Patty Wellborn

Email: patty.wellborn@ubc.ca


 

UBC Assistant Professor Sanjoy Ghosh.

UBC Assistant Professor Sanjoy Ghosh.

A UBC researcher is suggesting the types of cooking oils people consume may be sabotaging their efforts to stay healthy and avoid illnesses such as diabetes.

Sanjoy Ghosh, a Michael Smith Health Research Foundation Scholar and a professor at UBC’s Okanagan campus, has recently published research that concludes a high consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) but not monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) can lead to sedentary or lazy behaviour, especially in women.

Ghosh says not that long ago, heart disease was supposedly caused by saturated fats—an idea that has become increasingly controversial in recent years. This thinking instigated the intentional removal of saturated fatty acids from most food supplies in favour of MUFA and PUFA. Essentially all fats in our ‘convenience’ foods like potato chips, energy bars, crackers or burgers use cooking oils like corn, sunflower and soybean and margarine—all rich in MUFAs and PUFAs.

So Ghosh now questions: can we blame our dietary fats at least partially for the physical inactivity that’s well documented in Canadian children and adults?

“Our study presents new ecological evidence that dietary PUFA is strongly associated with sedentary behavior among pre-teen girls and weakly associated with diabetes among adult women across Europe,” says Ghosh, recommending more trials and studies are done to confirm his findings.

Alarmingly, exposure to dietary PUFA can be identified early in life. In this analysis, a significant correlation was observed in sedentary behaviour of 11-year-old girls and PUFA in their diets.

Ghosh collaborated with UBC biologist and data analyst Jason Pither, the first author of the study, to examine data from 21 countries in Europe, specifically looking at pre-teen girls and then, in a second study, the blood glucose levels of adult women. In putting details such as the amount of time each week spent watching TV along with other filters — like a country’s per capita GDP, urbanization, and even latitude — they came out with a clear connection to the consumption of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and an increase in sedentary behaviour.

Such clinical findings come on the heels of a similar study from Ghosh’s lab in 2015 in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, which provided the first indication that omega-6 PUFAs we eat makes mice lazy. To read the full study, visit: jnutbio.com/article/S0955-2863(14)00247-2/abstract

“This data is extremely significant,” says Ghosh. “Nobody has made this connection and it’s time for an intervention. And if someone is beginning an exercise program without taking a close look at the fats, especially PUFA, they are consuming, or changing what they’re eating, then it might be doomed to failure.”

This research was recently published in the PLOSOne. Funding for this research was provided by the Egg Farmers of Canada, Dairy Farmers of Canada, Canadian Diabetes Association and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

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UBC Okanagan Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Principal Deborah Buszard (far left) and UBC Okanagan Vice-Principal Research Philip Barker (far right) congratulate award-winning researchers Mary Jung, Jonathan Holzman, Mike Deyholos, and Susan Frohlick.

UBC Okanagan Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Principal Deborah Buszard (far left) and UBC Okanagan Vice-Principal Research Philip Barker (far right) congratulate award-winning researchers Mary Jung, Jonathan Holzman, Mike Deyholos, and Susan Frohlick.

Open minds, creative thinking and cutting-edge research have led to top awards for faculty and students at UBC’s Okanagan campus.

This week, the campus marked Celebrate Research Week with a series of public events highlighting current research projects. On Friday UBC Okanagan recognized its Researchers of the Year.

“I applaud all our researchers who are working at our university and I am delighted to honour the 2017 researchers of the year,” says Vice-Principal Research Philip Barker. “Our campus continues to reach new heights and these awards illustrate the top work performed by our research community.”

A tie was declared for Researcher of the Year award between Prof. Michael Deyholos (Natural Sciences) and Assoc. Prof. Jonathan Holzman (Engineering).

Prof. Susan Frohlick was named Social Sciences and Humanities Researcher of the Year and Assist. Prof. Mary Jung was awarded the Health Researcher of the Year.

“I am delighted to recognize the dedication, perseverance and creativity of professors Deyholos, Holzman, Frohlick and Jung,” says Barker. “Their inquiring minds and hard work are producing superb world-class research that will have a significant and lasting impact.”

Student researcher awards were also presented on Friday: Logan Cochrane won the Graduate Student Researcher of the Year award and Jeffery Krupa received the Undergraduate Student Researcher of the Year.

