Julianne Barry graduated this week with her PhD from UBC Okanagan.

She’s done it all—from undergrad to masters to PhD and research fellow

Julianne Barry is one of those rare breeds of university students. She has spent her entire post-secondary academic career—from those first, nervous fresh-faced days to becoming an accomplished researcher and post-doctoral fellow—at UBC’s Okanagan campus.

Adding to that, each one of her UBC degrees is from a different program, giving her an extensive, yet connected, knowledge base.

“My grandfather had diabetes and many of my grandmother’s siblings died at an early age from heart disease,” says Barry. “Because of my indigenous background, I have always been interested in chronic health issues and how some can be prevented.”

Rewind 12 years and Barry is a brand-new biochemistry student, newly graduated from Keremeos’  Similkameen Secondary School. Four years later she graduates with an honours degree from the Irving K. Barber’s School of Arts and Sciences‘ biochemistry program. She then enters a master’s program in biology, studying heart disease with Associate Professor Sanjoy Ghosh’s laboratory. She recently wrapped up her PhD work with the School of Health and Exercise Sciences, while currently working as a post-doctoral research assistant in UBC Okanagan’s School of Nursing.

“I was chosen to be a research assistant and we are working with Indigenous communities and trying to find a way to blend traditional healthcare practices with western health care practices,” she says. “There are a lot of inequalities and gaps in health care when we’re working with the indigenous communities. We’d like to find a way to close those gaps.”

The four-year project, working with Associate Professor of Nursing Donna Kurtz, will look at issues such as diabetes and obesity in Indigenous populations with six communities in towns like Kelowna, Vernon, Kamloops, Lillooet and Williams Lake.

“The Canadian Institutes of Health Research has funded four areas for chronic disease with obesity and diabetes being one. Our focus has been on asking what are the needs and priorities of your community and can how we bring traditional practices and western programs and services together,” she says. “It’s a locally-driven project and we are hoping to implement their ideas.”

Barry has strong Aboriginal roots with Ontario’s Manitoulin Island and speaks fondly of her grandparents. Many of Barry’s family suffered from heart disease and died at an early age due to the illness. Unfortunately, as she worked on her PhD, both grandparents passed away within a short timespan.

“My grandmother was the core of my family and she passed away a week before my thesis defense. It was a pretty challenging time.”

Barry is well versed in diabetes research. Her PhD research was focused on the topic. “Julianne is a rare talent,” says Associate Professor Jonathan Little whose work focuses on health, exercise and diet in the context of Type 2 diabetes. “She continues to expand her repertoire as a postdoc and is truly an example of an accomplished interdisciplinary researcher.”

Little explains how her PhD research spanned from “molecule to human.” It included studies examining how immune cells function in people with Type 2 diabetes at one end of the spectrum to understanding how different types of exercise impact cardiovascular and metabolic function across a 12-month clinical trial at the other. “We looked at the impact of Type 2 diabetes, obesity and exercise on inflammation using the Small Steps for Big Changes program,” she says. “And we followed up with the people a year later and it was fantastic to see the changes these people made throughout the year. These people were overweight or obese and they made significant health changes through the program.”

There was also good with the bad, and Barry notes she was also able to take time away from academia when she and her husband welcomed a baby girl into their family. Now 18 months later and with a toddler who may one day be dependent on her research, she is more determined than ever to continue working to improve health opportunities for all Indigenous people in Canada.

“I feel like my diverse background will benefit my future research and push me to think outside the box.”

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world. For more visit ok.ubc.ca.

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Biology student wins Governor General award for academic achievement

A UBC student’s research examining the DNA of endangered Galapagos tortoises has led to the highest accomplishment a university student can win.

Evelyn Jensen, who was conferred her PhD degree in biology from the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences on Thursday, is the Governor General Gold Medal winner for UBC’s Okanagan campus. The Governor General gold medal award is presented annually to the graduate student with the highest academic achievement.

While Jensen’s academic record speaks for itself—she has achieved A+ in all her coursework at UBC Okanagan—she’s done remarkable research in genomics and was able to compare and analyze the genetic makeup of different generations of Galapagos giant tortoises on Pinzón Island, says her PhD supervisor Prof. Michael Russello.

