revamped its innovation framework, one of the new organizations to emerge is called Alberta Innovates Energy and Environment Solutions. The new CEO Dr. Eddy Isaacs says his mandate is to help Alberta produce clean energy with a low carbon footprint. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 317.mp3 Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #316 The growing bioeconomy is fuelled by advances in agriculture and forestry. And the development of new technology is what underlines the creation of Alberta Innovates Bio Solutions. Taking the lead as the corporation’s new CEO is Dr. Stan Blade. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnnovation Anthology 316.mp3 Thu, 20 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #315 For thirty years, the AHFMR endowment fund attracted top notch scientists who helped build Alberta’s capacity in health research. Dr. Jacques Magnan was one of those people. A researcher in pharmacology, in 1994, he joined AHFMR to look after the administration of scientific awards. And now, Dr. Magnan takes up his appointment as CEO of the new organization that replaces AHFMR - Alberta Innovates Health Solutions. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 315.mp3 Tue, 18 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #314 The new president and CEO of Alberta Innovates Technology Futures brings with him a strong background in both science and business. Now Dr. Gary Albach will have a staff of 700 at Technology Futures. This new corporation amalgamates the Alberta Research Council, Alberta Ingenuity, iCORE and nanoAlberta. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 314.mp3 Thu, 13 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #313 Saving woodland caribou in Alberta calls for drastic action. This means curtailing industrial activity, reclaiming seismic lines, and culling wolves. But the costs are high. Dr. Rick Schneider with the Integrated Landscape Management Program at the U of A has developed what he calls a "Triage Approach" to help people decide where to best spend limited resources on saving the caribou. (NSERC-ACR Industrial Chair in Integrated Landscape Management) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 313.mp3 Tue, 11 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #312 The future for woodland caribou in Alberta is grim. And according to Dr. Rick Schneider with the Integrated Landscape Management program at the University of Alberta, extinction is just around the corner. (NSERC-ACR Industrial Research Chair in Integrated Landscape Management) http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 312.mp3 Thu, 06 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #311 Over the last few decades, whitetail deer have expanded their range into the boreal forest. They’ve even appeared in the Territories. Kim Dawe is a PhD student at the University of Alberta who is researching why deer are invading the boreal and the impact that has on the survival of woodland caribou. (Integrated Landscape Management) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 311.mp3 Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #310 .. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 310.mp3 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #309 Imagine putting a drop of your blood on a tiny drug store device and minutes later knowing whether or not you have a serious disease. That’s the business idea that won Maz Khorasani and his colleagues the 2010 TEC VenturePrize for Fast Growth. Called Biolithic Corporation, the business will commercialize lab on a chip technology developed at the University of Alberta. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 309.mp3 Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #308 One of the major revelations of the Sustainable Forest Management Network is the number of players who impact the forested land base. Beyond logging, there’s utilities, transportation, recreation, grazing and energy development. So while the SFM Network is winding down, a new organization is in the works to bring these other players together, including oil and gas. (Sustainable Forest Management Network) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 308.mp3 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #307 Company managers and politicians are not going to read academic articles filled with technical jargon and complex concepts. But having access to that scientific information is critical to changing forest practices. Scientific Director Dr. Jim Fyles explains how the Sustainable Forest Management Network overcame the hurdle of knowledge exchange. (Sustainable Forest Management Network) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 307.mp3 Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #306 One of the major achievements of the research done by the Sustainable Forest Management Network is the recognition of the role aboriginal people must play in the development of forest management policy. The Network’s scientific director Dr. Jim Fyles points to contributions of Little Red River Cree. (Sustainable Forest Management Network) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 306.mp3 Tue, 13 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #305 Over the last 15 years, researchers with the Sustainable Forest Management Network have worked with industry and government to incorporate their findings into practice. According to the Network's scientific director Dr. Jim Fyles ,one of the major changes is the development of the TRIAD approach to managing forests. (Sustainable Forest Management Network) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 305.mp3 Thu, 08 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #304 The spring of 2010 marks the official end for one of the most successful Centres of Excellence in Canada, the Sustainable Forest Management Network. Scientific director Dr. Jim Fyles of McGill University looks back to 1995 when the SMFN started. (Sustainable Forest Management Network). http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 304.mp3 Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #303 The concentrated effort on prion diseases over the last five years has led to some significant discoveries, although there is still much work to be done. Dr. Stephen Moore is an expert in bovine genomics at the University of Alberta . He’s been looking at genes and gene pathways that affect the susceptibility of cattle to Mad Cow disease. (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 303.mp3 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #302 Before the late 1980’s no one had ever heard of Mad Cow disease. Then suddenly, hundreds of thousands of cattle in the United Kingdom came down with disease. Then it was discovered that humans could catch it as well from eating infected beef. Where did the disease come from? Prion scientist Dr. Stephen Moore offers his view. (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 302.mp3 Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #301 Deer can live to the ripe old age of 5 to 7 years But hat will change if Chronic Wasting Disease takes hold in western Canada. The infection kills in every case, posing a serious threat to deer populations. According to Dr. Margo Pybus, Alberta’s Wildlife Disease Specialist, most deer are probably infected as yearlings, and die in their second or third year. (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 301.mp3 Thu, 25 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #300 The Alberta Government reports that 13 new cases of Chronic Wasting Disease were discovered during 2009. This brings the total to 74 infected deer since 2005. According to Alberta’s Wildife Disease Specialist, Dr. Margo Pybus, there’s no way to test for the chronic wasting disease in live animals.(Canadian Institutes of Health Resarch) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 300.mp3 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #299 Along with mad cow, another prion disease that could have a significant social and economic impact is Chronic Wasting Disease. Dr. Ellen Goddard of the University of Alberta has been researching the level of concern over CWD in aboriginal communities. That’s because wild meat is dietary staple with many aboriginal people. (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 299.mp3 Thu, 18 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #298 Much of Dr. Ellen Goddard's food safety research has focused on consumer attitudes post-BSE or the Mad Cow crisis of 2003. When it comes to what influences consumer behavior, Dr. Goddard’s research indicates a dichotomy. (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 298.mp3 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #297 In Alberta, about 80,000 people suffer from heart failure About half of those patients have what’s called diastolic heart failure. The problem is, very little is known about what causes this condition. Dr. Jason Dyck hopes to change that, through a new research program called Alberta HEART. ( Alberta Innovates - Health Solutions.) http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 297.mp3 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #296 One company that received an Alberta Innovation Voucher this year is D-TEX Inc. D-TEX has taken molecular detection technology discovered at the University of Calgary and developed a product to test for e.coli and listeria. Using the D-TEX kit, the wait time for results is reduced from 3 or 4 days down to 5 minutes. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 296.mp3 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #295 Alberta’s Minister of Advanced Education and Technology Doug Horner has announced the latest recipients of Alberta’s Innovation Vouchers. 204 startup technology companies from across the province will receive grants of either $10,000 or $50,000 to help in some aspect of their commercialization. (Alberta Innovates) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 295.mp3 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #294 The next time you’re planning a mega-project, you’ll want to give Geoff Ryan’s book a read before you start. The book is called “Schedule for Sale – WorkFace Planning for Construction Projects.” It’s a guidebook based on several years of experience and research in Alberta’s construction industry. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 294.mp3 Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #293 Alberta has the highest incidence of inflammatory bowel disease in the country. Researchers from a variety of disciplines are trying to understand what causes Crohns disease and colitis. According to Dr. Leo Dieleman at the University of Alberta, the scientists are also trying to figure out why there are hot spots and cold spots for the disease within the province. (AHFMR - Alberta Innovates Health Solutions) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 293.mp3 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #292 It’s a decade since the first cases of Chronic Wasting Disease appeared in farmed deer and elk on the prairies. Through his genetic research, Dr. David Coltman from the University of Alberta has tried to predict the spread of the disease. He’s analyzed over 5000 genetic samples from mule deer and whitetail deer. (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 292.mp3 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #291 Imagine an environment friendly community built from the ground up. That’s the perfect background for the latest round of forums hosted by the Alberta Council of Technologies. As president Perry Kinkaide explains, the discussions will focus on clean technologies, what Alberta has to offer, and the challenges that lie ahead. http://www.innovationanthology.com2-Innovation Anthology 291.mp3 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #290 Some people retire to a life of golf and gardening. Not Perry Kinkaide. His passion for helping the entrepreneur has given rise to the Alberta Council of Technologies. Over the last five years his network has grown into a dynamic force of over 5000. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Antholology 290.mp3 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #289 After 43 years with the Alberta Research Council, now called Alberta Innovates Technology Futures, Terry Macyk is retiring. His pioneering work in soil reclamation earned Terry the title of Distinguished Scientist with ARC along with recognition from all around the world for his contributions to the reclamation science. (Alberta Research Council - Alberta innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Antholology 289.mp3 Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #288 Given the current epidemic of breast cancer, wouldn’t it be great to have an early detection system? Molecular biologist Dr. Barry Barclay of Planet Biotechnologies Inc, believes he may have stumbled upon a genetic mechanism that could lead to exactly that. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 288.mp3 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #287 One of the most germ laden surfaces you can touch is your computer keyboard. Because this contributes to the spread of infection, keyboards are a major concern for hospitals and dental clinics. An Edmonton inventor has solved this problem with his innovative design for a new keyboard called Cleankeys. (Alberta Innovates Technology Futures) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 287.mp3 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #286 Prion researchers have discovered that soil plays an important role in the transmission of chronic wasting disease among deer in the wild. According to Dr. Judd Aiken of the Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases at the University of Alberta, infected deer shed the prions in fecal matter and saliva. They also consume a lot of dirt, for minerals and when grazing. He wanted to know if these prions would stay in the soil or pass into the water table.(Canadian Institutes of Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 286.mp3 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #285 While more women are entering the sciences, statistics show that only 12 percent of engineers are women, and in construction it’s a dismal 4 percent. Another problem is keeping these women in the industry once they’ve completed their education. A long time campaigner for women in non-traditional roles, Dr. Margaret-Ann Armour says the problem is a male dominated culture in the workplace. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 285.mp3 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #284 Decontamination is a huge issue for prion researchers. But according to Dr. Norm Neumann of the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta, experiments with advanced oxidation and ozone treatment may hold some promise. (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 284.mp3 Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #283 The science and innovation landscape in Alberta started the New Year with an extreme makeover. Gone are the familiar names like the Alberta Research Council, Alberta Ingenuity and the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. What has emerged are four new organizations linked by the brand Alberta Innovates. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 283.mp3 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #282 Cybera has a new president and CEO And that’s Robin Winsor. Winsor used his knowledge of geophysics and artificial intelligence to develop the world’s first direct digital x-ray system. Now as the head of Cybera, Robin Winsor hopes to extend the services of this university cyber network to Alberta’s entrepreneurs and business community. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 282.mp3 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #281 The University of Lethbridge has announced the replacement for outgoing President, Dr. Bill Cade.  The new president of the University of Lethbridge will be Dr. Michael Mahon.  Dr. Mahon will finish his current term as the Dean of Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Alberta, and then head south to pick up his new post starting July 1st. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 281.mp3 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #280 TEC Edmonton has a new CEO and that’s Chris Lumb. For more than a decade, Chris Lumb was the helm of Micralyne, growing it from a university spin-off into the largest independent MEMS developer and manufacturer in the world. And it’s on this seasoned experience that TEC Edmonton wants to capitalize. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 280.mp3 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #279 In one of his final acts as President and CEO of the Alberta Research Council, John McDougall has awarded the Council’s highest honour to Dr. Stefan Bachu. And that is the title of Distinquished Scientist, making him only the fifth to reach such heights of excellence. Dr. Bachu is world renowned for his pioneering research on carbon capture and storage technology. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 279.mp3 Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #278 When normal prion proteins misfold, they may become infectious and lead to deadly diseases like Mad Cow, Chronic wasting and Variant Creuztfeld-Jacob disease. Working at the atomic scale, Dr. David Wishart from the University of Alberta has identified that the tail end of the prion molecule may be the part that misfolds or is disrupted first.(Canadian Institutes of Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 278.mp3 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #277 Predicting the spread of this chronic wasting disease is the research focus of Dr. Evelyn Merrill, a biology professor at the University of Alberta. Using radio collars, Dr. Merrill’s team is following the movements of deer. These scientists suspect landscape patterns influence contact between deer. But Dr. Merrill says exactly how deer transmit the disease is still uncertain. (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 277.mp3 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #276 Chronic Wasting Disease is a prion folding disease that attacks deer, similar to the way BSE destroys the brains of cattle. Dr. Vic Adamowicz is a rural economist at the University of Alberta. He’s studying the social and economic impacts of CWD on hunting, agriculture and aboriginal people. Resident hunting, for example, is worth $50 million a year to the Alberta economy. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 276.mp3 Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #275 According to Dr. David Layzell of ISEEE, the Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy at the University of Calgary, policies to support innovation in energy are imperative. Speaking at the InnoWest Conference in Edmonton, Dr. Layzell outlined some steps to decarbonize our energy system. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 275.mp3 Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #274 Developing an effective innovation strategy for Canada was a focus of the recent InnoWest Conference in Edmonton. Fred Gault of the United Nations University in the Netherlands brought an international perspective to the discussions, saying Canada can learn from other countries. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 274.mp3 Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #273 The Canadian Council of Academies has recently published its report called Business and Innovation Strategies: Why Canada Falls Short. Speaking at InnoWest 2009, Academies’ President Peter Nicholson said Canada falls short on the Innovation front because Canadian business has been quite successful without a focus on innovation. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 273.mp3 Thu, 03 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #272 When it comes to funding university research, one of the main granting agencies is NSERC, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. And now the Council is making more money available to encourage research partnerships between academia and industry. Jim Edwards, former member of Parliament and now Chair of NSERC, explains the particular focus on small and medium-size business. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 272.mp3 Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #271 Hunters play a key role in Alberta’s surveillance of Chronic Wasting Disease. That’s by turning in the heads of whitetail and mule deer they shoot along the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. Provincial wildlife disease specialist Dr. Margo Pybus explains the program. (Canadian Institutes for Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 271.mp3 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #270 When hundreds of waterfowl unexpectedly died one spring after landing on tailings ponds, Syncrude Canada revised the bird deterrent program that it has used for 30 years. With a large resident bird population, Syncrude will now operate its bird deterrent program year round, instead of only spring to fall. And the company will employ sophisticated radar. Syndrude's Steven Gaudet explains.(Syncrude Canada) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 270.mp3 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #269 New homes in China’s earthquake zone will now be made from wheat straw instead of bricks and cement. A Dutch company has licenced technology developed by the Alberta Research Council to make wheat straw panel board, or OSSB. According to architect Boewe Besseling of Panel Board Holdings, the wheat straw panels are superior and they are framed with light guage steel. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 269.mp3 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #268 OSB or oriented strand board was first invented by the Alberta Research Council. Now the Council has introduced a new generation of panelboard called OSSB. Only this time instead of using wood chips, the structural board is manufactured from wheat straw. ARC's forest products specialist Wayne Wasylciw explains. (Alberta Research Council). http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 268.mp3 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #267 Water is an integral part of oil sands production. So it’s no surprise corrosion from water was a major topic of discussion at OSHOW 2009. That’s the Oil Sands and Heavy Oil Materials and Integrity Workshop hosted by the Alberta Research Council. OSHOW co-chair Brian Tkachuk describes the corrosion problems.(Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 267.mp3 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #266 Robert Murakami is the new Executive Director of the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Machine Learning.  He's also the President and CEO of the Centre's new commercialization arm, a company called Myriad Machine Learning.  I'ts Murakami's job to bring researchers and investors together to help translate science into industrial applications.  (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 266.mp3 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #265 .. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 265.mp3 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #264 .. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 264.mp3 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #263 Hemp is making a comeback as an environment friendly industrial material. According to Dr. John Wolodko, the Alberta Research Council has developed a new technology to separate hemp fibres from the plant. And it is having great success in substituting hemp for glass in fiberglass. One potential application is the production of automotive parts. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 263.mp3 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #262 When researchers for the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute collect samples from the 1656 monitoring sites across the province, they check for all kinds of life. And it’s not uncommon to discover new species. Of particular interest are mites, tiny invertebrates that play a big role in maintaining the health of our soils. Jim Herbers of the ABMI explains. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 262.mp3 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #261 The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute collects data on flora and fauna from points set 20 kilometers apart across the entire province. The first report from this Institute focused on birds and vascular plants in northeastern Alberta, a region where oil sands and forestry companies are active. While the report indicates the current state of biodiversity in the region is 94 percent intact, some non-native species are moving in. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 261.mp3 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #260 One night back in the late 1990s, seven of Alberta’s best forest ecologists sat down for a few beers, and talked about their concerns over monitoring biodiversity in the province. That brainstorming session led to the establishment of the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute and its unique, world class scientific program. As Information Director Jim Herbers explains, the Institute has released its first report on the health of biodiversity in northeastern Alberta. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 260.mp3 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #259 In this digital age, sensors are everywhere, helping turn information into digital data. A pioneer in visual sensor research is Dr. Orly Yadid-Pecht. And with funding from iCORE, she will set up a lab for Integrated Sensors and Intelligent Systems. Dr. Yadid-Pecht’s research has many applications, from remote sensing, space, security systems, cellphones, and biomedical engineering. (iCORE) http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 259.mp3 Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #258 The TEC VenturePrize Business Plan Competition is launching its 8th year on October 14th. And organizers of VenturePrize encourage student entrepreneurs to join in the competition. As TEC Edmonton’s Pamela Freeman explains, this may appeal to students who want to be employers instead of employees after graduation. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 258.mp3 Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #257 Now that David Cox has left TEC Edmonton for a new post at Radient Technologies, TEC Edmonton is looking for a new CEO to take his place. And according to Pamela Freeman, the interim boss, TEC Edmonton is looking for a very special leader. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 257.mp3 Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #256 Radient Technologies has moved from Vancouver to Edmonton. Venture capital investment from AVAC and Foragen will help Radient move into the marketing phase of its commercialization. And the man leading that effort is Dr. David Cox, former head of TEC Edmonton, now the new president of Radient Technologies. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 256.mp3 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #255 BioAlberta has chosen National Biotechnology Week to release its state of the industry report. About 120 biotechnology companies in Alberta were surveyed and the results tabulated by Deloite-Touche. This report shows no one was immune to the global recession. http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 255.mp3 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #253 ..picomole prototype http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 253.mp3 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #254 The plant research of Ann Smreciu is helping oil sands companies like Syncrude restore forest landscapes destroyed by mining. As Smreciu knows only too well, there’s more to replanting a forest ecosystem than sticking a few seedlings in the ground. So part of her research is geared towards taking the guesswork out of revegetation for the oil sands area. (Syncrude Canada) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 254.mp3 Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #252 Over the last two years, Picomole Instruments has garnered many awards – including the TEC VenturePrize and BioAlberta’s Emerging Company of the Year. Dr. John Cormier, the founder and CEO of Picomole, has invented an ultra sensitive diagnostic tool that can determine the state of your health by simply blowing into a machine. But now, Picomole Instruments is moving from Edmonton to partner with a company in Quebec City. http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 252.mp3 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #251 Prion research started by looking for the cause of mad cow disease. But now scientists have discovered misfolded prions are linked to many other conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease in humans. Dr. Jean Phillipe Deslys from the Atomic Energy Commission in France gives this insight into prion research using transgenic mice. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 251.mp3 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #250 The world’s leading expert in prion decontamination is Dr. Jean Phillipe Deslys. He’s with the Atomic Energy Commission in France. While incineration at extremely high temperatures is the current option, Dr. Deslys says there are some promising new technologies on the horizon. (Canadian Institutes for Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 250.mp3 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #249 The misfolded prions which cause mad cow and chronic wasting disease are highly transmissible and they are almost impossible to destroy. That’s where decontamination expert Dr. Jean-Philippe Deslys comes in. He works with the Atomic Energy Commission in France. (Canadian Institutes for Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 249.mp3 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #248 Research into what causes mad cow or prion folding diseases is giving scientists new insight into how normal prion proteins function. One finding is that prion proteins bind with copper.  Jake Pushey is a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Saskatchewan. His poster at the recent Prion Conference in Edmonton looked at whether copper binding is linked to the pathogenesis of certain prion diseases. (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 248.mp3 Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #247 One of the hardest and most critical things for a startup technology company is finding the money to get an invention from the lab bench to the market place. That’s where AVAC Ltd. comes in. This venture capital investment firm was established in 1997 by the Alberta Government. President and CEO Ross Bricker explains. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 247.mp3 Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #246 With the advent of nanotechnology and nanomaterials, the International Standards Organization is taking the unprecedented step of creating standards before the nano products or materials even exist. As Dr. Clive Willis explains, this is to avoid a repeat of developing negative perceptions around nanotechnology the way they arose around the introduction of biotechnology. (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 246.mp3 Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #245 George Weyerhauser Jr. is the former president of the forest company Weyerhauser Canada. He’s now involved with a technology startup company called Houghton Cascade. At the recent Conference on Nanotechnology and Forest Products, Weyerhauser said the industry can play an important role in ensuring the environmental safety of nanomaterials. (Albeta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 245.mp3 Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #244 According to forestry giant George Weyerhauser Jr., nano crystalline cellulose is a new raw material. Through nano fabrication, molecules from all the parts of the tree can be built up again into materials where the properties are precisely managed and designed. At the recent Conference on Nanotechnology and Forest Products, Weyerhauser addressed the economics of this nano revolution for an industry facing tough times. http://www.innovationanthology.com2-Innovation Anthology 244.mp3 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #243 Thanks to advances in nanotechnology, the chips that power computers and other electronic devices may one day be made of cellulose from trees. But manufacturing these tiny electronic circuits at the nano or atomic scale depends on optics or new ways of dealing