About UBC Okanagan’s award-winning researchers

Co-Researcher of the Year: Professor Michael Deyholos, Natural Sciences

Biology professor Mike Deyholos uses genetics to research physiological processes in plants, which is leading to a better understanding of how plants can be modified to become more drought and pathogen resistant. Much of his research has focussed on flax and its use in the textile and renewable composite fields.

“Mike uses a wide variety of advanced experimental and computational genomic techniques in his research work,” says nominator Gino DiLabio, head of UBC Okanagan’s Chemistry department. “These techniques provide a rich and valuable learning environment for the next generation of young scientists. He continues to elevate his department, the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences, and our campus through his collaborative, insightful and impactful research.”

Co-Researcher of the Year: Associate Professor Jonathan Holzman, Engineering

Engineering professor Jonathan Holzman is described by his peers as a catalyst for growth in research. He established the Integrated Optics Laboratory which fosters collaborative research that has put the Okanagan campus on the international map. His research team has put forward major advances in the emerging field of optical wireless communications and is the forerunner in this technology through the introduction of bi-directional optimal wireless communication.

Holzman’s research accomplishments are “truly exceptional,” says nominator Rehan Sadiq, associate dean of the School of Engineering. Sadiq commends Holzman’s continued dedication to research promotion in the community through school tours, lab demonstrations and workshops for elementary and high-school students.

“It is clear that Jonathan is a shining example of success in research at our campus and highly deserving of this award,” says co-nominator Mina Hoorfar, director of the School of Engineering.

Health Researcher of the Year: Assistant Professor Mary Jung

A professor in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences, Jung’s research has led to successful collaborations with several local and provincial organizations. Notably, Jung’s curiosity and unending research has improved the quality of life of people living with chronic illnesses, says Gord Binsted, dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Development.

“She is a recognized leader in designing novel self-regulatory interventions for improving adherence to exercise and healthy diet for the prevention and treatment of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and chronic disease,” says Binsted, noting Jung has also established interdisciplinary collaborations at UBC, across Canada and in the United States. She is also a leader in the field of research examining psychological responses to high-intensity interval training in active adults.

Social Sciences and Humanities Researcher of the Year: Professor Susan Frohlick

Professor Susan Frohlick’s teaching focus is on cultural anthropology with a special interest in the anthropology of tourism and travel, gender and sexuality, the politics of mobility and transnational/global intimacies. She is described by her peers as an outstanding, innovative and inspiring scholar and teacher.

“Susan is a star among scholars and a mentor among colleagues,” says Pamela Downe, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan who supported her nomination for Researcher of the Year. “Her excellence is unparalleled within anthropology in Canada today.”

Along with balancing the role of department head with teaching and supervising graduate students, Frohlick has also conducted research in tourist-dependent towns in Costa Rica. In addition, she has worked with African immigrants and refugee youths in Winnipeg.

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UBC researchers have determined how fungi found in the roots of trees regulate forest diversity through their effects on seedlings.

A large-scale, multi-year study, examined the roots of dozens of varieties of trees, taking note of which type of fungus was found with the roots. The investigation determined the type of fungi that a tree associates with determines the extent to which seedlings are damaged by root pathogens and herbivores. Basically, the growth and survival of those seedlings depends on its root-associated fungi.

John Klironomos is a professor of biology at UBC’s Okanagan campus.

John Klironomos is a professor of biology at UBC’s Okanagan campus.

John Klironomos, professor of biology at UBC’s Okanagan campus, says the newly-published study verifies how plant interactions with these root-associated fungi affect the biodiversity of a forest.

“Scientists are always asking ‘what drives biodiversity?’” says Klironomos. “This study concludes that the mycorrhizal type of root system—one that has a mutually beneficial or symbiotic relationship with fungus—is an important contributor to population regulation and community structure.”

The research team, including UBC’s Miranda Hart and Jonathan Bennett, studied trees and their interactions with fungi in temperate forests; with samples of soil and seedlings coming from 55 species of trees at 550 locations in North America. Their work examined soil, seedlings, and fungi on the roots; comparing the effects on plant growth and survival between two specific types of mycorrhizal fungi.

“Although scientists have been trying to determine the processes that drive biodiversity for more than 100 years, we still don’t have a firm handle on it,” says Bennett, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow working with Klironomos. “With this study, we show that the type of fungi found in plant roots regulates population growth, with potentially critical consequences for plant biodiversity.”