Evelyn Jensen studied a new generation of giant tortoises while earning her PhD at UBC Okanagan. Photo credit: Michael Russello

While working on her PhD, Jensen and Russello travelled to the Galapagos Islands to study a new generation of giant tortoises—once a species considered extinct in the wild. Russello explains that whalers, pirates and explorers had used the Pinzón Island tortoises as a fresh meat supply, decimating the population. To make matters worse, the sailors inadvertently introduced a species of black rats to the island—the invasive rats lived on the tortoise eggs, and the survival rate of the tortoise plummeted.

“At one time there were thousands of tortoises and they were easy to hunt,” says Russello. “The species was heavily harvested and black rats thrived by attacking the nests and eating the eggs. It got to the point where there were about a hundred or so of these tortoises left on the island and they weren’t repopulating. They were indeed a population of the living dead.”

More than 50 years ago, scientists introduced a headstart management plan; eggs were transported to a nearby island to hatch and grow in captivity before being repatriated to their home island. In 2012 the rats were eradicated from the island and by 2014, wild-hatched young tortoises were surviving on the island. Pinzón now has a growing population, says Russello, noting it’s a conservation success story that demonstrates how easily humans can decimate a species and how hard we have to work to revive one.

“Written in the genome of every individual are not just instructions for building the organism, but also the history of its ancestors. When populations of individuals are analyzed together, their DNA can tell an even larger story of how the population has changed through time,” Jensen explains.

Jensen and Russello spent two weeks on the Galapagos Islands, collecting DNA samples from the current generation of tortoises so they could be compared with DNA from several tortoises removed from Pinzón Island in 1906.

“The theory regarding the genetic effects of rapid population decline is well-developed, but few studies of natural populations exist where sampling was conducted before and after a known bottleneck event,” says Jensen, explaining ‘bottleneck’ is a term used when a species has gone into a rapid decline. “Such knowledge is of particular importance for species restoration, given the link between genetic diversity and the probability of long-term persistence.”

By pairing historical DNA analysis, and the DNA of Pinzón Galapagos giant tortoises sampled pre- and post-decline, she was able to show that the historical sample provided a valuable benchmark for evaluating the head-start program. The research was recently published in the Journal of Heredity.

“My work revealed that Pinzón tortoises have retained a remarkable amount of genetic variation despite their near extinction, and further demonstrates the effectiveness of the conservation intervention in this system,” she says.

Jensen currently holds an NSERC postdoctoral fellowship at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. She is developing baseline population genomic information about polar bear populations in Canada and creating new biomarker toolkit that will be used to monitor polar bears from non-invasively collected scat samples.

Evelyn Jensen, who graduated this week with her PhD, is the Governor General Gold Medal winner for UBC’s Okanagan campus.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world. For more visit ok.ubc.ca.

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UBC Okanagan sustainability researcher Lael Parrott, report editor and contributor

University experts comment on how climate change is transforming alpine environments

Mountains are bellwethers of climate shifts according to new reporting led by UBC researchers, who suggest these terrains are experiencing a variety of rapid and worrying changes.

Mountains comprise a quarter of the world’s land surface and are home to a quarter of the world’s human population. Across Canada, mountain landscapes cover 1.5 million square-kilometres.

“These giants respond rapidly and intensely to climatic and environmental variation,” says UBC Okanagan sustainability researcher Lael Parrott, report editor and contributor. “Both social and natural scientists are recognizing that mountains are sentinels of change.”

The State of the Mountains Report describes the abrupt effect of retreating glaciers on the flow of mountain rivers and watersheds. The report states entire mountain ranges are showing evidence of change.

“These observations can be considered a window to the future, providing a glimpse of some of the consequences associated with the rapid loss of mountain glaciers to come,” says Parrott.

Other updates in the report include changes in tourism, avalanche prediction, birds and mammals and treelines.

In spite of the serious consequences of some of the changes documented in the report, Parrott and other editors of the report remain optimistic. They suggest that the aim is to increase awareness and inform Canadians about the changes in mountain places. This, in turn, may lead to support for policies on headwaters protection to mitigate risks of flooding, conservation of alpine species and their habitats, as well as management of tourism.

“In times of change, mountains need stewards more than ever,” adds Parrott.

