Discovery of ‘slithering sperm’ could improve infertility treatments
Engineers from the University of Toronto have discovered that human sperm can adapt their swimming style to their environment. While they usually gyrate in a three-dimensional, corkscrew-like motion, the team was the first to observe sperm slithering along a surface using a two-dimensional, snake-like motion. The discovery could offer a new way to select the […]
Improving defibrillator accessibility to save more lives
This story is Part 7 of a seven-part series, U of T Engineering in the City, running throughout fall 2015. Walking through an office building on St. George Street, Christopher Sun (EngSci 1T3+PEY, IndE PhD candidate) quickly spots a portable automated external defibrillator (AED), conveniently tucked near the side of the entrance. From 8 a.m. to […]
Meet undergrad Frank Gu, a U of T Engineering intern lighting up Nanoleaf
How does a second-year engineering undergraduate student nab a coveted internship with a global lighting startup like Nanoleaf? It helps to offer critical thinking, creativity and boundless energy — but having the boss share your intellectually impressive hobby doesn’t hurt. When Nanoleaf CEO Gimmy Chu (ElecE 0T6) met electrical engineering student Frank Gu (Year 2 ElecE), he discovered that the young applicant was a member of […]
Regenerative medicine conference puts spotlight on U of T engineers
If you or someone you know has benefited from a bone marrow transplant, then you may be more knowledgeable about stem cells and regenerative medicine (RM) than you think. Bone marrow transplants, a procedure used in treating cancer that has been around for the last 40 years, is just one of the applications of stem […]
Engineering alumni startup Nanoleaf launches new product for Apple home system
Nanoleaf, the fast-growing startup from U of T Engineering alumni, launched a new product Oct. 27 tied to Apple’s HomeKit line. “We’ve received Apple’s approval to join the HomeKit ecosystem,” said Nanoleaf spokesperson Leslie Chen. The Nanoleaf Smarter Kit combines “the world’s most energy efficient smart bulb” and a stylish, connected hub with Apple’s Siri-enabled HomeKit, Chen said. This will […]
Craig Simmons receives Heart and Stroke Foundation award to advance cardiovascular research
University of Toronto Engineering professor Craig Simmons (MIE, IBBME) has received the 2015 CP Has Heart Cardiovascular Award from the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Canadian Pacific in the amount of $288,867 to support his research in finding a treatment for diseased heart valves. He is one of 10 researchers to be selected among 454 […]
An open data platform for improving Toronto transportation
This story is Part 6 of a seven-part series, U of T Engineering in the City, running throughout fall 2015. Last Friday, an unmanned octocopter lifted off from a grassy park in a Toronto ravine. It ascended 75 metres and then twisted its mounted camera to scan the volume of traffic moving along Don Mills Road. […]
Engineering a ‘social needs marketplace’ to help the urban poor
This story is Part 4 of a seven-part series, U of T Engineering in the City, running throughout fall 2015. Two years ago, U of T Engineering professor Mark Fox (MIE) spent 36 hours living on the street. He did it partly as a charity fundraiser, but mostly to get a better sense of how the homeless […]
A bumper crop atop U of T Engineering’s Sky Garden
This story is Part 3 of a seven-part series, U of T Engineering in the City, running throughout fall 2015. Every Tuesday through the late summer and early fall, a team of volunteers ascends to the roof of the Galbraith Building on U of T’s St. George Campus. They are there to pick corn, beans, squash, peppers, […]