Klironomos, a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, explains that the roots of most plants are connected to different types of fungi, with ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi being the most common. The two are not alike, as EM create a protective sheath over the roots systems and AM don’t.

“We think that this is because the EM fungus covers the outside of the growing root, and thereby protects the seedlings from pathogens and herbivores,” he explains. “This study concludes that the type of symbiotic relationship between plant roots with fungus is an important contributor to population regulation and community structure in forest ecosystems.”

In a further experiment, the team transplanted 10 un-inoculated seedlings and 10 seedlings pre-inoculated with mycorrhizal fungi into the field. The un-inoculated seedling survival rate was drastically reduced. Klironomos says seedlings pre-inoculated with the EM fungi had an 840 per cent higher survival rate compared with the un-inoculated seedlings.

By contrast, AM seedlings did not benefit from pre-inoculation, nor did pre-inoculation affect densities.

Knowing what’s going on under the ground is vital when it comes to protecting forests and developing forest management strategies, Klironomos adds.

“The type of mycorrhiza certainly influences the population,” he says. “Ectomycorrhizal systems assist trees of the same species. By contrast, the arbuscular mycorrhizas fail to adequately assist similar species, so the trees are not protected by the fungus and do not thrive.”

Klironomos’ research was recently published in Science and was funded by an NSERC Discovery Grant and Accelerator Award and an NSERC postdoctoral fellowship for Bennett.

Jonathan Bennett is a postdoctoral fellow in Klironomos’ research lab.

Jonathan Bennett is a postdoctoral fellow in Klironomos’ research lab.

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The Okanagan Research Forum will discuss changes this region is facing due to climate change, population growth, and land use changes.

The Okanagan Research Forum will discuss changes this region is facing due to climate change, population growth, and land use changes.

What: Okanagan Research Forum
Who: UBC Okanagan Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience, and Ecosystem Services (BRAES) and UBC Okanagan Institute for Community Engaged Research (ICER)
When: Monday, December 5 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with keynote lecture 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Kelowna Yacht Club banquet room, 1370 Water St, Kelowna

The Okanagan Research Forum invites the community to listen to experts and take part in an open discussion about the future of the Okanagan landscape.

Hosted by UBC Okanagan’s BRAES Institute and ICER Institute in collaboration with partner organizations, the forum will be about sharing information and encouraging conversation between members of the community, locally engaged organizations, government and academia. Event partners include the Okanagan Basin Water Board, Okanagan Nation Alliance, BC Wildlife Federation, City of Kelowna (Imagine Kelowna), and the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program.

The theme of this year’s event is resilience and will include plenary presentations and discussions by expert panelists to explore how the concept of resilience applies to social, cultural and ecological systems. The afternoon will include a facilitated working session and group discussions.

The evening keynote lecture on community resilience will be presented by Assoc. Prof. Kyle Powys Whyte, indigenous philosopher and activist from Michigan State University.

Both the daytime session and the keynote lecture are open to the public. There is a nominal registration fee for the daytime sessions to cover the cost of food and beverages. The keynote is free.

To register, or get more information visit okresearchforum.geolive.ca or contact Carolina Restrepo at carolina.restrepo@ubc.ca

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Mini-Med 2016

The human being’s most critical organ, the brain, is the topic of this year’s Mini-Med series.

Each year, UBC professors bring their knowledge out of the classroom and into the community for a four-week health-based lecture series. Starting October 25, the UBC Clinical Academic Campus, located at Kelowna General Hospital, is the site for the educational medical lectures.

“Mini-Med is another way Okanagan communities are sharing in the expertise at UBC,” says Deborah Buszard, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Principal. “This lecture series offers an extraordinary opportunity to learn about advances in health and medicine from leading researchers. As Mini-Med students, participants will get to know the brain and learn about pioneering discoveries which are improving diagnosis, treatment and care.”

Mini-Med 2016 curriculum: The Brain

October 25—Brain Basics: Facts, functions and anatomy Assoc. Prof. Bruce Mathieson,

Assoc. Prof. Bruce Mathieson, microbiologist and neuroscientist, will give a brief introduction on the brain and use an interactive tool he developed for his teaching program at UBC Okanagan. He will also discuss his own research program involving a new group of hormones—neurosteriods—thought to have potential implications for neurodegenerative disease.