About the State of the Mountains Report

The 2018 State of the Mountains Report, published by the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC), is a collection of expert summaries written to raise awareness about the ways a changing climate is transforming the alpine environment. Editors include University of Alberta mountain historian Zac Robinson, mountain ecology researcher David Hik and Lael Parrott from UBC’s Okanagan campus.

The report is a follow up to a similar 2011 article, which was a summary of research being carried out across the country. The 2018 State of the Mountains Report was produced for the ACC, in partnership with The Royal Canadian Geographic Society. The “On the Map” pages in the May-June 2018 issue of Canadian Geographic complement the material in this report.

Both Lael Parrott and Zac Robinson serve on the Board of Directors of the Alpine Club of Canada. David Hik is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society.

About UBC's Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world. For more visit ok.ubc.ca.

Study finds those with hearing loss, much more isolated than their peers

A pilot program encouraging older adults to get walking to improve their health has revealed unexpected details to researchers at UBC’s Okanagan campus.

Charlotte Jones, a professor with the Southern Medical Program based at UBC Okanagan, introduced a program called Walk and Talk for your Life four years ago. The program was developed at the request of, and in collaboration with, more than 300 low-income older adults. The community-based program, offered to seniors at a variety of residences, introduced walking and exercising programs that encouraged companionship.

While established to help keep seniors active, the primary goal was to combat loneliness and isolation and to improve fitness among older adults, explains Jones.

“Multiple studies have demonstrated that people who are lonely and socially isolated are at higher risk for a number of psychosocial and physical disorders including dementia, depression, physical decline, falls, hospitalization and premature mortality,” says Jones.

As Canada’s population ages, the issue of isolated seniors has mushroomed. Jones says each year more seniors are living alone, and this has inspired caregivers to solve the issue of secluded seniors. Jones has since held several different Walk and Talk programs, with different themes, involving more than 200 elderly people. Free to all participants, the program emphasises socialization and maintaining or improving functional fitness.

While the programs have been successful with many participants reporting feeling healthier, the researchers became aware of a new dimension.

“We sought to confirm our suspicions about an important subgroup of our participants, realizing that the quantitative data we had wasn’t telling the whole story,” Jones says. “It dawned on us that for those people with hearing loss in the Walk and Talk program, their loneliness didn’t decrease at all. Clearly, we needed to find out from them what to do to address their needs.”

According to a 2015 Canadian Health Measures Survey, 78 per cent of adults aged 60 to 79 years have measured hearing loss, and more than 77 per cent of those have undiagnosed hearing loss. While hearing aids and auditory rehabilitation may help combat isolation, Jones says it does not address declines in functional fitness like gait speed, musculoskeletal decline and increased risk for falls.

This opened another avenue of research for Jones and her team. Students from the Southern Medical Program, the School of Health and Exercise Sciences, School of Social Work, and psychology, biology and microbiology departments held a series of one-on-one interviews with seniors who had a self-reported hearing loss.  These participants identified several aspects of the program that could be adapted so the program would address their hearing-loss needs. The next step was the Walk, Talk and Listen study that included exercise, socialization and auditory rehabilitation in a more conducive acoustic setting.

This second pilot project involved seniors with self-identified hearing loss who participated in group exercise classes at the local YMCA along with auditory rehabilitation which included education about hearing loss, hearing technology and improved communication skills.

“Most of our participants said they enjoyed making new social connections and felt improved feelings of belonging and an increased motivation to improve their health and well-being,” says Jones. “By far, they felt the group socialization, student interactions and physical activity aspects were the most gratifying and beneficial parts of the program.”

The big takeaway, says Jones, is to remember to tailor all physical activity interactions for the target audience, in this case, people with hearing loss.

“There is a definite need for sustained programming in order to decrease loneliness and social isolation and its downstream negative influence on psychosocial and the physical well-being and mortality of our rapidly growing population of older adults.”

Jones’s research was recently published in the Aging and Mental Health journal.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world. For more visit ok.ubc.ca.

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A screenshot from Banff’s Temple overpass shows a female grizzly escorting her cubs across the Trans-Canada Highway.

Design of wildlife road crossings is crucial for protecting grizzlies

Researchers have determined how female grizzly bears keep their cubs safe while crossing the Trans-Canada Highway.

Adam Ford, Canada Research Chair in Wildlife Restoration Ecology at UBC’s Okanagan campus, along with Montana State University’s Tony Clevenger, studied the travel patterns of grizzlies in Banff National Park between 1997 and 2014. In most cases, a mother bear travelling with cubs opted to use a wildlife overpass instead of a tunnel to cross the highway.

