This project aims to determine prevalence rates of Echinococcus species tapeworms in domestic dogs and to compare these rates to those obtained from wild canids including wolves, coyotes, and foxes. This will shed light on infection rates and risk factors for both the human population and their pet dogs. This research will benefit Bayer as […]

The purpose of this research project is to forecast the timing and estimate the costs of yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) invasion into southern British Columbia. Yellow Starthistle is an invasive plant that has caused tens of millions of dollars of damages to agricultural production in the United States as well as millions of dollars of […]

Dairy industry is one of the largest industries in Canada with an annual turnover of $17 billion. Dairy producers in Saskatchewan sell over 273 million litres of milk a year, valued at 180 million dollars. Mastitis is a potentially fatal mammary gland infection in dairy herds that causes a significant reduction in milk production. The […]

This research project will involve analyzing non-structural flood management measures in Shanghai, China – one of the world’s most flood vulnerable cities. The Chinese government has invested heavily into structural barriers to flooding, such as the Three Gorges Dam, but there is no fail-safe in times of extreme flood levels. Despite extensive research, there is […]

Feather pecking (FP) in egg-laying hens, where individuals peck repetitively and excessively at other birds to pull out and eat their feathers, is a challenge for the industry with large economic and welfare implications. High prevalence of FP is reported (60-80%) and this is associated with mortality rates of up to 20-40%, which translates to […]

Feather pecking (FP) in egg-laying hens, where individuals peck at other birds to pull out and eat their feathers, is a challenge for the sector with large economic and welfare implications. It is especially of concern in systems where birds are housed in large social groups as it is harder to control. With new policies […]

Common scab is a world-wide potato disease that is responsible for important economic losses. The control of the disease is difficult and soil fumigation is often the only approach available. In Atlantic Canada, crop losses associated with common scab are economically important and the disease has been progressing in severity. Therefore, Dr. Filion, in association […]

Pork producers in Canada are in the process of transitioning from stall housing to group housing systems for gestating sows. The greatest concern with this change is the problem of aggression when pregnant sows are mixed. Mixing frequently results in aggressive interactions among sows, and can affect reproduction and cause welfare problems. Typically sows are […]

The practice of mixing sows shortly after breeding (MPI) is a practical approach for loose housing that is gaining popularity in commercial herds. However, the effects of dynamic grouping (in which newly bred sows are moved into an already established gestation group) in conjunction with MPI may result in stress during the implantation period, and […]

Probiotics are bacteria that provide health benefits when eaten. However it is difficult to identify which bacteria may have beneficial properties and therefore identification of new probiotics is a time consuming and expensive process. In this project the intern will examine the effect of different potential probiotic bacteria on a specific cell type, the mast […]

Les camélidés partagent certaines caractéristiques anatomiques et physiologiques avec les ruminants. Bien que les camélidés ont une particularité microbienne telle que la présence d’un type de protozoaire spécifique à eux ‘’type B’’ et un genre spécifique nommé Butchlia permettant une meilleure digestibilité des fourrages par rapport aux protozoaires ‘’type A’’ chez les ruminants, on dispose […]

Juvenile Pacific Salmon survival in the Salish Sea has declined dramatically since the 1980s. Our work is part of the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project (SSMSP), an initiative which seeks to understand this decline. We have been developing an economical, small vessel-based method to study how juvenile Chinook Salmon use their habitat in more detail […]