November 1—Brain Afflictions: Why diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s take hold Prof. Philip Barker, molecular

Prof. Philip Barker, molecular biologist and biochemist, will discuss his basic science research program at UBC Okanagan involving Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Co-presenting with Barker is Dr. Daryl Wile MD, the newest neurologist to join the Parkinson’s community in Kelowna. The pair teams up for this bench to bedside lecture that looks at the earliest pre-clinical events in the brain and how they may eventually present clinically in diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

November 8—Understanding Stroke and Recovery

Dr. Harry Miller is a clinical neuropsychologist, clinical assistant professor of psychology and clinical instructor in the UBC department of psychiatry. Dr. Miller, who specializes in stroke recovery, will discuss his research into neglect; a very real after-effect of stroke that creates a perception of vision loss and at the same time severely hinders recovery. He’s joined by Jennifer Upshaw, a PhD student in UBC’s Clinical Psychology program, who will talk about hemi spatial neglect in stroke patients.

November 15—Addictions as a Brain Disease

Dr. Leslie Lappalainen, an addictions medicine specialist, will talk about how drug abuse and alcohol affect the brain and the science that underpins addiction. She’ll offer up some of the latest research for different treatments for alcohol and opioid addiction, and discuss reasons why they are currently underutilized. Dr. Lappalainen is the medical lead for Addiction Medicine, Mental Health and Substance Use at Interior Health, and a clinical instructor with the UBC Faculty of Medicine.

Registration is required and people can sign up for one session ($10) or all four. For the entire series, the fee is: adults $30; second adult $20; seniors (65+) $20; students: $15. Space is limited, so early registration is suggested: minimed.ok.ubc.ca

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Biologists from UBC’s Okanagan campus are digging under vineyards to see if the Okanagan’s grape industry is affecting soil quality.

The team of researchers spent the better part of three years studying soil samples from more than 15 vineyards throughout the valley.

Associate Professor Miranda Hart, PhD candidate Taylor Holland and Agriculture Canada research scientist Pat Bowen looked at soils in vineyards and neighbouring natural—or uncultivated—habitats. With samples from both areas, the scientists compared the bacterial and fungal communities between habitats, trying to determine what’s happening to the soil under the wine-producing grapes.

Miranda-Hart

UBC Associate Professor Miranda Hart

They determined there was a definite difference in soil communities between the natural valley soil and the vineyard soil.

“Soil biodiversity may be an important part of terroir, which is everything to a grape grower, so they have a vested interest in ensuring we preserve soil biodiversity,” says Hart “This baseline study shows us that BC wine growing regions are different in terms of the organisms that live in the soil.”

All agricultural activity will affect the soil, some more than others, Hart explains. But in order to know how the soil is being changed, researchers wanted to compare samples with natural, uncultivated areas alongside processed areas.

“We have to take care of the microbes in the soil,” she says. “The biodiversity of soil microbes is essential if we are to feed our growing population.”

While Hart points out there is a limited understanding of how agriculture practices change soil biodiversity, it is important to understand what the soil would be like if left in its natural state, so growers are aware of how they may be changing it.

The samples they tested showed that bacterial and fungal communities responded differently to viticulture: bacteria had a higher biodiversity in vineyards, compared to fungi which had higher biodiversity in unmanaged areas.

These results indicate that viticulture practices influence key environmental factors that control soil microbial communities and possibly affect nutrient availability and other services provided by natural soil communities, says Holland. Microbes are big part of the soil for grape growers; what happens underground can influence the vine growth and fruit development and downstream wine assets, he explains.

“Improved knowledge of how management choices affect microbial communities and their influences on crop performance would benefit the design of efficient and sustainable production systems,” Holland adds. “As we move towards more natural practices, hopefully we can reduce these differences.”

Bowen, who works at the Summerland research centre, says knowing what’s happening in the soil is a vital part of agriculture for several reasons.

“Microbial communities also play an important role in stabilizing vineyard ecosystems which can reduce the need for pesticides and other resource inputs,” Bowen adds.
Hart’s research, funded by an NSERC Discovery Grant, and other funds provided by the BC Wine Grape Council and Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, was recently published in Applied Soil Ecology (sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0929139315301451).

Find out more about Hart’s research at: ourstories.ok.ubc.ca/stories/miranda-hart

UBC PhD candidate Taylor Holland has spent the better part of three years studying soil samples from vineyards throughout the Okanagan.