“We used data from Canada’s longest and most detailed study of road-wildlife interactions,” explains Ford, an assistant professor of biology. “We found that grizzly bear females and cubs preferred to use overpasses to cross the highway.”

During the 17-year study period, bears not travelling in these family groups used both underpasses and overpasses.

“You can’t just build a tunnel under a highway and expect to conserve bears,” says Ford. “Our work shows that the design of structures used to get bears across the road matters for reconnecting grizzly bear populations.”

The study looked at five different wildlife crossing structure designs distributed across 44 sites along a 100-km stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway. The structures are purpose-built bridges or tunnels to facilitate the safe movement of animals across roads. Tracking and motion-triggered cameras were used to monitor grizzly bear movement and Ford says all grizzly bears selected larger and more open structures like overpasses and open-span bridges, compared to tunnels and box culverts.

“Since adult females and cubs drive population growth, this research tells us that overpasses are needed to protect bears in roaded areas,” says Ford.

The study also documents the most cost-effective means to design highway mitigation. A common concern in conservation is how to allocate funding to bring the most effective gains for biodiversity. The researchers estimated the cost-effectiveness of structure designs and were surprised by the result.

“When we look at the population as a whole, there were a lot of passages made by males in box culverts, which is the cheapest type of structure to build,” explains Clevenger, stressing that a diversity of wildlife crossing structure designs along a highway is essential.

“It’s important to reduce the chances of adult males encountering cubs since the males will kill young bears,” Clevenger adds. “Creating both ‘bachelor’ and ‘family’-friendly designs will further help bear populations grow.”

This peer-reviewed study was published online this week in the Wildlife Society Bulletin.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world. For more visit ok.ubc.ca.

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UBC Professor Lael Parrott is working to protect low-elevation ecosystems that are important habitat and wildlife movement routes.

Ecological corridor will create north-south migratory route

UBC research is paving the way for a route that will serve as a pilot project to protect green space and allow wildlife to move throughout the Okanagan Valley.

Kelowna was identified in the 2016 Stats Canada census as one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada. With growth comes development and UBC Professor Lael Parrott says the region is in danger of fragmenting low-elevation ecosystems and losing the habitat and movement routes needed by wildlife, especially on the east side of Okanagan Lake.

“This is the last chance we have to protect these areas which are important for at-risk species and many migratory animals,” says Parrott. “If we develop these areas, wildlife that depend on low-elevation habitats will have no chance of moving north to south.”

Four years ago, Parrott’s team began mapping and computer modelling the Okanagan Mountain to Kalamalka Lake corridor, a route many wildlife species already migrate through. The corridor, a combination of different ecosystems including large tracts of low-elevation grasslands and open woodlands, will be a one kilometre-wide area that will connect the approximately 75 kilometres between the two parks. Parrott notes this has been a collaborative effort including several levels of government and the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program, Regional District of the Central Okanagan, local First Nations, and BC’s Ministry of Agriculture.

In addition to protecting habitat, the ecological corridor provides many benefits for humans, including water flow regulation and filtration, habitat for crop pollinators, natural pest control and landscape aesthetics.

UBC Professor Lael Parrott

“We can’t fragment our ecosystems,” says Parrott, director of the Okanagan Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience, and Ecosystem Services. “A landscape is like a human body and is connected in so many ways. It has water running through it, vegetation and wildlife. If, like a body, it becomes fragmented, it then becomes a series of disconnected sections that don’t function well.”

The corridor is a variety of Crown land and privately-owned property. Much of the area is used for recreational purposes and is populated by animals such as elk, badger, bighorn sheep and a variety of snakes and bats. Protecting this corridor will contribute to maintaining wildlife, ecosystem function and human quality of life in the region.

“We’re hoping to set an example for many parts of Canada because our landscape and our growth and development are not unique to this area,” she adds. “This is an excellent example of UBC Okanagan research having a real-world impact. We live in one of the most beautiful places in Canada, and most of us live here because of the quality of life that comes from our natural ecosystems. We have an opportunity to develop differently, and set an example for other places.”

Parrott recently made a presentation to the Municipality of Lake Country and the corridor is being considered for implementation in the Lake Country Official Community Plan.

