Engineering new coatings that repel water, fight corrosion and withstand heat
Originally published in the Spring 2015 issue of Edge Magazine. Have you ever been on a plane and marvelled over the fact that a 400-ton hunk of metal can get off the ground? As you peered out the window at the wing flaps, you probably thought about how the miracle of flight has something to do with the […]
How this Engineering professor is helping drivers keep their eyes on the road
Originally published in the Spring 2015 issue of Edge Magazine. According to recent studies, texting while driving has surpassed drunkenness as the leading cause of death for teen drivers. But even as public service campaigns plead with drivers to relinquish their devices, cars are increasingly loaded up with GPSs, infotainment systems, dash cams and other on-board tech. Cars […]
Hydrogels boost ability of stem cells to restore eyesight and heal brains
University of Toronto researchers show that engineered ‘hydrogels’ not only help with stem cell transplantation, but actually speed healing in both the eye and brain Toronto scientists and engineers have made a breakthrough in cell transplantation using a gel-like biomaterial that keeps cells alive and helps them integrate better into tissue. In two early lab […]
Faculties of Engineering, Dentistry and Medicine to collaborate in new Translational Biology and Engineering Program
Researchers from the Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering (IBBME) continue to build on the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering’s unparalleled strengths in biomedical engineering with the establishment of the Translational Biology and Engineering Program (TBEP)—a key component of the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research (TRCHR). TBEP will occupy an entire floor of […]
Megacity metabolism: is your city consuming a balanced resource diet?
New York is an energy hog, London and Paris use relatively fewer resources and Tokyo conserves water like a pro. These are just a few of the findings from a new study on “megacity metabolism”—the world’s first comprehensive survey of resources used and removed in each of the planet’s 27 largest metropolitan areas. Led by engineers […]
Engineering alumni startup Nanoleaf creating green jobs in Toronto, China
It started with a viral campaign for the world’s most energy-efficient light bulb in 2013. Now, international media are also calling Nanoleaf a “green job” leader. Founded by University of Toronto engineering alumni Gimmy Chu (ElecE 0T6), Tom Rodinger (IBBME PhD 0T7) and Christian Yan (ElecE 0T6), the company has grown from its days as a crowdfunded venture working from […]
Preventing deformed limbs: researchers find new link between physical forces and limb development
University of Toronto engineers and a pediatric surgeon have joined forces to discover how physical forces like pressure and tension affect the development of limbs in embryos—research that could someday be used to help prevent birth defects. The team, including U of T bioengineer Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalez from the Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering (IBBME), U of T mechanical […]
Traffic emissions may pollute 1 in 3 Canadian homes
A trio of recently published studies from a team of University of Toronto engineers has found that air pollution could be spreading up to three times farther than thought—contributing to varying levels of air quality across cities. Past research on air pollution from vehicle tailpipes has shown poor air quality anywhere between 100 to 250 […]
U of T Engineering Supermileage Team wins Shell Eco-marathon in Detroit
Eighty-nine engines revved in Motor City this weekend, but they weren’t racing for gold—they were racing for green. The University of Toronto Supermileage team won this year’s Shell Eco-Marathon Americas in Detroit, Michigan, with an efficiency of 3,421 miles per gallon—the equivalent of 6.82 millilitres of gasoline per 10 kilometres. That’s less than five tablespoons […]