UBC PhD candidate Taylor Holland has spent the better part of three years studying soil samples from vineyards throughout the Okanagan.

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UBC biology associate professor Deanna Gibson says some fats are getting a bad rap and can actually help protect us from inflammatory diseases.

UBC biology associate professor Deanna Gibson says some fats are getting a bad rap and can actually help protect us from inflammatory diseases.

UBC research shows that some of the fats we consume are getting a raw deal when it comes to deciding what’s good for us.

Long thought of as the bad guys in the commercial diet industry, fats are now getting a second look thanks to research done by UBC’s Deanna Gibson. Her recent findings, published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, show some fats are not only good for us, but can help prevent diseases.

Gibson, an associate professor who teaches biology at the Okanagan campus, is looking into the science of fats, and how they measure up in gut health.

“We tend to vilify all fats,” she says. “Especially those that are saturated, such as butter. However, our research has actually shown that some of these fats are protective in inflammatory diseases such as colitis, Crohn’s disease, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).”

Along with butter, people have been advised by health authorities to avoid other foods high in saturated fats including animal fat products such as whole milk dairy products like cheese and cream, palm and coconut oils and fatty meats.

Gibson explains people with gut issues and those already on a restricted diet, might be nutritionally deprived and should not avoid fats. Fats are essential for the body, she says, and are important for tasks such as hormone production and brain function. In addition, her study shows that the fats we typically identify as healthy—some polyunsaturated fats found in nuts and seeds—can irritate an already inflamed bowel.

“Saturated fats aren’t toxic; they actually have the ability to promote healing. My recommendation of the ideal diet for those with, and without IBD, is to include olive oils, some saturated fats, and a little fish oil.”

Gibson and her team are involved with microbiome research, evaluating factors that influence the growth of microbes in mammals. This work, conducted at Gibson’s Microbiome and Inflammatory Disease Research laboratory at UBC’s Okanagan campus, may lead to new therapies for chronic inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, and obesity.

To learn about Gibson’s research visit: ourstories.ok.ubc.ca/stories/deanna-gibson

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Bighorn sheep like steep rocky terrain, a habit often intersected by highways. Photo by Tanis Gieselman, with the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program.

Bighorn sheep like steep rocky terrain, a habit often intersected by highways. Photo by Tanis Gieselman, with the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program.

A UBC Okanagan researcher has created a tool to help map bighorn sheep movement in an effort to monitor how they respond to human development in their habitat.

Corrie Allen is a graduate student and a contributing member to UBC Okanagan’s Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience, and Ecosystem Services. She recently worked with a variety of stakeholders to examine the plummeting numbers of bighorn sheep in the Okanagan Valley.

“We are readily converting natural areas into urban subdivisions, agricultural fields, or highways,” says Allen. “This not only decreases the habitat available to a species, but can also fragment existing habitats into isolated patches. For species that require large tracts of natural areas to survive, such as bears, wolverines, and bighorn sheep, this is a big issue.”

Based on previous studies it is known that the bighorn sheep like steep, rocky terrain and they avoid densely vegetated areas or land with a closed canopy. The sheep rarely cross rivers or lakes and are deterred by roads.

Allen’s role in the project was to provide the ‘science’ that land-use planners can use to guide their land management decisions. As part of her contribution, she created a computer model that tracks how bighorn sheep might respond to changes in the landscape, which can be used in land-use planning computer models.

“I created a virtual bighorn sheep that wanders across a model of the Okanagan Valley by following a series of movement rules,” explains Allen. “With this model, we can explore where connectivity might exist on the landscape and how land-use decisions such as prescribed burns or building roads change bighorn sheep movement.”

In land-use planning, planners can conceptualize connectivity as a network of connected areas that animals can use to move between habitat patches. It’s a process that can become increasingly complex when considering the number of public and private stakeholders, including landowners and First Nations, with an interest in the process.

“It is important to recognize the choices we make on our landscapes today will change the options available to us in the future. There are a lot of decision makers in the Okanagan Valley interested in creating a functional and resilient landscape that supports a diverse spectrum of species and ecosystems into the future,” she says.