This pilot project is partially funded by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant, Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO), Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program (OCCP) and BC Ministry of Agriculture.

More information about the wildlife corridor can be found at: http://complexity.ok.ubc.ca/2017/11/06/the-okanagan-mountain-to-kalamalka-lake-ecological-corridor/

Associate professor Soheil Mahmoud (second from right) with his research team at UBC Okanagan’s lavender field.

Lavender is more than just a nice smelling and calming plant

While lavender has long been known for its strong scent and soothing oils, a UBC researcher is exploring the plant’s ability to create natural pesticides.

Soheil Mahmoud, an associate professor of biology at UBC’s Okanagan campus, conducts research on organic compounds found in plants—specifically lavender. While lavender is known for its strong scent, and the plant’s oils are said to have a healing or soothing benefit, Mahmoud says lavender has much more to offer.

“Lavender has proven to be very good at protecting itself through production of antimicrobial and anti-fungal biochemical compounds,” says Mahmoud. “One of our goals is to identify molecules that are involved in this natural self-defence.”

Lavender has a natural ability to attract bees and deter other insects that can harm it.

Using a research field at UBC’s Okanagan campus, Mahmoud and his team of students are attempting to identify, characterize and clone the specific genes that control the defensive properties of lavender. If this is indeed possible, Mahmoud suggests this may have significant environmental implications.

Lavenders produce essential oils, he explains, and these consist mainly of organic compounds, including an antimicrobial and insecticidal monoterpene named 3-carene. In the latest research, students Ayelign Adal, Lukman Sarker and Ashley Lemke isolated and examined the gene and corresponding enzyme that catalyzes the formation of 3-carene in lavenders.

Traditionally, chemical herbicides or pesticides have been used to control fungal growth or pests like insects. But Mahmoud says this method is becoming less and less desirable as many of the pests and fungi have become resilient to the chemicals used, and as consumers prefer food that is untreated or treated with “natural” pesticides.

“We’ve become much more health conscious,” he says. “There are healthier options instead of spraying chemicals on plants; we just need to explore these. Aromatic plants like lavenders could provide suitable alternatives to chemical-based insecticides”

Mahmoud’s research was recently published in the Plant Molecular Biology journal and was supported through grants and/or in-kind contributions by Genome British Columbia, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the BC Ministry of Agriculture.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world. For more visit ok.ubc.ca.

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Blue mold growth on a Spartan apple

A common soil bacterium may be the answer to reduce fruit losses

An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but the mold on it could make you sick.

Rhiannon Wallace, a PhD candidate at UBC Okanagan’s campus, has developed a way to stop, or at least control, blue mold—a pathogen that can rot an apple to its core. Wallace’s research has determined that bacteria, originally isolated from cold Saskatchewan soils, may be the answer to preventing mold growth and apple rot while the fruit is in storage or transport.

“The majority of postharvest fungal pathogens are opportunistic,” explains Wallace, who is working with UBC Biology Prof. Louise Nelson. “If a fruit is physically damaged, it is at an increased risk of rotting during storage. So a tiny blemish on the fruit from harvest or handling can turn into a conduit for attack by fungal pathogens and subsequently result in the development of mold.”

Rhiannon Wallace, a PhD candidate at UBC Okanagan’s campus, has developed a way to protect apples from rotting.

The fungal pathogen Penicillium expansum, also known as blue mold, destroys millions of stored apples each year. Post-harvest rot can result in yield losses of up to 20 per cent in developed countries such as Canada, while developing countries can lose up to 50 per cent of the crop, Wallace says.

The goal of her research is to reduce the amount of produce lost due to post-harvest blue mold. Traditionally, post-harvest rot has been controlled with chemical fungicides, but Wallace says these treatments have become less effective as the pathogen has developed resistance and there is consumer pushback to the chemicals. The research by Wallace and Nelson aims to provide a safer and more sustainable alternative to fungicides.

Wallace suggests the solution may lie in a particular bacterium specific to Saskatchewan soil. Pseudomonas fluorescens, due to its prairie roots, can survive in cold storage—a characteristic that is key to dealing with cold-stored produce like apples.