with light. Dr. Martin Moskovits, the Chief Technology Officer for API Nanotronics in New York, talked about nano optics at the recent conference on Nanotechnology and Forest Products. (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 243.mp3 Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #242 Environmental risks like dioxins in pulp effluent were discovered after the fact. Author and environmental law expert Joanne Shatkin believes industry has an opportunity to change that “Johnny-come- lately” scenario with the emergence of nanotechnology. While the ability to measure nanomaterials is still under development, Shatkin believes current methods for lifecycle analysis may help. (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 242.mp3 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #241 Engineering new materials at the nano or atomic scale holds great potential for improving products and industrial processes. But what risks do these novel materials pose for human health or the environment? Author and environmental law expert Joanne Shatkin addressed this issue at the recent Conference on Nanotechnology and Forest Products which was hosted by Tappi and Alberta Ingenuity. (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 241.mp3 Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #240 When Dr. Carlo Montemagno talks about nano-enabled biomaterials and sustainable living, he’s talking about engineering in its most fundamental form. And that’s taking the most basic molecular constituents of living systems and reorganizing them into new materials and products. Dr. Montemagno presented his vision of the future at the recent Conference on Nanotechnology and Forest Products. (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.com2-Innovation Anthology 240.mp3 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #239 If Dr. Carlo Montemagno has his way, no one will ever look at trees the same way again. Dr. Montemagno is the Dean of Engineering at the University of Cincinnati, and he was in Edmonton recently for the Conference on Nanotechnology and Forest Products. In Montemagno’s world, trees produce more than lumber and pulp. They are a cornucopia of proteins and molecules that form the basis of nano-enabled biomaterials(Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 239.mp3 Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #238 The Alberta Prion Research Institute and PrioNET Canada are pooling their money to support industrial research on prions, those nasty proteins that cause mad cow and related diseases. PrioNET's Scientific Director Dr. Neil Cashman, explains what its BOOTSTRAP program will do. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 238.mp3 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #237 The Alberta Government recently announced an additional $15 million dollars for prion research. Leveraged with other funding through academic and industrial partnerships, the total comes to $26 million dollars. Doug Horner, Alberta’s Minister of Advanced Education and Technology, says the new funding also supports commercialization of applied prion research. (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 237.mp3 Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #236 Alberta has one of the fastest growing biotechnology clusters in Canada. The industry employs almost 5000 people and supports more than 130 companies. The majority are concentrated in health, agricultural biotechnology, industrial bioproducts and medical devices. Ryan Radke is President of BioAlberta, the association that promotes the interests of Alberta’s life sciences industry. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 236.mp3 Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #235 Advances in computing science mean we can now break down every scrap of information into bits and bytes and store it. But can we possibly absorb and interpret all that data in a meaningful way? It’s a question Dr. Randy Goebel faces daily in his work with machine learning and as President and CEO of iCORE, Alberta’s Informatics Circle of Research Excellence. (iCORE) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 235.mp3 Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #234 In 2012, Syncrude will finish a pit where it has been mining oil sands over the last two decades. In its place, the company will begin building a huge experimental lake it is calling Base Mine Lake. As Syncrude’s technology development officer Jim Lorentz explains, dried tailings left over from oil sands production will form the lake bottom. (Syncrude Canada) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 234.mp3 Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #233 Tailings in oil sands parlance refers to the material leftover at the tail end of production. At Syncrude, this collection of sand, clay and water is pumped down a pipeline into tailings ponds where the sand and clay settle to the bottom. According to technology development officer Jim Lorentz, Syncrude is piloting a new system to speed up that process using centrifugal force. (Syncrude Canada) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 233.mp3 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #232 Beavers are nature’s engineers. And in the forest, beaver dams create ponds and help shape how the land drains. That’s why reclamation scientists at Syncrude Canada decided to study what beavers do. According to Ron Lewko, researchers looked at 784 beaver dams. They even flew over them with helicopters to see how they are engineering the forest landscape. (Syncrude Canada) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 232.mp3 Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #231 When Syncrude is finished mining oil sands from a particular pit, work begins on reclaiming the land to its natural state. But it takes the helping hand of scientists to get it right. According to Ron Lewko of Syncrude, the company's biggest study is research wildlife corridors. (Syncrude Canada) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 231.mp3 Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #230 Transmission is a big question for scientists studying prion disease. What makes it infectious within a species, and what stops it from being transmitted between different species? In his research, University of Alberta biochemist John Paul Glaves studied fragments of peptide fibrils from elk and from hamsters. (Canadian Institutes for Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 230.mp3 Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #229 Not all prion proteins are bad. The good ones are called PrPc, and they are present throughout the central nervous system. However, when prion proteins misfold, they lead to disease. In the case of humans, this is Creutzfeld-Jakob disease. Anna Carnini from the University of Calgary is trying to understand what goes wrong by studying people with spinal cord injuries. (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 229.mp3 Thu, 28 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #228 Genetic material called micro RNA’s may play a role in determining whether prion proteins are normal or misfold, leading to disease. Amrit Singh of the University of Manitoba is researching ways to deliver these micro RNA’s to the brain. She presented her findings at the poster competition at the recent Prion Conference in Edmonton. (Canadian Institutes for Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 228.mp3 Tue, 26 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #227 Deer infected with chronic wasting disease were first found in Saskatchewan in the year 2000. It has since crossed the border into Alberta. And scientists fear the disease could one day infect deer all the way to the Arctic. Nicole Skeleton, a masters student at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, is researching the movements of young deer from infected areas. (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 227.mp3 Thu, 21 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #226 Scientists from 20 countries gathered in Edmonton recently for the 15th World Micromachine Summit. The Summit was sponsored by ACAMP, the Alberta Centre for Advanced MEMS and Nanotechnology Products. As ACAMP CEO Ken Brizell explains, advances in micromachine technology have great potential for harnessing new energy sources and reducing environmental degradation. http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 226.mp3 Tue, 19 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #225 The makers of SMART boards have a new home. SMART Technologies has opened its new headquarters in Calgary’s Research Park. And as CEO Nancy Knowlton explains, reducing environmental impact was a key element of the building’s innovative design. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 225.mp3 Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #224 Pets are great except when you have to travel. And it’s not always easy finding a kennel to look after Fido or Fluffy at the last minute. Well, that may soon change with the creation of KennelSeek.com. This internet based reservation system for pets is the invention of student entrepreneur Gordon McKinley, winner of the 2009 TEC VenturePrize Business Plan Competition for Students. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 224.mp3 Tue, 12 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #223 The winner of the 2009 TEC VenturePrize Business Plan Competition goes to a start up company with an educational, web-based children’s game. CIE:SeekYourOwnProof.com is the brainchild of Ken Bautista and his partner Jason Suriano. The two young entrepreneurs parlayed their backgrounds in education, history and museums into a game that is rooted in spy chasing and sleuthing. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 223.mp3 Thu, 07 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #222 There’s no doubt about it. Industrial development impacts the environment and native communities. But a new training program developed by the Alberta Research Council could change that. It’s called the Aboriginal Land Stewardship Program and the first two graduates are Jan Noskiye of the Bigstone Cree Nation at Wabasca and Ike Solway of the Siksika Nation near Calgary. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 222.mp3 Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #221 The next stage in training for health care professionals may soon place them into virtual environments. That’s the goal of Dr. Eleni Stroulia at the University of Alberta. She holds the new iCORE Industry Research Chair in Service Systems Management. The challenge is making these virtual systems user friendly for people not all that comfortable with computers to begin with. (iCORE) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 221.mp3 Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #220 Despite what your teacher at school may have said, fidgeting at your desk is not a bad thing. The body’s need to fidget is the principle behind the development of a new medical device called “smart underwear”. Dr. Martin Ferguson-Pell belongs to a team of researchers working on the project at the University of Alberta. (Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 220.mp3 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #219 The Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research has just announced its second round of funding for interdisciplinary scientific teams. Five teams will each receive a million dollars per year for 5 years for a total investment of $25 million dollars. Dr. Jacques Magnan of the Heritage Foundation explains the value of this concentrated research effort. (Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 219.mp3 Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #218 The face of Alberta’s research and innovation system is changing. After months of consultation, Alberta’s Minister of Advanced Education and Technology, Doug Horner, has introduced Bill 27 to the provincial legislature. According to the Minister the many research institutes and agencies that have been created in recent years will be merged into just four entities. http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 218.mp3 Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #217 For as long as Dr. Margaret-Ann Armour has been a chemist and professor, she has also been a champion of women in science. 25 years ago at the University of Alberta, she helped found the group WISEST, or Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science and Technology. And now, Dr. Armour has spun her magic again, this time with the establishment of a national centre which brings together 27 different agencies for women in science. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 217.mp3 Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #216 Another step forward in understanding what causes prion diseases like mad cow is the recent discovery of the shadoo protein. According to Dr. David Westaway of the Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases at the University of Alberta, the shadoo protein is abundant in the brain and has a lot of features similar to normal prion proteins. (Canadian Institutes for Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 216.mp3 Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #215 What causes the prion proteins to misfold is still a mystery, but scientists are making progress. Dr. David Westaway is the director of the Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases at the University of Alberta. He says one clue lies with the action of molecules called “chaperones”. They help proteins find the right shape. (Canadian Institutes for Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 215.mp3 Thu, 09 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #214 Chronic wasting disease is an emerging epidemic among deer and elk on the prairies. CWD is the cervid equivalent of mad cow disease. And according to Dr. Daniel Krewski, an expert in population health risk assessment, prion researchers are very worried about the impact of CWD on human health. (Canadian Institutes for Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 214.mp3 Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #213 What are the lessons to be learned from Canada’s mad cow crisis? That’s a question Dr. Daniel Krewski addressed at the recent prion conference in Edmonton. Dr. Krewski is an expert in population health risk assessment. (Canadian Institutes for Health Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 213.mp3 Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #212 At the present time, the only way to confirm whether cattle are suffering from “ mad cow” disease is to test them after they are slaughtered. However, the research of Dr. David Knox and his colleagues at the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg may soon lead to a simple urine test for mad cow disease. (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 212.mp3 Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #211 Imagine working in the bush, on a pipeline or in the oil sands. If you have access to a cell phone or PDA, you could very well pick up a university education at the same time. That’s the objective of Dr. Kinshuk at Athabasca University. (iCORE) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 211.mp3 Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #210 The current global economic meltdown could easily crush inventors with startup companies looking for investment capital. But according to Juan Enriquez, out of crisis comes opportunity. And Alberta companies focused on life sciences can profit from the emerging knowledge economy. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 210.mp3 Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #209 Who needs oil from Saudi Arabia or Fort McMurray when you can grow triticale in the back forty? Triticale is a cereal grain hybridized from wheat and rye half a century ago. But in the 21st century, with $15 million in federal funding, Richard Gibson of the Alberta Research Council is betting triticale will make a dandy substitute for petroleum. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 209.mp3 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #208 Prion researchers from across Canada as well as from the United States, Asia and Europe met in Edmonton this week to discuss their latest findings. The big concern now is the spread of chronic wasting disease through herds of deer, elk and possibly caribou. Dr. Neil Cashman, scientific director of PrioNet Canada, explains. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 208.mp3 Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #207 The physiotherapy that comes with recovery after an accident or the onset of disease can be tedious and mundane. But Isabel Henderson hopes to change that with the addition of some futuristic high tech gadgetry. Henderson is fundraising to build the Courage Centre at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital in Edmonton. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 207.mp3 Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #206 Now that Wade Chute and his colleagues at the Alberta Research Council have patented a new process to remove silica from wheat straw, his team faces the next classic challenge - how to move innovative technology from the lab bench into the marketplace. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 206.mp3 Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #205 With all the wheat grown on the Canadian prairies, there’s plenty of straw to furnish its use in making pulp and paper. According to Wade Chute of the Alberta Research Council, he and his colleagues have overcome an important technical challenge in processing wheat straw for pulp. And that’s the removal of silica from the raw furnish. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 205.mp3 Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #204 Pulp made from wheat straw is commonly used in countries like China and Turkey where trees are in short supply. With the growing push for environmentally sustainable products, pulp and paper manufacturers in North America are also interested in wheat straw. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 204.mp3 Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #203 Back in the 1920’s, Dr. Karl Clark’s invention of hot water separation paved the way for today’s development of the Alberta’s oil sands. Now scientists like Roy Coates at the Alberta Research Council are following in Clark’s footsteps as they look for new technologies to remove that sticky bitumen from solid rock or carbonate formations.(Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 203.mp3 Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #202 Not all bitumen comes from oil sands. About one quarter of Alberta’s bitumen is actually trapped in rocks called carbonate formations. According to Dr. Ernie Perkins, a carbonate scientist at the Alberta Research Council, a significant deposit of bitumen is located in northern Alberta in what’s called the Grosmont Formation. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 202.mp3 Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #201 The research of Ann Smreciu gives new meaning to berry picking. This plant ecologist is trying to find the best methods for reestablishing native plants in sites reclaimed from oil sands mining. (Syncrude Canada) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 201.mp3 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #200 In this age of antibiotic resistance, what's old is new again. That's certainly the case with silver. Its antimicrobial properties have been know for centuries. Exciton Technologies Inc is an early stage Edmonton company that has developed new chemical processes to better utlilize silver. (Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 200.mp3 Thu, 29 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #199 Working at the molecular or nano scale, scientists at the National Institute for Nanotechnology in Edmonton hope to change the way we produce energy. Dr. Nils Petersen is the Director General of NINT, He says his researchers will build on Alberta’s expertise in petroleum technology. But they will also provide innovation in new forms of energy. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 199.mp3 Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #198 In the new field of nanotechnology, it is not enough for Canadian scientists to simply follow upon the heels of other countries. According to Dr. Nils Petersen, Director General of the National Institute for Nanotechnology, Canada has the right stuff to be nanotechnology leader. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 198.mp3 Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #197 Scientists working at the nano scale are really studying biology, chemistry, and physics at the level of individual molecules. Dr. Nils Petersen, a chemistry professor by training, is also the Director General of NINT, Canada’s National Institute for Nanotechnology. His group of nano scientists are researching projects in four different areas. http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 197.mp3 Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #196 The University of Alberta campus is home to Canada’s National Institute for Nanotechnology. Director General Dr. Nils Petersen says the NINT building is designed to accommodate very specialized equipment where even sligh vibrations can disturb experiments at the nano scale. But as Dr. Petersen explains, one of the most important aspects of the NINT building is its attention to social engineering. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 196.mp3 Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #195 It’s taken millions of years for tiny microbes in the ground to break down organic matter and turn it into oil. Using the new science of genome sequencing, it may be possible to speed up that process. That’s certainly the prediction of Dr. David Bailey, President and CEO of Genome Alberta. But how do you reduce millions of years down to decades? http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 195.mp3 Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #194 Muskox and moose thrive in harsh environments. That’s because microbes in their guts are very efficient at metabolizing the minerals and other nutrients from food they scrape off rocks or chew off bark. Dr. David Bailey of Genome Alberta believes sequencing the genomes of these stomach microbes will one day improve cattle production. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 194.mp3 Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #193 The future of Alberta’s economic development could very well depend on the DNA sequencing of fungi and microbes. That’s how muchgenomics and biotechnology are changing traditional industries like agriculture, forestry and energy. And the man leading that charge is Dr. David Bailey, the President and CEO of Genome Alberta. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 193.mp3 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #192 Scientists now know there are more than 6500 genetic diseases. Dr. Stephen Scherer studies the genetic basis of disease at the Toronto Hospital for Sick children. He says as the cost of genetic testing falls, the push to do routine DNA tests increases. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. (Canada Foundation for Innovation) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 192.mp3 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #191 One of Canada’s foremost geneticists is Dr. Stephen Scherer. His lab at the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children has made great strides in understanding the genetics behind diseases like autism spectrum disorder. Dr. Scherer has recently discovered something he calls “copy number variations” that accounts for at least 10 percent of autism cases. (Canada Foundation for Innovation) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 191.mp3 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #190 If you ask Dr. Paul Burrows to define nanotechnology, he’ll tell you , nanotechnology is not about size. It’s a state of mind. According to Dr. Burrows, manufacturing is still based on a stoneage mindset. The real revolution will come when we embrace manufacturing at the very scale of the molecule. And that’s what nanoscience is all about. (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 190.mp3 Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #189 Misfolded prions are the agents behind mad cow, chronic wasting disease in wildlife, and Kreutzfeld Jacob disease in humans. But scientists are still trying to figure out the most basic facts about the prion protein, things like its molecular structure and function. With funding from Alberta Ingenuity, Dr. Nikolai Blinov and a team of researchers are developing a computer model of the prion protein. (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 189.mp3 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #188 While the essense of nano is all things small, there's nothing tiny about the effort to build a strong nanotechnology industry in Alberta. That's what brought more than 200 people to Edmonton last week for the first Nanotech Showcase. (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 188.mp3 Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #187 The new Director of Applied Research and Technology Transfer at NAIT, the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, is Stuart Cullum. And along with a new director, the program has a new name - NovaNAIT. As Stuart Cullum explains, the NovaNAIT concept brings together a number of programs. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 187.mp3 Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #186 Developments in the tiny world of nanotechnology promise a big splash that could revolutionize everything from communications to medical treatments. One person grappling with the social and legal ramifications of nanoscience is Lori Sheremeta. (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 186.mp3 Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #185 Dr. Gane Wong, the new iCORE Chair in Biosystems Informatics, will lead a joint project between Alberta and the Beijing Genomics Institute. His team will undertake the immense task of sequencing the genomes for one thousand plant species. (iCORE, Informatics Circle of Research Excellence) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 185.mp3 Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #184 The new iCORE Chair in Biosystems Informatics at the University of Alberta is Dr. Gane Wong. What he does is process biological information. With the explosion in DNA analysis since the human genome project, biologists are among the biggest users of computational power. That’s why computer scientists, mathematicians, and even physicists like Dr. Wong are finding their way into biology labs. (iCORE, The Informatics Circle of Research Excellence) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 184.mp3 Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #183 The new hero in the fight against mad cow and chronic wasting disease could very well be the tiny zebra fish. Popular as pets, zebra fish are proving useful in the lab, just like fruit flies and transgenic mice. They reproduce quickly and their genes are easy to manipulate. Dr. Ted Allison is developing a zebra fish model for use in his work with the Alberta Prion Research Institute. (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 183.mp3 Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #182 This weekend university students from around the world will converg on Boston, their eyes on winning first place at the iGEM Jamboree at MIT. iGEM stands for International Genetically Engineered Machines. And seven teams from Alberta will try their best to repeat the success of last year's winners, the Butanerds from the University of Alberta. (Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 182.mp3 Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #181 The mad cow crisis that hit Canadian beef farmers five and half years ago has given rise to a concerted scientific effort. Some researchers are looking for the cause of the disease. Others are looking for treatments. And then, there is Dr. Ellen Goddard. She’s leading a broad investigation into the social and economic impacts of mad cow disease for the Alberta Prion Research Institute.(Alberta Ingenuity) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 181.mp3 Tue, 04 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #180 It is not unusual for a company or government agency to engage in strategic planning.But the Alberta Research Council has taken that concept to new heights with the establishment of a position called the Chair of Foresight.  And the man holding that Chair is Dr. Axel Meisen. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 180.mp3 Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #179 The static or buzz you hear sometimes on the phone is caused by harmonics that transfer between power and telephone lines. Harmonics, like power surges and blackouts, create many costly problems for utility companies and their customers. But help is on the way thanks to the research of Dr. Wilsun Xu at the University of Alberta. (iCORE) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 179.mp3 Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #178 After a year and a half, the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research has completed its search for a scientific superstar. And the recipient of its first Polaris Award is Dr. Bruce McNaughton. This world renowned neuroscientist is moving from Arizona to join the Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge. (Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 178.mp3 Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #177 Unlike bogs which get their water from precipitation, the hydrology of a fen depends on ground water. This provides numerous challenges for environmental scientist Clara Qualizza and her colleagues as they try to turn oil sands tailings into a peat forming landscape. (Syncrude Canada) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 177.mp3 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #176 The next project for Syncrude’s reclamation research team is the reconstruction of a fen watershed. A fen is one type of peatland in the boreal forest of northeastern Alberta. According to environmental scientists Clara Qualizza, Syncrude’s attempt to rebuild a fens complex hydrology after removing the oil sands below will draw on the knowledge gained from something called the HEAD project. (Syncrude Canada) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 176.mp3 Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #175 When upgrading the insulation in the 2x4 construction of an older home, you might go from R12 to R20. But what if you could achieve R56 or R100? Those are the insulation values you’ll find at the Riverdale Net Zero House in Edmonton. But as engineer Gordon Howell explains, they too are made from the lowly 2X4. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 175.mp3 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #174 The high cost of fossil based energy has finally hit home, both financially and environmentally. Now Canadians are giving serious attention to energy efficient, environment friendly technologies for new house construction. That’s what you’ll find in the Riverdale Net Zero House. The goal is to reduce each home’s net energy consumption to zero. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 174.mp3 Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #173 When Syncrude Canada processes bitumen to produce synthetic oil, one by-product is black coke. According to Syncrude scientist Clara Qualizza, this coke is essentially pure carbon. It’s a potential energy source and must stay on-site. (Syndrude Canada) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 173.mp3 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #172 One of the materials Syncrude Canada is using to reconstruct the boreal landscape after mining bitumen is tailings leftover from production. Through its Instrumented Watersheds program, Syncrude scientists have found that tailings behave like fine sand with lots of silt. According to environmental scientist Clara Qualizza, the tailings watershed acts as a large storage site for sand, but without artificial drainage. (Syncrude Canada) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 172.mp3 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #171 Before a mine is dug to extract oil sand, the soil must be salvaged and stored for use in reconstructing the landscape afterwards. Clara Qualizza is an environmental scientist who works with the instrumented watershed program at Syncrude Canada. She says the research of her team has helped improve soil reclamation technology. (Syncrude Canada) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 171.mp3 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #170 There is more to replacing the forest ecosystem after oil sands mining than simply filling up the hole with dirt and planting seeds. Over the last decade Syncrude Canada has been engaged in a reclamation experiment it calls instrumented watersheds. As Syncrude scientist Clara Qualizza explains, this involves rebuilding landforms complete with scientific instruments to monitor how water moves through the system. (Syncrude Canada) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 170.mp3 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #169 When it comes to innovation, do you depend on serendipity or do you guide the path to discovery? The latter holds true for John McDougall, President and CEO of the Alberta Research Council. First, he says, you have to peer into the future to determine what the emerging issues might be. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 169.mp3 Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #168 What do tropical forests have in common with Facebook? The link is Dr. Arturo Sanchez, professor and director of the Centre for Earth Observation Science at the University of Alberta. An expert in remote sensing, Dr. Sanchez collaborates with scientists in Central and South American to study cloud cover. Called Tropi-Dry, his project is getting a communications boost through a new initiative called GeoChronos. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 168.mp3 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #167 Space may be the final frontier, but keeping track of data collected by scientists is still very earth bound. That's where a new Alberta based IT program hopes to ease the collaboration among space researchers around the globe. U of A professor Dr. Robert Rankin heads the Canadian Space Science Data Portal. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 167.mp3 Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #166 The Alberta Newsprint Company in Whitecourt uses spruce trees to produce its high quality, bright white newsprint. This makes it the popular choice of publications like USA Today. However, the company will now start using less desirable pine from trees killed by mountain pine beetles. It is embarking on this experiment with the help of the Alberta Research Council. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 166.mp3 Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 165.mp3 Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 164.mp3 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 163.mp3 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.com1-Innovation Anthology 162.mp3 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #161 Meteor showers like the Perseids 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 University of New Brunswick. (Canada Foundation for Innovation). http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 161.mp3 Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 160.mp3 Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 159.mp3 Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 158.mp3 Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 157.mp3 Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 156.mp3 Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 155.mp3 Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 154.mp3 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 153.mp3 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 152.mp3 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 151.mp3 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 150.mp3 Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 149.mp3 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 148.mp3 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 147.mp3 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 146.mp3 Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.com1-Innovation Anthology 145.mp3 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 144.mp3 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.com1-Innovation Anthology 143.mp3 Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 142.mp3 Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 141.mp3 Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 140.mp3 Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 139.mp3 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.com1-Innovation Anthology 138.mp3 Thu, 29 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.com2-Innovation Anthology 137.mp3 Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 136.mp3 Thu, 22 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.com1-Innovation Anthology 135.mp3 Tue, 20 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 134.mp3 Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 133.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.comInnovation Anthology 132.MP3 Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 131.MP3 Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 130.MP3 Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 129.MP3 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 127.MP3 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 128.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.comInnovation Anthology 126.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.comInnovation Anthology 125.mp3 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 124.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.comInnovation Anthology 123.mp3 Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 122.mp3 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 121.mp3 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.com1-Innovation Anthology 120.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.comInnovation Anthology 119.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.comInnovation Anthology 118.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.comInnovation Anthology 117.mp3 Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.cominnovation anthology 116.mp3 Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.cominnovation anthology 115.mp3 Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700 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.com1-innovation anthology 114.mp3 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0800 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.cominnovation anthology 113.mp3 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0800 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.cominnovation anthology 112.mp3 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 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.cominnovation anthology 111.mp3 Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 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.com1-Innovation Anthology 110.mp3 Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 109.mp3 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 108.mp3 Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 107.mp3 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #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.comInnovation Anthology 106.mp3 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 105.mp3 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 104.mp3 Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 103.mp3 Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 102.mp3 Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 101.mp3 Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 100.mp3 Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 099.mp3 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 098.mp3 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 097.mp3 Tue, 08 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 096.mp3 Thu, 03 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 095.mp3 Thu, 27 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 094.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.comInnovation Anthology 093.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.comInnovation Anthology 092.mp3 Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 091.mp3 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 090.mp3 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 089.mp3 Tue, 04 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 088.mp3 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 087.mp3 Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 086.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.comInnovation Anthology 085.mp3 Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 084.mp3 Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 083.mp3 Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800 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.com1-Innovation Anthology 082.mp3 Thu, 08 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 081.mp3 Tue, 06 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800 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.comInnovation Anthology 080.mp3 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.com1-Innovation Anthology 079.mp3 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 078.mp3 Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.com1-Innovation Anthology 077.mp3 Tue, 23 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #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.comInnovation Anthology 075.mp3 Tue, 16 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 074.mp3 Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 073.mp3 Tue, 09 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 072.mp3 Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 071.mp3 Tue, 02 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 070.mp3 Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #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.comInnovation Anthology 069.mp3 Tue, 25 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 068.mp3 Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 067.mp3 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.com1-Innovation Anthology 066.mp3 Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.com1-Innovation Anthology 065.mp3 Tue, 11 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 064.mp3 Thu, 06 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 063.mp3 Tue, 04 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.com1-Innovation Anthology 062.mp3 Thu, 30 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 061.mp3 Tue, 28 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 060.mp3 Thu, 23 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 059.mp3 Tue, 21 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 058.mp3 Thu, 16 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 057.mp3 Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 056.