While Allen’s work has not provided all the answers for the bighorn sheep, it has demonstrated to land use planners how on-the-ground management or conservation scenarios can increase functional connectivity for the species in the study area. And her study also highlights the usefulness of individual-based models to identify how a species makes broad use of a landscape for movement.

UBC Okanagan grad student Corrie Allen has created a tool to help map the movement of bighorn sheep.

UBC Okanagan grad student Corrie Allen has created a tool to help map the movement of bighorn sheep.

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UBC student Heather Hackett and her supervisor Assoc. Prof. Glen Foster.

UBC student Heather Hackett and her supervisor Assoc. Prof. Glen Foster.

A fourth-year UBC Okanagan student came away with a top prize at the recent Experimental Biology Conference in San Diego.

Heather Hackett, a School of Health and Exercise Sciences student, attended the annual conference in April, presenting her research on an ultrasound contrast agent that identifies the presence of intra-cardiac and intrapulmonary shunts. Up until now, measuring irregular blood flow within the heart and lungs has has been a challenge. Hackett’s study is among the first to identify a new non-invasive technique to do this, which involves an ultrasound and dye injection procedure. Her poster presentation won the David S. Bruce Undergraduate Abstract Award.

“Being able to present my research at Experimental Biology in San Diego was a highlight of my undergraduate training,” says Hackett. “The award illustrates my commitment to research and helps me realize the importance of continuing to advance science and be a life-long learner.”

Her supervisor, Assoc. Prof. Glen Foster, who teaches in UBC Okanagan’s School of Health and Exercise Science, is thrilled for Hackett’s success, noting the award recognizes the strong research conducted by undergrad students at UBC Okanagan.

“Winning this type of award, highlights the opportunities that UBC Okanagan makes available for undergraduate students to participate in research on an international scale,” he adds.

The annual award goes to the winning undergrad who is submitting their first abstract and research presentation at the annual Experimental Biology event.

Hackett has won a National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Undergraduate Student Research Award and plans to spend the summer working in UBC Okanagan’s Cardiopulmonary Laboratory for Experimental and Applied Physiology.

With more than 97 applicants, six from Canadian universities, Hackett’s project best honored the late David S Bruce in his commitment to promotion of undergraduate student involvement in research. The David Bruce Award is named after a former of professor of physiology at Wheaton College who was committed to promoting undergraduate student involvement in scientific research.

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UBC Assist. Prof. Deanna Gibson

UBC Assist. Prof. Deanna Gibson

A team of UBC researchers has found that gut bacteria are linked to the onset of Type 1 diabetes.

Their findings also show that long-term and over-use of antibiotics can accelerate the process by disrupting the gut bacteria.

“The incidence of Type 1 diabetes has doubled in the last few years in Western countries, and this is most obvious in children aged 1 to 5,” says Assist. Prof. Deanna Gibson of UBC’s Okanagan campus, the study’s senior author. “This suggests that early life events are critical to health. Our research pinpoints the significant role of bacteria and how antibiotic use can alter their normal development in the gut which then can alter the health of these individuals.”

“While it’s clear that antibiotics are very useful in medicine, overusing them can have significant consequences.”

The study, which looked at diabetes-onset in mice, demonstrated that those susceptible to diabetes had more harmful and less beneficial bacteria than those resistant to the disease. The researchers also demonstrated that the harmful bacteria generated an immune response, which in turn, stimulated destruction of insulin-producing cells.

“We were able to establish a clear relationship between bacteria, the body’s immune reaction and the development of Type 1 diabetes,” says Gibson, a microbiologist at the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences. “This is likely to have significant implications for treatment of the disease. The next steps are to narrow-in and identify which bacteria induce or perhaps protect against Type 1 diabetes. This, in turn, could help with the production of more specific antibiotics.”

There are more than 10 million Canadians living with diabetes or prediabetes, a chronic disease in which the body cannot produce or properly use insulin. (Insulin controls the amount of sugar in the blood.) Type 1 diabetes results when the immune system accidently attacks and kills insulin-producing cells.

The research, recently published in the Nature Group’s ISME Journal (nature.com/ismej/journal/v10/n2/full/ismej2015114a), was supported by the Child and Family Research Institute Diabetes Catalyst Grant from the Canuck’s Foundation, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.To read more about Gibson’s research on bacteria, nutrition and health.

To read more about Gibson’s research on bacteria, nutrition and health, visit: ourstories.ok.ubc.ca/stories/deanna-gibson

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