During tests conducted at the British Columbia Tree Fruits Cooperative storage facility in the Okanagan, Wallace determined that these bacteria can prevent blue mold from growing on McIntosh and Spartan apples while in storage. In addition, during these experiments, the bacteria provided control of blue mold on apples that was comparable to a commercially available biological control agent and a chemical fungicide.

“What is novel about our research is that we show the bacterial isolates we tested have an array of mechanisms to inhibit or kill Penicillium expansum (blue mold) on apples while fungicides generally act only by a single mode,” Wallace says. “These findings suggest that the development of resistance by blue mold against our soil bacteria is unlikely.”

She does note that while all three isolates of P. fluorescens tested provided control of blue mold, the level of control provided by each isolate varied with apple variety.

Wallace’s research, supported by the Canadian Horticulture Council and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, was recently published in the journal Postharvest Biology and Technology. Further support came from the BC Tree Fruits Cooperative and Agriculture Canada’s Summerland Research and Development Centre.

About UBC’s Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world. For more visit ok.ubc.ca

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UBC research shows different sulphite amounts affect yeast strain and final product

Adding different levels of sulphites to grape juice can significantly alter which yeasts are able to ferment the wine—and changes how the final wine tastes and smells.

UBC Okanagan PhD candidate Sydney Morgan has recently published research about how sulphites, also known as sulphur dioxide (SO₂), affect wine yeast and how this reaction may change the taste of a product. After a six-month study at two different Okanagan wineries, Morgan has determined that different wine yeasts react differently to SO₂ depending on how much was added at the beginning of fermentation.

UBC Okanagan PhD candidate Sydney Morgan conducts research on wine yeast strains and how they react to sulphites.

“We wanted to see whether adding different levels of sulphur dioxide at the beginning of the wine-making process changed the particular yeasts fermenting the grape juice,” she explains. “Because different yeast strains can produce different flavour and aroma compounds, this can significantly affect the flavour and aroma profile of the final wine.”

Her research—conducted with Assoc. Prof. of Biology Dan Durall—examined a common commercial yeast called Saccharomyces cerevisiae. While there are hundreds of strains of this yeast, adding different levels of SO₂ can create different environments in the grape juice that allow different yeast strains to grow and take over fermentation. It is the yeast strain profile, or yeast composition, that helps determine the final taste of a wine.

Until recently, little was known about how different levels of SO₂ at the early wine-making stage could create diverse environments that promote the growth of different yeast strains. Morgan chose two wineries for her study: Cedar Creek Estate Winery, an established business with a 40-year-old building, and 50th Parallel Estate Winery, a new winery with a recently completed wine-making facility. The wineries are significantly different—from the age of the buildings, to the grapes used, and geographical locations.

“The level of SO₂ added before fermentation did specifically impact the dominant strains of yeast that we were able to identify throughout fermentation,” says Morgan. “The results of our research are of interest to both the scientific community as well as to wine makers who are looking to add lower levels of SO₂ to their fermentations.”

Using sulphur dioxide in wine-making is considered essential by some, but it is also controversial, she explains. In low levels, sulphites are not harmful to most people, and they can help wine makers as they prevent spoilage, prevent the browning of white grape juice, and improve the longevity of wine. However, some people react to sulphites; some feel nausea, while others may have a red face, hives, and asthma sufferers may have a more severe response.

The research, partially funded by a grant from the BC Wine Grape Council and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, was recently published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology.

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Kelowna residents Colin and Lois Pritchard have long been recognized in the community for their outstanding contributions to advancing health care in the southern interior region.  On Thursday, the most recent of their foundation’s contributions was unveiled at Kelowna General Hospital.

Thanks to the generosity of The Colin and Lois Pritchard Foundation, the Larissa Yarr Medical Microbiology laboratory at KGH has new, sophisticated testing abilities with a real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) laboratory. These highly advanced diagnostic instruments allow laboratory staff to detect and identify specific antibiotic resistance gene mutations, bacteria and viruses faster than ever before.

Currently, most viral diagnostics must be sent to Vancouver for testing in a reference facility, with delays due to the transport required.  The new PCR instrumentation allows for significantly increased capacity to test for viral illnesses directly at KGH.  When time is of the essence, having immediate access to this kind of advanced technology can significantly impact the clinical course of a patient.

Biology Co-op education program

The gift also includes a generous provision to UBC Okanagan’s Department of Biology to support one microbiology student per year for the next five years.  The student will have the opportunity for a four-month co-op placement in the Microbiology Laboratory at KGH.