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.comInnovation Anthology 055.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.comInnovation Anthology 054.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.comInnovation Anthology 053.mp3 Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 052.mp3 Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 050.mp3 Thu, 19 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.com1-Innovation Anthology 049.mp3 Tue, 17 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 048.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.comInnovation Anthology 047.mp3 Tue, 10 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 046.mp3 Thu, 05 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 045.mp3 Tue, 03 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 044.mp3 Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 043.mp3 Tue, 26 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 042.mp3 Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 041.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.comInnovation Anthology 040.mp3 Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 039.mp3 Tue, 12 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 038.mp3 Thu, 07 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 037.mp3 Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #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.comInnovation Anthology 036.mp3 Thu, 31 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 035.mp3 Tue, 29 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 033.mp3 Tue, 22 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 032.mp3 Thu, 17 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 030.mp3 Thu, 10 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 029.mp3 Tue, 08 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 028a.mp3 Thu, 19 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 027.mp3 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700 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.comInnovation Anthology 026.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.comInnovation Anthology 025.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 agricultural land. When Dr. Phil Lee looked at development trajectories for the Integrated Landscape Management Program at the University of Alberta, he found a typical pattern has repeated itself since the 1940’s. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 024.mp3 Thu, 05 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #22 Red squirrels live off the seeds they collect from the cones of spruce trees. In some years, spruce trees produce much larger cone crops than others. This “masting” is an evolutionary boom-bust strategy on the part of plants to outsmart predators that feed on their seed. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 022.mp3 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #21 Throughout the boreal forest, wherever you find spruce trees, you’ll also find that little chatterbox, the red squirrel. For almost two decades, University of Alberta ecologist Dr. Stan Boutin has studied successive generations of red squirrels in the southern Yukon. Dr. Boutin and his research team have discovered that in response to climate warming, red squirrels are reproducing much earlier than usual. http://www.innovationanthology.com1-Innovation Anthology 021.mp3 Tue, 27 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #19 When it comes to studying the evolution of mating behavior, the species of choice for Dr. Bill Cade is the cricket. Not only is Dr. Cade the President of the University of Lethbridge, he’s also a world renowned biologist. (University of Lethbridge) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 019.mp3 Tue, 20 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #18 When concerned citizens in Paraguay wanted help to preserve an important piece of rainforest, they called upon scientists at the Alberta Research Council. The result was a collaboration between the Research Council, The Canadian International Development Agency, and The Moises Bertoni Foundation in Paraguay. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 018.mp3 Thu, 15 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #17 With all the development in Alberta, the human footprint on the landscape is becoming very heavy. Over time, the amount of forest cut down for seismic lines, well sites, roads, and utility corridors adds up. The cumulative impacts can spell disaster for wildlife and their habitat. One man who is making a difference is Dr. Brad Stelfox. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 017.mp3 Tue, 13 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0700 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #16 Eating disorders among adolescents are on the rise. A recent study of Grade Five and Grade Seven students found 19 percent, or one in five students have an eating disorder. These findings are the result of research conducted by two Edmonton clinical dieticians, Dianne Drummond and Suzanne Hare. (Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 016.mp3 Thu, 08 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #15 It’s fifty years since the previous International Polar Year. The latest one got its official launch on March 1st, 2007 and it will run through until March 1st of 2009. http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 015.mp3 Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #14 Necessity truly is the mother of invention. Just ask Dr. Craig Coburn, an assistant professor of geography at The University of Lethbridge. Dr. Coburn uses remote sensing and satellite imagery in his research on farm crops and forests. (The University of Lethbridge) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 014.mp3 Thu, 01 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #13 Creepy as they may seem, tent caterpillars play an important role in the renewal of aspen forests. Tent caterpillars feed on the leaves of trembling aspen. At the height of a tent caterpillar outbreak, the biomass of these creepy crawlies per square kilometer can be the equivalent of 657 caribou. (Sustainable Forest Management Network) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 013.mp3 Tue, 27 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #12 Chainsaws use a lot of oil for lubrication. In fact, as much as 8 litres per hour. But it only takes a litre of lubricant to Contaminate a million litres of water. So the search is on to find more environment friendly alternatives that can still a good job. Tom Kosik of the Alberta Research Council recently tested some bio-lubricants made from canola oil. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 012.mp3 Thu, 22 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #11 The normal lifespan of a cottonwood tree is a hundred years. So imagine the surprise of University of Lethbridge cottonwood expert Dr. Stewart Rood when he found some cottonwoods that were 500 years old. (University of Lethbridge) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 011.mp3 Tue, 20 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #10 The Alberta forest landscape is the busiest in Canada. Along with logging, there's seismic and drilling activity, road building, utility corridors, recreational use, and encroachment from real estate development. The pressure these place on wildlife and their habitat increases every day. (Sustainable Forest Management Network) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 010.mp3 Thu, 15 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #9 Getting bitumen out of the oil sands in northern Alberta is a huge undertaking. The bitumen is very thick. And none of it processes the same way as it goes through the oil sands plant. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 009.mp3 Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #8 Imagine something as simple as a gentle touch that helps repair the brain. That’s what Dr. Robbin Gibb is studying at the Canadian Centre for Behavioral Neuroscience in Lethbridge. (University of Lethbridge) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 008.mp3 Thu, 08 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #7 When it comes to home heating, your furnace may soon go the way of the dinosaur. For the past five years, Dr. Kaz Szymocha has been working on an invention that harnesses the energy of the sun to heat your home from the outside. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 007.mp3 Tue, 06 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #6 In an old forest, lichens hang like feathered beards from the branches of ancient evergreens. Lichens themselves can live for centuries, if not millennia. That’s why ecologist Troy McMullen believes foresters should pay more attention to lichens when developing plans to manage old growth forests. (Sustainable Forest Management Network) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 006.mp3 Thu, 01 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #5 First it was the mapping of the Human Genome. Now it’s the Human Metabolome. Dr. David Wishart and his team at the University of Alberta have just completed the first draft of the human metabolome. http://www.innovationanthology.cominnovation anthology 005.mp3 Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #4 Do you drink baking soda or bicarbonate to calm an acid tummy? Well, that’s what our cells do. They call on bicarbonate to neutralize the build-up of acids that are a by-product of the body’s metabolic functions. (Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 004.mp3 Thu, 25 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #3 What happens when a cow gets the sniffles? Usually when a farmer discovers his livestock is sick, it's too late. But help is on the way. And that's in the form of wireless sensors that monitor the state of a cow\'s health. (Alberta Research Council) http://www.innovationanthology.comInnovation Anthology 003.mp3 Tue, 23 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #2 If you work shifts or spend a lot of time burning the midnight oil, you're playing havoc with your body's internal clock. Over time, constantly upsetting your circadian rhythm may actually put you at greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. (University of Lethbridge) http://www.innovationanthology.com2-innovation anthology 002.mp3 Thu, 18 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800 Cheryl Croucher Innovation Anthology #1 Busy as a beaver is the famous saying. So why would beavers take shortcuts? That’s a surprising discovery ecologist Dr. Lee Foote and his graduate students made when they investigated whether roads act like beaver dams in the forest. (Sustainable Forest Management Network) http://www.innovationanthology.cominnovation anthology 001.mp3 Tue, 16 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800