Machine learning reveals unexpected genetic roots of cancers, autism and other disorders
In the decade since the genome was sequenced in 2003, scientists, engineers and doctors have struggled to answer an all-consuming question: Which DNA mutations cause disease? A new computational technique developed at the University of Toronto may now be able to tell us. A Canadian research team led by engineering and medicine professor Brendan Frey […]
U of T Engineering team delivers $1 detection system for measles and rubella
U of T Engineering researchers have developed a paper-based diagnostic system for use in some of the world’s poorest countries. Awarded $112,000 by Grand Challenges Canada’s “Bold Ideas” initiative last month, the system is being touted for its potential impact on infant and maternal health in developing nations. “Every hour, 11 infants are born with […]
Power players: How U of T engineers are building a smarter electricity grid
Originally published in the 2014 issue of ANNUM Magazine. A single unpruned tree was all it took. On Aug. 14, 2003, one hot day in a hot summer, a power line sagged onto some branches in the small village of Walton Hills, Ohio. The resulting cascading failure throughout Ontario and the northeastern United States shut down power […]
By land, by air: Engineering sustainable travel
People used to say that the journey was as important as the destination. But that was back when travel was exotic and exciting—before voyagers were so infuriated by gridlock, so concerned about safety and so consumed with their carbon footprint that the journey became something to endure, rather than savour. It doesn’t have to be […]
No more poking at your smartphone: Students unveil ideas for new mobile user interfaces
Poking at your smartphone with your finger is so 2014—it’s time to find new ways to interface with the mobile devices we all carry. That’s the challenge Professor Parham Aarabi (ECE) of The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at University of Toronto posed to his graduate class. “I encouraged students […]
New technique offers spray-on solar power
Pretty soon, powering your tablet could be as simple as wrapping it in cling wrap. That’s Illan Kramer’s (ECE) hope. Kramer and colleagues have just invented a new way to spray solar cells onto flexible surfaces using miniscule light-sensitive materials known as colloidal quantum dots (CQDs)—a major step toward making spray-on solar cells easy and cheap […]
How organic LEDs are the future of sustainable, affordable lighting
Originally published in the Fall 2014 issue of Edge Magazine. There’s a revolution happening in the world of lighting, and Professor Zheng-Hong Lu’s (MSE) research into organic LEDs is leading the charge. The award-winning researcher from the Department of Materials Science & Engineering is delving into the centuries-old puzzle of energy efficiency: how to provide […]
New $5-million NSERC network uses enzymes for greener manufacturing
Instead of using fossil fuels to make plastics and industrial chemicals, what if we could harness eco-friendly enzymes—nature’s smallest helpers—to do the work? On Nov. 28, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) announced a five-year, $5-million grant to create the Industrial Biocatalysis Network (IBN). Based at the University of Toronto and led by […]
Engineering a healthy heart: a closer look at the Rogers family $130-million gift
A new frontier in cardiac health care On November 20, the Rogers family donated an unprecedented $130 million to create the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research (TRCHR). The new Centre unites research expertise from the University of Toronto, the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the University Health Network (UHN). Together, these organizations are […]