The gift has the dual purpose of supporting talented UBC Okanagan students in real-world learning while also building capacity for the lab to undertake research on the PCR.

Since being founded in 2007, The Colin & Lois Pritchard Foundation has made possible some incredibly unique acquisitions at KGH including; the Endoscopic Ultrasound in 2015, which allows highly detailed gastrointestinal imaging; the MALDI TOF analyzer in 2013 that speeds bacterial identification; and Telehealth and Video Conferencing in 2012, allowing for remote specialist consulting and diagnostic work to be done where people live.

The gifts are remarkable on a number of fronts, not the least of which is the Pritchards’ commitment to working in partnership with both KGH and UBC-O.  Each gift is intentionally structured to fill less obvious but still critical needs within the hospital, while providing research and learning opportunities for students.

“These days, philanthropy in health care is often focused on cancer or cardiac care,” notes Dr. Edith Blondel-Hill, KGH Medical Microbiologist who has worked directly with the Pritchards.  “Supporting the microbiology laboratory with new technology to improve the diagnosis of infections will ultimately result in better antibiotic use, to preserve these lifesaving medications for future generations. This donation demonstrates this family’s commitment to the present and future health of our community.”

“The Pritchards’ history of giving is really unique,” notes KGH Foundation CEO Doug Rankmore.  “Over the years, they have been exceptionally engaged with our specialty medical teams to determine where needs exist that might typically be overlooked because it’s not top of mind in the media or even within the general medical community. Their gifts have had an incredible impact in this hospital.”

UBC Okanagan microbiology student April Mahovlic is the recipient of the co-op funding for this year.

“Working with Dr. Wilmer at the Lab has been a tremendous learning opportunity for me,” she says.  “I will be forever grateful to the Pritchard family for this gift.  Because of them, I have the opportunity to work with some of the most advanced technology in Canada.”

Indeed, the support of advanced education in the medical fields has been a top priority for the Pritchards and has resulted in several gifts to UBC over the years including bursary support for Southern Medical Program (SMP) students, research opportunities for SMP students at the BC Cancer Agency, simulation equipment and ultrasound technology.

“Health is one of UBC’s top research priorities,” says Vice-Principal and Associate Vice-President of Research at UBC Philip Barker. “The Okanagan campus is uniquely positioned to provide transformative learning opportunities for the next generation of innovators and critical thinkers. We look forward to continuing our work with Interior Health and would like to extend our sincere thanks to the Pritchards for their generous and ongoing support of our mission.”

INFO SHEET – NEW PCR INSTRUMENT AT KELOWNA GENERAL HOSPITAL

KGH DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY

The Colin & Lois Pritchard Foundation’s gift supported the acquisition of a sophisticated piece of technology/ instrumentation that allows the microbiology lab at KGH to perform PCR, or amplify DNA, to detect and identify specific genome.

What is PCR and why is it important?

PCR stands for Polymerase Chain Reaction. Performing PCR has many practical applications and benefits including the locating of specific gene mutations and the diagnoses of viruses including HIV, SARS, H5N1, bacteria analysis for resistant genes in real time. This means the bio-medical team at KGH is able to make diagnoses faster than ever before, which allows them to treat these illnesses with greater efficiency.

In addition to influenza and other respiratory viruses and bacteria, this system provides capacity to test for gastrointestinal pathogens, resistance factors in superbugs and much more. While the new PCR instrument improves the capacity and range of testing that can be done at KGH, it is significantly more cost effective to operate.

With this acquisition, the microbiology lab at KGH is considered to be one of the most advanced in Canada.

The Colin & Lois Pritchard Foundation

Colin Pritchard, a retired lawyer and UBC alumnus and his wife Lois, founded The Colin & Lois Pritchard Foundation in 2007. A snapshot of the Pritchard Foundation’s philanthropy over the past ten years reveals a commitment to working in partnership with multiple organizations to profoundly impact the delivery of health care in our community both for today and for generations to come.

Over past 10 years, The Colin & Lois Pritchard Foundation has worked in partnership with KGH medical teams and medical faculties at UBC Okanagan to identify intersection points between the two institutions where provisions can be made for both the acquisition of state of the art equipment at KGH and learning and research opportunities for students.

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